Are You the Write Type?

There are 16 personalities.

At least, that’s what Myers and Briggs want us to think. Have you ever heard of the 16 personalities quiz? It’s a personality test derived by Isabel Myers and Katherine Briggs to help people gain more insight into who they are and why they do the things they do.

Seems like there should be more than 16, right? After all, there are over 7 billion people on Earth.

Believe it or not, the 16 personalities quiz is actually quite robust. Do me a favor and tell a few people you know to take the 16 personalities quiz. Their results, most likely, will fascinate them. They’ll spend a long time reading over the robust descriptions provided with each personality type. There will be many moments of, “Wow, that’s really me!“

I first took this quiz in high school – I’m 3 years removed from high school now. The first time I took it, I was told I was an ENFP. If you reference the personality sheet at the top, that would make me a Campaigner. The E in ENFP stands for extrovert; that’s how I knew it wasn’t up to par. I’m far more introverted than I am extroverted, but I did have some qualities that aligned with the ENFP traits. I say all this to make a point – your results can, and probably will change as you grow and evolve as a person. I’m very different now as a senior in college than I was in high school.

I took it again a while ago, and I was given a much more accurate result. INFJ, or the Advocate, is the personality of the 16 that I fully believe best suits me, and it didn’t strike me until I got to the Career Paths page of the personality breakdown.

When I started thinking seriously about my career goals, I realized that I was the type of person who would absolutely prefer to do a job I loved without making six figures as opposed to making six figures in a job I hate. Funnily enough, the notion that Advocate types would choose a fulfilling job over a job for materialism was in the first paragraph of the page.

And yet, what follows is the part that caught my eye.

“Many Advocates are also strong communicators. This explains why they are often drawn to careers in writing, authoring many popular books, blogs, stories, and screenplays. Music, photography, design, and art can all be viable options as well, allowing Advocates to focus on deeper themes of personal growth and purpose.”

Now, I’m going to tell you why I dedicated an entire blog post to the 16 personalities. Whether you take it seriously or not, I encourage all of you to take the test and read through your results thoroughly. I’m confident that it will match you better than you expected it to.

It can be hard to determine what’s right for us. Communications has always been something I was drawn to, but sometimes we aren’t exactly sure we have what it takes. A push from something like the 16 personalities test can give you the validation and clarity you need to pursue the career goals you want, whether you know you want them or not.