Things I Wish I’d Known Earlier in My Career (And Why You Should Know Them Too)

It started with a Myers-Briggs test.

Early in my career, my office held an offsite in the ballroom of a local hotel. The event was meant to help us build connections with colleagues, and part of the agenda involved a discussion of personality differences using the Myers-Briggs assessment. Up until that point, I was wholly unfamiliar with personality tests, having studied as an engineer. I’d never found time to take even an intro-level psychology class.

The session was an epiphany for me. Everyone from the office head to the newest joiner had taken the test in advance, so they knew their type. To illustrate the differences across the four Myers-Briggs dimensions, the facilitator selected small groups to leave the room. She then invited them in according to their group.

She first focused on the Extrovert-Introvert dimension. When called back into the room, the Extroverts literally burst through the doors in boisterous fashion, joking with each other as they came to the front of the room. The Introverts, by contrast, came in nervously, with trepidation on their faces and clear discomfort at being the center of attention. They were asked questions like, “What did you do last weekend?” and answered with responses like, “Curled up with a good book.”

For the Judger-Perceptor dimension, she had the groups pull out their wallets or purses. The Judgers had theirs neatly organized, including having their cash (remember cash?) sorted by dollar denomination. The wallets and purses of the Perceivers were a mess. She then asked about upcoming vacation plans. On average, the Judgers had their vacations mapped out 4-6 months in advance. The Perceivers responded by saying they hadn’t planned theirs, commenting that they “usually just wing it.”

It was good fun, but we all learned something about each other that day. My boss, who was a bit of a tormentor, was a Feeler. I made a half-joking comment that he should be better attuned to the team dynamics. His response? “I am. I can see exactly how much pain I’m inflicting.” That was a cue that I needed to search for a new boss.

What I learned that day and have continued to learn since

Through that ice-breaking session, I learned how important it is to understand the differences in personality and how they affect the way we think and work. I also learned some things about myself. For example, as a Judger working in a deadline-based organization, I needed to learn to be more flexible and mentally prepared for the flurry of last-minute preparation that my more Perceiver-oriented colleagues would spark.

Since that time, I’ve been purposeful about seeking to understand the people in my life and what drives them. I’ve also sought to better understand myself. It’s been a long journey, and it took me well into my career to feel like I’d accomplished that goal. When I look back, I recognize the many ways that having that understanding earlier in my career would have benefitted me professionally. Here are at least three ways:

1. Better day-to-day interactions. 

Early in my career, I lacked emotional intelligence. My thinking and influencing style were heavily logic-based. I would argue the facts, and I viewed people who didn’t accept the facts or who were swayed by other factors as being, well, wrong. It took a long time for me to realize that facts will only get you so far in winning people over. Some people are better persuaded by emotional appeals, relationships, the invoking of a higher authority, or whatever. 

Once I learned how to adapt my style to better match the person or the group, I became a more effective colleague and leader.

2. Better job and manager choices. 

That boss I had early in my career? I stayed in his orbit way too long. It held me back, and I ended up making some questionable decisions as a result. If I’d more fully understood how ill-suited we were, I would have made a change more quickly and taken a role that was a better fit for me.

3. Better stay vs. go decisions. 

I certainly stayed in a few situations too long, where “calling the moment” would have been the better choice. Remaining in poorly fitting roles affected my physical health, my mental health and my family life. Had I had a better self-understanding and more self-confidence, I would have made better decisions about whether to stay in or leave jobs.

So, how do you get to know yourself?

From all of these experiences, I fundamentally believe that good career management starts with understanding yourself. The more you learn about who you are as a person, the more fulfilled you’ll be able to be professionally. Having that strong sense of self is a real asset that can benefit you not only at work, but in all aspects of your life.

When I coach people, I encourage them to master an understanding of themselves along four dimensions. Specifically, I ask them to consider:

1. What are your values? 

Values reflect what drives you and what’s most important to you in life and work. These include parts of your life like family and faith, as well as attributes like integrity, loyalty, respect and stability. 

2. What are your interests? 

What gets you up in the morning and what are you passionate about? How do you like to spend your days? If values define how you want to live your life, interests describe what you want to do in life.

3. What is your personality or, in the context of your career, your preferred work style? 

Your personality and work style reflect how you think, feel emotions, plan, handle change and interact with others. It’s important to understand what motivates you and what keeps you happy, as well as what demotivates you or fills you with dread. You won’t always be able to avoid these latter situations, but you should at least understand what your ‘triggers’ are and learn how to manage through them. Understanding your personality can help.

4. What are your strengths? 

Everyone has strengths in some areas and weaknesses or development needs in other areas. By understanding what you’re good at, you can steer yourself toward those activities so that you have the opportunity to really shine. On the flip side, if there are development needs that are limiting to you, you need to recognize them and either work on them or avoid roles or tasks that depend on them.

The sum of these areas – which essentially form your profile – should shape how you plan your career at a macro level, the goals you set for yourself, what you do in your daily work, and how you interact with others. Truity offers assessments in many of these areas. For those starting their career journey or contemplating a transition, the Career Personality Profiler can help you home in on your work style and choose the career options best suited to you.

Evaluate your career every few years

You should revisit each of these areas periodically, perhaps every few years. You’re going to change and grow as a person and your life situation will change, such as if you get married, have children, are injured in some way or need to care for a family member with health issues. There will always be some underlying constants – these are what make you “you.” But there invariably will be changes as well, and these will help drive the direction in which you take the various phases of your career.

As you better understand yourself, it will also become easier for you to better appreciate others for who they are. While we’re all different, we’re prone to assuming others will act and react the same way we do. By better recognizing the dimensions that make us all different – those who like to work alone vs. in groups, those who like to be in the background vs. leading, those who like consistency vs. those who like change, etc. – you’ll be better able to understand your colleagues for who they are and to work with their strengths and styles.

In all these ways, knowing yourself – and using that clarity to better understand others as well – is a superpower, one that too few of us possess. But you’ll be better for developing that knowledge, so get to it today. And if you want outside help, check out the coaching options and other career resources available through PathWise.io.