When planning out your career path, it is helpful to learn about yourself – who you are, how you like to work, what is important to you in your career. This exercise will help you explore your interests, values and personal style (or personality).

interests

This questionnaire will help you identify your Holland Code, which is a set of three interest categories that are most appealing to you from a career perspective. Knowing your interests can help you identify career paths that you might find most satisfying. Please check off the following activities that are most of interest to you (as many as you like):

R

farming/gardening auto mechanics carpentry building things fixing electrical appliances driving a truck

I

math astronomy physics doing puzzles building working models doing experiments

A

being in a play drawing or painting learning a foreign language going to concerts creative writing playing an instrument

S

studying foreign culture community service teaching children helping people making new friends belonging to a club

E

socializing at a party working on a sales campaign buying materials for a store selling a product being with leaders giving speeches

C

word processing (on computer) using a cash register typing reports following a budget keeping detailed reports filing letters and reports

Add up the number of checkmarks in each letter category. The three top categories will make up your Holland Code (i.e., SEA).

your code:                  

*If you find that you have a tie and that none of the interest groups stands out as particularly strong, this simply means that you have a wide variety of interests. You may find that careers from a number of groups appeal to you.

personal exploration

interest results

Here are some descriptions of the different interest categories as well as some possible career opportunities that exist within OFG. Please note that these lists only include a selection of options to get you started in thinking about your career path – it is not intended as an exclusive list.

R - realisticThese individuals tend to be physically strong, athletic and well coordinated. They enjoy building or repairing things, working with machines and being outdoors.

food clerk (a number of departments) warehouse clerk receiver department manager (more hands-on)

S - socialThese individuals tend to be good communicators, understanding and helpful. They enjoy working with others, particularly being able to make a positive impact.

food clerk (all departments) cashier manager (working with people) human resources assistant/specialist

I - investigativeThese individuals are scientific, curious, introspective and analytical. They enjoy building on their expertise, working independently to advance intellectual ideas.

corporate brands – product development quality assurance specialist IT - programmer/analyst/project manager resource protection officer or investigator

E - enterprisingThese individuals thrive on challenge, competition and leadership. They enjoy persuading others, meeting new contacts and achieving personal and business goals.

manager (selling) buyer merchandising specialist customer product manager/merchandiser

A - artisticThese individuals are often expressive, innovative, and sensitive. They enjoy creative interests, trying new things and expressing themselves through their work (artistically).

merchandising manager (designing displays)

marketing coordinator communications specialist photographer

C - conventionalThese individuals prefer organized, calm environments with routine tasks. They enjoy being able to find practical, efficient solutions to problems, working in stable, secure environments.

cashier office clerk/manager accountant treasury services representative

There are a number of other career paths available within OFG. Check out the office organization chart or retail success paths for more information. Knowing what your interests are will help you to determine if one of these careers is a good fit for you.

workplace values

Understanding what is important to you in your workplace is key to ensuring your career satisfaction. If your career and your values are consistent with one another, you are more likely to be happy in your job.

In the table below, read the description of each value and rate how important this value is to you in your career and how well your current or desired job meets this value (scale of 0-5, where 0 is non existent and 5 is to a large extent). The closer these scores are to each other, the more likely you will feel that your job is meeting your needs.

career anchor and description importance match to job security/stabilityYou prefer steady, predictable work and a long-term employment relationship. You strongly identify with the company you work for and gain satisfaction from belonging to this organization.

           

autonomy/independenceYou have a need to do things your own way; although you will work to achieve organizational goals and objectives, you will want to decide how this is to be done. You prefer to work autonomously and enjoy being able to chart your own path.

           

technical/functional competenceYou are motivated by being able to apply your talents at work and by being regarded as an expert by others. It is important to you that your job remain challenging, otherwise you may become bored. Once you find your area of specialty, you will want to continue working within this area.

           

managerial competenceYou are motivated by career advancement, achieving higher levels of responsibility within the company. Rather than seeking out an area of specialization, you prefer to have a breadth of knowledge about several functional areas and to be an expert instead in the overall business.

           

entrepreneurial creativityYou have a need for creative challenges, and enjoy the opportunity to create or shape your own business, department or product. You are motivated by having ownership over the area you work in and by having it become self-sufficient and successful.

           

sense of service/dedication to a causeYou enjoy working in a job where you can directly serve, support or contribute to the well-being of others. You enjoy making a difference through your work; this sense of helping others is more motivating to you than the monetary rewards of your job.

           

pure challengeYou are motivated by challenge, by being able to overcome anything or anybody. You enjoy solving problems, making sales, beating competitors and surpassing targets or standards. It is important to you to have variety in your work, as these diverse tasks help you to develop your competencies.

           

lifestyle integrationYou are less motivated by what you do at work than by what you do outside of work. This does not mean that you are not interested in a meaningful career, but it will be important for you to have flexibility so that you can balance your family, friends, hobbies and other outside activities with your work.

           

personality

The following exercise will help you to determine your personality type. Your type will help you learn more about how you like to work, and what types of work you are likely to find rewarding.

For each of the questions, please select the answer which best describes you. At the end of the exercise, we will help you tally your scores to identify your personality type.

1. At a party do you:a) Socialize with many people, including those who are new to youb) Socialize with a few people, preferring ones you have met before

2. Do you describe yourself as:a) Realisticb) Philosophical

3. Are you more interested in:a) Factsb) Similes

4. Do you place more emphasis on:a) Being fair mindedb) Being kind hearted

5. Do you tend to be more:a) Unemotionalb) Sympathetic

6. Do you prefer to work:a) With a deadline in mindb) With fluid timelines and schedules

7. When making decisions, are you:a) Fairly carefulb) Somewhat impulsive

8. In a social setting, do you:a) Stay late, getting more energized as the event goes onb) Leave early, finding the experience more draining

9. Do you believe that you are more:a) Sensibleb) Reflective

10. Are you more compelled by:a) Hard data or factsb) Complex ideas

11. Do you find it easier to be:a) Fairb) Nice

12. When you meet someone new are you:a) Distant and detachedb) Engaging and friendly

personality

13. Do you tend to be more:a) Punctualb) Leisurely

14. Does it bother you more to have things:a) Incompleteb) Complete

15. Among friends, do you find that you:a) Keep up-to-date on what is happeningb) Fall behind on news

16. Are you more interested by:a) Specificsb) Concepts

17. Do you prefer authors who:a) Say what they meanb) Use analogies to illustrate their point

18. Is your natural style to be more:a) Impartialb) Compassionate

19. When decision making, are you more likely to be:a) Impersonalb) Emotional

20. Do you prefer to:a) Get things settledb) Keep your options open

21. Are you more:a) Quick to agree to a timeb) Hesitant to agree to a time

22. When you call someone on the phone, do you:a) Improviseb) Rehearse what you’d like to say

23. Do you believe that facts:a) Stand aloneb) Need interpretation

24. Do you prefer working with:a) Practical datab) Abstract ideas

25. Do you find that you are more:a) Cool headedb) Warm hearted

26. Would you rather be known as:a) More just than mercifulb) More merciful than just

personality

27. Are you more comfortable:a) Planning timelinesb) Postponing

28. Do you prefer to make:a) Written agreementsb) Handshake agreements

29. When in social situations, do you:a) Initiate conversationsb) Wait for someone to talk to you

30. Do you believe that traditional common sense is:a) Fairly trustworthyb) Misleading

31. Would you say that children need to be more:a) Practical b) Imaginative

32. Would others characterize you as:a) Tough mindedb) Tender hearted

33. Is your tendency to be more:a) Firmb) Gentle

34. Are you more likely to keep things:a) Plannedb) Open-ended

35. Do you place more importance on things being:a) Defined – “That’s just the way it is.”b) Variable – “It depends…”

36. Do you find interactions with others to be:a) Stimulatingb) Overwhelming

37. Do you find yourself to be more:a) Practicalb) Theoretical

38. Which of the two ideas is more attractive to you:a) Perception what isb) Conception of what could be

39. Which do you find more satisfying:a) To discuss an issue thoroughlyb) To arrive at agreement on an issue

40. Which guides you more in making decisions:a) Your headb) Your heart

personality

41. Are you more comfortable working on a:a) Contractb) Casual basis

42. Do you prefer for things to be:a) Neat and orderlyb) Optional

43. Do you prefer to have:a) Many friends with shorter interactionsb) Fewer friends with longer interactions

44. Would you prefer to have:a) Substantial informationb) Credible assumptions

45. Do your interests lie in:a) Productionb) Research

46. Do you find you are more comfortable being:a) Objectiveb) Personal

47. Do you value being:a) Unwaveringb) Devoted

48. Are you more comfortable with:a) Final statementsb) Tentative statements

49. Are you more comfortable:a) After a decision has been madeb) Before a decision has been made

50. Do you:a) Find it easy to speak with people you do not knowb) Have difficulty making conversation with people you do not know

51. Are you usually more interested in:a) A particular situationb) A general case

52. Do you feel more:a) Practicalb) Innovative

53. Which of the two do you find more appealing:a) Logic and reasonb) Feelings and emotions

54. Do you find yourself to be more:a) Fairb) Sympathetic

personality

55. Do you believe it is preferable to:a) Plan out all the detailsb) Just let things happen

56. Do you have a tendency to:a) Get things decidedb) Put off making a decision

57. When the phone rings, do you:a) Rush to get to it firstb) Hope someone else will answer first

58. Do you prefer to have a:a) Strong sense of realityb) Good imagination

59. Do you find yourself more interested in:a) Fundamentalsb) Implications

60. In when making a decision, do you tend to be more:a) Neutralb) Charitable

61. Do you think of yourself as:a) Clear headedb) Good natured

62. Are you more likely to:a) Schedule your plansb) Be spontaneous

63. Would others describe you as:a) Preferring routineb) Go with the flow

64. Do you tend to be:a) Approachableb) Reserved

65. Which of the following is more fun for you:a) Hands-on workb) Blue-sky dreaming

66. What type of writing do you prefer:a) Literalb) Figurative

67. Would you say that you are:a) Unbiasedb) Compassionate

68. Do you feel that it is more important to be:a) Justb) Lenient

personality

69. Are you more likely to:a) Make a snap judgementb) Delay making judgement

70. Is your tendency to be more:a) Deliberateb) Spontaneous

Record your responses to each question in the table below and total the number of responses for each number (1-8). Please note that there are two columns for numbers 3-8, so please add together your totals for both columns to reach your final score.

a b a b a b a b a b a b a b1 2 3 4 5 6 78 9 10 11 12 13 1415 16 17 18 19 20 2122 23 24 25 26 27 2829 30 31 32 33 34 3536 37 38 39 40 41 4243 44 45 46 47 48 4950 51 52 53 54 55 5657 58 59 60 61 62 6364 65 66 67 68 69 70

1 2 3a 4a 3b 4b 5a 6a 5b 6b 7a 8a 7b 8b

3a 4a 5a 6a 7a 8a

E I S N T F J P

Adapted from Please Understand Me by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates, Prometheus Nemesis Book Company, Del Mar, CA, 1978.

For each of the four pairs (E/I, S/N, T/F and J/P), determine which score is higher to determine your personality preference. If you have a tie, you may designate an X for this characteristic and review the description for both options.

On the following pages, you will find a description of each of these personality preferences as well as how they relate to your career path.

When you combine the four letters together (i.e., ISTP) this is your personality type. A number of resources exist to help you learn more about what this means for you and your career interests. Here are some examples:

Keirsey.com Typefocus.com “Do What You Are” by Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger “Please Understand Me” by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates

personality and career

Here are the descriptions for each of the factors that make up your personality type. These explanations will help you better your approach to life and your career.

Extraversion Introversion Like interactive environments Impatient with long projectsDevelop ideas through discussionLike group and team activitiesBreadth of interests - variety “What You See Is What You Get”

Like quiet, private space for concentration Comfortable with long-term projects Develop ideas alone through reflection Like to work alone, occasionally in groups Depth of interests - similarity “Still Waters Run Deep”

Sensing INtuitiveGather information via the five sensesConcerned with present realitiesProceed step-by-step or piece-by-pieceEnjoy applying perfected skillsPrefer routine with minor improvementsPracticalPreciseLiteralTrust experience Accounting and Mechanics“See the Trees” - Detail

Gather information via the sixth senseConcerned with future possibilitiesProceed in burst of energyEnjoy the challenge of learningPrefer change, sometimes radicalInnovativeGeneralFigurativeTrust inspiration Science and Computers“See the Forest” - Big Picture

Thinking Feeling Decide by objective, impersonal analysisDetached and firm-mindedHeadFocus on task and objectivesCompetitiveLike thought-provoking environments

Decide by impact on people/valuesInvolved and amicableHeartFocus on people and harmony CooperativeEnjoy jobs where they can help

Judging PerceivingScheduledStructured Decide quickly in the desire for closureEnjoy ending tasks PlanLike to control and regulate events

SpontaneousLike flexibility in the job Always attuned to incoming informationEnjoy starting tasksAdaptLike to experience and understand events

The following page will offer you a more specific look at the careers that people of your personality type are most likely to find rewarding.

personality and career

Personality type theorists believe that although there are sixteen different combinations, given the four scales discussed on the previous page, there are four main groups - or temperaments - which have similar fundamental motivations.

In the table below, we will explore the general career interests for each temperament, as well as some specific interests for each type.

SJ – GuardiansFinding Membership and Belonging

SP – ArtisansFinding Freedom and Action

These individuals find it important to belong to a group and to make positive contributions to their community.ESTJ – Tend to seek leadership positions; enjoy using technical skills; may be interested in running their own business.ISTJ – Accurate and precise; enjoy business, civil service or professional positions.ESFJ – Provide for the welfare of others; have well-developed social skills; may enjoy health care, business.ISFJ – Keep things running smoothly; often work behind the scenes; enjoy health care, education and social service.

These individuals are often independent, preferring a life of action and freedom.ESTP – Prefers action careers, such as emergency response (police, EMT) or military, as well as business, such as finance or sales.ISTP – Fast hand-eye coordination and analytical skills; some possible careers include chiropractor or optometrist, computer programmer, pilot, banker.ESFP – Enjoy conversations with others; charismatic; may be drawn to sales, sports or entertainment.ISFP – Driven by values and aesthetics; may find them in medical, social services or education careers; some are driven to express artistic talents; others choose service industry or clerical roles.

NT – RationalsFinding Knowledge and Competence

NF – Idealists Finding Meaning and Unique Identity

These individuals are strong visionaries, with the passion and ability to make that vision come to pass.ENTJ – Strong leadership tendencies; driven towards reaching goals; analytical abilities; possible careers include project managers, financial planners or labour relations leaders.INTJ – Focused on an internal vision; good problem solvers; enjoy intellectual puzzles which translates well to technical positions such as research or engineering.ENTP – Enjoy bouncing ideas off of other people; prefer work that involves new ideas and contact with others; drawn to politics, marketing, public relations.INTP – Store large amounts of information and have strong analytical capabilities; drawn to professions such as medicine, law, financial analysts. May be drawn to express themselves creatively through their career.

These individuals are driven by seeking the greater good and living in alignment with their values. They seek to have a life of meaning and to help others.ENFJ – Good at building relationships; drawn to education, social services, training, counselling or clergy. Need to connect with others and make a difference.INFJ – More private, but still value making a difference; may be found in education, religion, social work, or in the arts.ENFP – A natural confidant, this type excels as a mediator, teacher, counsellor or reporter. Want to experience the whole of life and may change careers more often than other types.INFP – Driven to express their own unique vision of the world through music, art, entertainment or dance. Can also find reward as a professor or teacher, social worker, counsellor or human resources professional.

Adapted from Keirsey.com – “Finding Your Passion or What Makes a Job Right for You?”, 2011.

personality and career

The Five Commandments of PreferencesEach of the 16 preference combinations represents a distinct work interest type with a style different in many characteristics from each of the others. When reviewing and considering the preference descriptions, it is important to remember the following caveats:

1. No assessment of any kind is 100% accurate in predicting every behavioral characteristic or preference of an individual. An assessment like this is only one lens through which to view human personality, preferences, and interests.

2. How you really perceive yourself is more important than what is predicted by theory. It takes real life and self-awareness to validate your preferences. Remember that you are the one who gives credence to your career interests.

3. Do not necessarily rely completely on the assessment score to determine your preferences. If the score for the two pairs in any of the dimensions was close and you are uncertain about which you really are, read the style descriptions for both of the preferences.

4. No one preference is better than any other preference - only different! Societies of the world, organizations, families, teams, or other collections of human beings function better with every preference style. In addition, you use all the functions and attitudes at different times.

5. Your strength maximized becomes a liability. It is perfectly natural for us to rely on that part of us with which we feel the most comfortable. But by doing so, we can further neglect other parts of ourselves, which eventually become uncomfortable, underdeveloped, and unskilled. After all, a big part of career management means career self-development!

Adapted from Type Talk at Work, 1992 Delacorte Press, and Otto Kroger Associates, 1996

Knowing what you have learned from these assessments will help you determine whether a career path is a good fit for you. The career planning questions exercise may help you decide what you would like your future career to look like.