Do What You Are
Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Types
byPaul D. Tieger, Barbara Barron-Tieger
Book Edition Details
Summary
In a world brimming with career crossroads, "Do What You Are" emerges as a beacon for those seeking fulfillment in their professional lives. This updated edition brings the art of aligning your unique personality type with your dream job into the 21st century's dynamic landscape. Forget the cookie-cutter career advice—here, you'll uncover how your personal blueprint influences your decision-making and interactions. With insights that span from cutting-edge fields like biotechnology to the heart of healthcare, this guide transforms your job search into a tailored journey of self-discovery. Through engaging exercises and real-life anecdotes, you'll learn to harness your innate strengths and navigate your career with confidence. Whether you’re venturing into new territories or seeking more from your current role, "Do What You Are" offers a personalized roadmap to professional satisfaction and success, crafted for the individual you truly are.
Introduction
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to effortlessly thrive in their careers while others struggle to find satisfaction, despite having all the right qualifications? The answer lies not in what you can do, but in who you are at your core. Your personality type serves as an internal compass, guiding you toward work that energizes rather than drains you, challenges rather than bores you, and aligns with your deepest values and natural strengths. When you understand and honor your authentic self, you don't just find a job—you discover your calling. This journey of self-discovery and strategic career alignment can transform not only your professional life but your entire sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Discover Your Authentic Personality Type
Understanding your personality type is like discovering the blueprint of your professional DNA. At its core, personality typing reveals your natural preferences for how you energize, gather information, make decisions, and organize your world. These preferences aren't limitations—they're your superpowers waiting to be unleashed. Consider Sarah, a marketing professional who discovered she was actually an Introvert despite years of believing she needed to be more outgoing to succeed. She had been forcing herself into networking events and open office environments, leaving her exhausted and unfulfilled. Once she understood her true preference, Sarah restructured her approach to work. She began scheduling quiet time for deep thinking, chose smaller, more meaningful professional connections over large networking events, and negotiated for a private workspace. The transformation was remarkable. Sarah's energy soared, her performance improved, and work became genuinely fulfilling. She stopped fighting against her natural tendencies and started leveraging them. Her ability to think deeply and develop well-considered strategies became her greatest professional asset rather than a perceived weakness. To discover your type, start by honestly examining your natural preferences across four key dimensions. Do you gain energy from social interaction or quiet reflection? Do you focus on concrete details or abstract possibilities? Do you make decisions based on logical analysis or personal values? Do you prefer structure or flexibility? Your answers reveal your unique personality blueprint and point toward work environments where you'll naturally thrive.
Match Your Strengths to Career Success
Career satisfaction isn't about finding the perfect job—it's about finding the perfect fit between who you are and what you do. When your natural strengths align with your daily responsibilities, work becomes energizing rather than exhausting, and your authentic talents become valuable assets. Take Marcus, an ENFJ who spent years struggling as a financial analyst. Despite his strong analytical skills and decent salary, he felt increasingly drained and disconnected from his work. Marcus's dominant function was Feeling, meaning he naturally made decisions based on values and human impact, while his auxiliary function was Intuition, drawing him toward possibilities and big-picture thinking. The highly detailed, numbers-focused environment of financial analysis conflicted with both his natural strengths and his core need to help people grow and develop. When Marcus discovered his personality type, everything clicked into place. He realized his dissatisfaction stemmed not from lack of ability, but from working against his natural grain. Marcus transitioned into organizational development, where he could help companies create better working environments and support employee growth. In his new role, Marcus felt energized rather than depleted, and his natural charisma and people skills became valuable assets rather than irrelevant traits. The key to career satisfaction lies in understanding your dominant and auxiliary functions, which represent your strongest and most reliable mental processes. When your work allows you to use these functions regularly, you experience a sense of flow and competence that makes even challenging tasks feel manageable and rewarding. Different personality types thrive in different aspects of the same field, so focus on finding roles where your natural talents are not just useful but essential.
Master Your Strategic Job Search
A successful job search isn't about casting the widest net—it's about casting the right net in the right waters. Your personality type influences not just what jobs you'll love, but how you should search for them, leveraging your natural strengths while addressing potential blind spots. Consider Jennifer, an INFP who knew she wanted to work in environmental advocacy but struggled with the networking and self-promotion aspects of job searching. As an Introverted Feeling type, Jennifer's strengths lay in deep conviction, authentic communication, and one-on-one relationship building. However, traditional job search advice focused on large networking events and aggressive self-marketing felt completely wrong for her personality. Instead of forcing herself into uncomfortable strategies, Jennifer developed an approach that honored her natural preferences. She focused on building deeper relationships with a smaller number of contacts, including professors, former colleagues, and professionals whose work she genuinely admired. She crafted thoughtful, personalized letters that demonstrated her knowledge of their organizations and her authentic passion for their missions. Rather than attending large career fairs, Jennifer arranged informational interviews where she could have meaningful conversations about shared values and environmental concerns. This targeted approach proved far more effective than conventional methods would have been. Jennifer not only found a position with an environmental nonprofit but also built lasting professional relationships that continued to support her career growth. Her authentic approach impressed employers who were tired of generic applications and superficial networking interactions. Remember that your personality type shapes not just what kind of work you should seek, but how you should seek it, working with your natural tendencies rather than against them.
Transform Your Professional Journey
Your personality type isn't a limitation—it's your greatest professional asset waiting to be fully utilized. The intersection of self-knowledge and strategic action creates career satisfaction that extends far beyond paychecks and promotions into genuine fulfillment and sustained motivation. The journey to career fulfillment begins with a fundamental truth: when you align your work with your authentic self, you don't just find a job, you discover your calling. As one career changer reflected, "I finally stopped trying to fit into someone else's definition of success and started building my own." This shift from external expectations to internal alignment represents the difference between merely surviving your career and truly thriving in it. Career satisfaction is not a destination but an ongoing journey of growth and adaptation. As you develop professionally and personally, your needs and interests may evolve, but your core personality type remains constant, serving as your reliable guide through all the changes and choices ahead. The most successful career transitions happen when you align your search strategy with your natural strengths while consciously addressing your potential blind spots. Your next step is immediate and concrete: complete a thorough assessment of your personality type, then research three specific career paths that align with your temperament and functional preferences. Don't wait for perfect clarity or ideal circumstances. Start conversations with people currently working in roles that interest you, and begin experimenting with projects that let you test what energizes you professionally. Your ideal career isn't just a dream—it's a destination you can reach by understanding and honoring who you truly are.
Summary
Your career is more than a job—it's an expression of who you are and who you're becoming. When you align your work with your personality type, you don't just find a better job; you discover a more authentic way of being in the world. As one successful professional noted, "Using your strengths is easy. The secret to success is learning to prioritize, focus, and follow through—especially with commitments made to others." This wisdom captures the transformative power of personality-based career decisions. Start today by taking one honest look at your current work situation through the lens of your natural preferences, and begin imagining what your professional life could look like when it truly reflects who you are at your core. Every step toward authenticity is a step toward career satisfaction, and your journey toward meaningful work begins with the courage to honor your authentic self.
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By Paul D. Tieger
