I took the Myers-Briggs test 3 times during my 17-year engineering career in various management seminars and “team-building” exercises. I came up INTJ in all three.
In the last one I took, among the characteristics listed for the INTJ-type was, “most likely to quit a job at a moments notice”.
Why didn’t I think of that? After reviewing my finances, I quit and retired about 6 months later.
How Flunking a Personality Test Can Cost You Your Dream Job - WSJ
intercst
I was always intp which sort of makes sense. I agree with your reasoning most of the time, except I have less certainty that my way is the only way.
It’s interesting that the article doesn’t seem to consider the alternative to answering the questions in one of these tests the way most folk are familiar with…if they resorted to just answering as best you can, based on what you think the interviewer is looking for. Especially if further online self assessment to expand on answers is called for. Talking about use of generative AI programs.
I wrote a while back how the Lump of Foul Deformity…formerly known as my son in law…tried to game a domestic violence evaluation which utilised an online personality test pretty extensively by using such a bamboozle. Darn near succeeded too. Got himself initially assessed as being the victim of a narcissistic abuser. Future employers/divorce lawyers etc might well find themselves using AI/plagiarism analysers such as Grammarly etc along with astrology and graphology.
The article did mention that. The problem is that it’s often not obvious what the company is looking for.
{{ “Most salespeople think, ‘I’ve got to be an extrovert,’ but it’s more nuanced than that,” he says. “Sales jobs require a lot of research and a lot of independent work.”
Stewart asked me not to reveal the numerical sweet spot on his company’s 10-point, introvert-extrovert continuum. Suffice it to say, applicants who think they know what a prospective employer is looking for might be wrong, so gaming the system isn’t easy.
Karen Goumakos, general sales manager at Reagan Outdoor Advertising in Austin, Texas, uses Affintus’s personality test to scout for a range of character traits—including unexpected ones. Instead of looking for people with customer-is-always-right attitudes, she likes her sales reps to register as somewhat oppositional.
The reason: Clients don’t always know the best marketing strategy, and Goumakos wants employees who can shoot down bad ideas politely. She says the personality test is about one-third of the equation in hiring decisions and can be the reason why a person with a great résumé doesn’t get a job. }}
intercst
I too am an INTJ. They say thats ideal for engineers. I max the J scale and am very near even on the I vs E scale.
Earlier we did the DISC tests where management prefer D types who drive change. C types are detail oriented perfectionists. Work well as accountants. Most Americans are S types. They like routine and dislike change. They do well as assembly line workers or secretaries. They can be coached to adapt to change.
I type can do ok in business but be careful if you work with one. They are extremely sensitive and well known for being fashion oriented and well dressed.
I’m a D sub i. Normal facade is D type but tends to revert to i when stressed.
Women are advised to test for the personality they use at work. I suppose implying adjusting to a variety of roles in situations as appropriate.