Psalm 90:17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.
Undecided about your future career? Your aim should be “what is your best career.” I say best career because most people can do very well in different careers. The best career is any career that leaves you satisfied with the work that you do, provides enough for at least a conservative lifestyle, and does not interfere with your relationship with Jesus.
Frequently, people try to work jobs that reward them with a high income yet become miserable doing so. Such misery often comes from a basic personality difference between themselves and the job. Yes, a job has a personality requirement for its tasks to be completed effectively.
You are instinctively aware of some of these requirements. The most effective salespersons are extraverts. The most effective accountants are highly detail focused. The best scientists are extremely logical, those who make a plan and stick to it are highly successful at many things. Different jobs require various personality characteristics.
Have you tried to match your personality to different jobs? If you go to college, you can do well in most college majors. It would just take more effort for some majors than others. The crucial step occurs after graduation. Very few people in psychology, humanities, or dramatic arts can land a decent paying job in their major field with a bachelor’s degree. In fact, many professors in these majors have very different personalities from their students. The personality requirements for graduate work are very different than bachelor work for some majors.
Instead, spend time matching the personality requirements of your future job with your own. How can that be done? I suggest that you start with something called the Myers-Briggs Temperament Inventory (MBTI). It has flaws, but it may help guide you to understand your four basic characteristics that are in demand by certain jobs. You can look at personality-coded jobs online that match your personality profile and get an idea of what jobs you might be attracted to.
Go to your school (or college) career counselor and see if they can provide you with a complete MBTI version. They should also provide job correlations to your results. If for some reason you don’t have access to a school or college counselor, look online for free MBTI tests. Avoid sites that ask you to pay for this test. After you get a basic personality profile, you can go again online to look for jobs that require these personality characteristics.
Beware, the younger you are, say 16 years old or younger, you have a higher chance the test will not measure your personality accurately. If you think the test is accurate, don’t pick a job from the list that corresponds to your personality results and focus only on it. This exercise is just to acquaint you with those jobs that require your personality characteristics and educate you in the fields that you would most likely enjoy working in.
Remember, in these modern times, God has allowed you to find jobs that match your basic personality. This freedom was not available to most people 100 or more years ago. It is your duty to use your career for God’s glory as well as your peace of mind.
Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…
Blessings,
Tom
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