The 2014 movie Divergent starts in a world where once you reach a certain age, the government puts you through a compulsory test that peers into your subconscious. The test then spits out one of 5 categories or areas in society that you are best suited to. Wouldn’t that be great?
Unfortunately in the real world the quest for happiness in life, and in work, takes a lot longer and is a lot more complicated than that for most of us. What should I study at University? What job should I take? What I am going to enjoy? There’s no fool proof system that will spit out your dream career, but key traits in your personality can put you at the introverted or extroverted end of the scale and steer you in the right direction.
Introverts are people typically characterised as those who recharge when spending time alone. That’s not to say they aren’t social, but generally they will prefer to have smaller, more intimate social circles. They think things through before they speak or make a point and can be known to dwell on things or events long after others have forgotten about them. Introverts prefer confronting and solving their problems on their own when they have time and space to think about them.
Extroverts conversely find energy from large groups of people – if they’re feeling down and out after a rough day, they’ll find comfort in having a big party or going out with a large group of friends. Typically outgoing, energetic, confident and talkative, extroverts can also be negatively identified as those people who enjoy talking about themselves too much. When presented with a problem, they prefer to discuss and debate the issue openly with others to solve it.
Of course, it’s impossible to say that there are only two types of personalities in this world. Rather than thinking of them as black or white, treat them as two ends of the scale. Most of us will land somewhere in between the two.
Hopefully you’ve got a pretty good idea of which side of that scale you tend more strongly towards, which can give you some pretty powerful insights into whether you should take the left or right hand fork in the road.
As an introvert you’d prefer to take over the world with a business that you can run from the comfort of your own office, from behind your computer, probably without a ringing phone. It doesn’t even need to be a large company that you run with lots of employees to manage. In fact, you’d probably rather make your millions on your own as a one-man-band. While you’re ambitious, family and lifestyle remain just as important – if you had to choose between a $10 million or a $1 million salary, you’d take the single million because you know it would mean you’d get to live the life you want.
If this sounds like you, consider looking at a career path that doesn’t require you in a single place or tied to a specific routine every day. In the age of the internet, starting and building an E-Commerce business that outsources the supply of its product is probably the model job or business idea for the modern introvert. Focus on a career that enables you to work hard on driving customers to come in to your business, not cold calling hundreds of people a day to buy your product or service.
If that all sounds horrible and boring, and you didn’t even read past $100 million; consider yourself an extrovert. To stay motivated, inspired and fulfilled you’re going to need people around you every day – a large office where you manage or work with a large group of people that you can talk with and bounce ideas off. You’ll probably enjoy routine, a large meeting every Monday morning where people can talk about their targets for the week and who has done a better job than the other.
As an extrovert you might feel excitement when thinking about being a Real Estate Agent, a high powered Public Relations Director or Executive, Sales Manager, or perhaps a successful journalist or reporter. Those are only a few examples, but the key staple being that to enjoy your career you’re going to need constant interaction with other people to stay motivated and energised. Equally, you’ll be driven by working to tight schedules and targets even when there’s a risk you might not hit those milestones.
Knowing whether you’re more inclined to be introverted or extroverted is a great exercise, even if it’s not for the purpose of identifying your dream job. And, whether you’re just starting out in your career or feel like you’re hitting a mid-life crisis, you’re probably struggling with knowing which end of the scale you tend more strongly towards. Start focusing on those key points in your day to day life and see where you turn when you’re in need of energy or a reboost – do you pick up your phone to arrange a meeting with your friends, or do you look forward to sitting on the couch reading a book or blobbing in front of the TV?
How you recharge can tell a lot about your personality type and in turn where you should look to start or reinvent your career.