The right career for your personality

Work. Extroverts make good marketers and managers because they are negotiators. Net photo

“Personality is a combination of one’s unique attributes, including emotional, social, behavioural, and others that may change according to changes in environment,” Beatrice Balitenda Kakembo, a counsellor with Inspirations Counselling, Education and Parenting Services explains, adding: “Desperation and poor career guidance may lead to underrating personality as a major consideration when getting jobs or even chasing careers.”
Kakembo goes on to say that it is also normal to see an individual happy at work, happy with work and happy about work. Such a scenario is indicative of an individual whose personality suits what they do and they will go all the way to grow and strengthen their career.
Charity Kamusiime Asiimwe, a member of Uganda Marketers Society (UMS) has traversed sectors working in positions with a backing of her personality and passion. Before her transfer to Kenya, the bubbly go-getter was the chair of the ethics and professional standards committee for UMS. Her turning point was while she worked at Airtel Uganda as a Trade Marketing Executive when her then boss, Prasoon Lal, took keen interest in her personal social media activity and was convinced she could handle the brand’s digital thus taking on the challenge to Airtel’s Digital Marketing Executive and eventually Digital Marketing Manager. Jaqi Deweyi, is a bubbly and friendly person, currently working as marriage coach at The Antidote adds her voice saying, “When you do the things you love for a career, it will never feel like a job since many believe that jobs are synonymous to stress.” However, once you go in for a job, for say money, the day that money stops coming or reduces, you will start looking elsewhere. While Asiimwe and Deweyi found the niche suitable for their personalities, not many of us are that lucky. We look more to what will give us means to survive while we suffocate our personalities and passions to death.
Evelyn Connie Kharono Lufafa, a psychologist at Ssuubi Medical Centre further reveals that several models have been developed such as Holland’s Career Codes to help people better understand the link between personality and careers. She breaks down these personality types and their possible careers:
Introverts
The enforcer
This kind is loyal, dependable, and practical and values long stable careers. They value and respect tradition thus usually work in well-established fields and work well with routine. They also like it when they can control how their day will turn out. That aside, they are hardworking, self-sufficient, and need no more motivation. They persevere, see decisions through and obviously, they are loved by employers.
Ideal: Auditor, stockbroker, police officer, lawyer, accountant.
Avoid: Unpredictability, instability, large teams, and subjectivity.

The artist
Through their hands, they connect with the world and subsequently find purpose. They love creative freedom devoid of boundaries thus can barely thrive in traditional environs. They love colourful environs devoid of structure and organisation. They are free spirited, love new experiences for fulfilment, never plan ahead and their calling is in creating beauty to share with others.
Ideal: Musician, therapist, artist, masseuse, photographer, designer, cosmetologist.
Avoid: Abstract ideas, deadlines, long term commitment, and routine

Extroverts

The innovator
They are pleased when they can use their skill to solve something. They thrive with creativity, love developing projects, adapt with ease, and excel in various careers. They also do well as team leaders.
Ideal: Human resource personnel, corporate trainer, marketing and sales personnel, and consultant.
Avoid: “busy work,” lack of influence in strategy formulation, working from home.
The guardian
These are so caring and thrive at guiding, teaching as well as helping and just like ‘the boss’, they love to be in charge. However, they do not work with strategies but warmth and pleasant character. This causes them to be easily loved by others and gives them leeway to be in charge, almost always. These prefer to see quantifiable results from themselves and others.
Ideal: Teacher, social worker, administrator, hospitality related career, leadership roles
Avoid: Working from home, blurred guidelines or expectations, lack of impact for others.

The negotiator
They are not only practical but also flexible and need varying stimulus for drive. They work well with objects rather than ideas and will do whatever it takes to get the job done. They therefore change tactics easily to achieve results and are ruthless. Their need for results makes them adaptive and they work with lots of energy.
However, they do not work with deadlines and have little structure
Ideal: Talent manager, mechanic, contractor, marketing and sales personnel, and litigator
Avoid: closed rooms, strict deadlines, routine, and arts.

The boss
These love the office environ and need to be in charge of their work environment. They do well if they can manage, coordinate, delegate, and drive others to achieve goals. They love lots of structure and will always step in to create organisation in their work place. They best work with others because quiet time only drains them rather than inspire.
Ideal: CEO, leadership positions, finance, supervisors, and military officers.
Avoid: Lots of quiet time, subjective fields such as arts, humanities, social work.

The traveller
Originality is what travellers are about; new people, new ventures, new experiences and cannot do with routine; they will do everything to stay away from it. They have love nature and practicality and easily adapt to new situations while detesting structures. They are simply travellers, taking in all they lay their eyes on and enjoy the thrill of new experiences.
Ideal: Travel guides, performers, artists, teacher, fitness coach, consultant
Avoid: Data entry, administrative work, lengthy academics, and routine.
Balitenda concludes saying that when personality is well matched with career choice, success is easier to be attained.