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Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type (Paperback) (平装)
by Paul D. Tieger, Barbara Barron
| Category:
Self help, Career development, Job search, Job coach |
| Market price: ¥ 218.00
MSL price:
¥ 198.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
The book should appeal to anyone interested in their personal career development strategy, and the contents are applicable globally. |
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AllReviews |
1 Total 1 pages 10 items |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-19 00:00>
I had several very smart and successful mid-career changers tell me this was a must-buy book, so I bought it.
I think it's also a must read for anyone putting together a business partnership or management team that seeks personnel that will complement each others' strengths.
I wish I had read this book years ago. The authors have written a book around the Myers-Briggs personality type concept. Many other career advice authors may devote a chapter to this, but the Tiegers have really delved into this more than others. For instance, each of the sixteen 4-letter Myers-Briggs personality types (INTJ, ENTP, etc.) gets a full chapter on that type, including the person's strengths, weaknesses, typical best job fits and 2 or 3 case studies of men and women with those personality types. After I took the test, I found their chapter on my particular type captured me almost perfectly and taken 20 years ago, would have predicted many of the career successes and challenges I've experienced.
The original pioneers of the Myers-Briggs methodology were Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother, Katherine Myers. Starting in the 1920s they identified 4 different aspects of personality (introverted vs. extroverted, sensing vs. perceiving, etc.) to come up with 8 traits. There are a total of 16 possible combinations of these traits and these are the "personality types".
While some may find some fault with Myers-Briggs personality type theory, it's sure good enough to be a powerful, insightful tool. The official Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test has been around for decades and has been thoroughly researched and critiqued as well as widely used by millions.
The Tiegers also cover additional Myers-Briggs material I have not seen in other career advice books. An example is how your personality evolves with age - certain Myers-Briggs traits become more pronounced at different times in life.
The buyer should be aware of two things, however, when they buy this book:
1. First, this book does not cover other aspects of career planning, self-assessment and job-hunting. It's 95+% personality type material. You'll still want to get another book (or books) on other aspects of career planning and job-hunting.
2. The true Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Test is copyrighted and available only through organizations, counselors and therapists approved by the Myers & Briggs Foundation - see myersbriggs.org (their site has also has a lot of other useful stuff).
The authors cannot include the test, but they describe each of the 8 traits in sufficient detail that you can estimate what you are - BUT you may be wrong, as I found out when I took the actual MBTI test. My estimate was very accurate for 3 traits and way off the mark for the 4th. As I read over the material in the book, I could see how I was wrong. I recommend paying the extra money, taking the real test and going over the result with someone certified by the Myers & Briggs Foundation - they can interpret those results that may surprise you. After speaking with the counselor and re-reading the relevant sections of the Tieger book, I could see how I made my mistake. The meanings of some of the terms - introverted, extroverted , judging, etc. - are subtly different in the psychological type world from the way they're used in daily conversation.
There are thousands of people out there certified to do this and many college career placement offices also administer the test to students for free. You can also take the test online using a link at myersbriggs.org site and then discuss the results remotely with a trained counselor. Some of this control may be due to the foundation wanting to preserve test revenues, but it's also driven by concerns about untrained people administering it inappropriately (for instance, to identify some neurotic boss's idea of "bad personality types") or interpreting it incorrectly.
Also, I tried two different on-line free sites that offered seemingly similar tests to come up with a Myers-Briggs type. These tests gave wildly inaccurate and conflicting results - I recommend staying away from them.
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Renee Hierholzer (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-19 00:00>
The basic principle behind this book makes so much sense that you begin to wonder what all of those other career guide authors are writing about. The authors of this book believe that the starting point of a career change is internal, and that by getting a better understanding of the fundamentals of your personality before starting your job hunt, then you will be better able to select a career. The book is a fabulous read, and actually provides one of the best descriptions of Myers-Briggs typology that I've ever read. You will gain an incredible amount of knowledge from reading and using the exercises within this book. There is nothing about this book that I did not love!
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Alberto Dell'era (MSL quote), Italy
<2007-06-19 00:00>
The experience of the Authors in Career Counseling truly shines through this book. They not only show you the MBTI theory in a clear and simple manner, but, more importantly to me, they give you the advice that only years of practical use of this method can provide. So, not only I got a theoretical psychological profile of myself (95% accurate), but also real examples of people like me, which I was able to compare with. Also, the advices on how to conduct my job hunting campaign were surprisingly detailed and accurate - just as I was face-to-face with the Authors - and by sure they were the same advices they gave (and give) to their customers. Actually, their excellent writing style made me think that I was in their office listening to them, instead of at home reading their book!
A final note on the MBTI. I'm always quite suspicious of psychological theories (they tend to be written by fanatics for fanatics, and so very often they turn to 'religions'), so I appreciated the pragmatism and objectivity both of MBTI in general and of the writers in particular. In my opinion, MBTI is a good way to classify the personality types of people, and it doesn't matter whether or not the underlying theory is 100% correct as far as it works. For sure, it doesn't matter for the job-seeker which wants to read this book, and get self-understanding and practical advices.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-19 00:00>
I'm a career counselor in private practice, working with mid-career changers and young people making these decisions for the first time. This is one of the two truly extraordinary career books I ask all of my clients to buy. It was written for people who want to choose a direction that is a perfect fit with their personality. It does a wonderful job of introducing you to the 16 types. However, personality type is only one of many important factors in making a satisfying choice of direction. I recommend that you also get yourself a copy of: "The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success", by Nicholas Lore. It is by far the best guide to picking your career. Whether you are thinking of changing careers in mid-life or are a student trying to figure out how to be successful and love your work, buy both of these books, and use them! Together they will guide you to putting the pieces of the puzzle together in a way that will keep you getting out of the right side of your bed for years to come.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-19 00:00>
The Meyers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is obviously a more involved personality test than the introduction this book provides. 'Do What You Are' however, may be enough for most of us. I have no training in career guidance, nor was I familiar with any of the 'types' or terminology before reading this book. It gave me a good appreciation for the 16 different personality types and provided a simple step method to help me identify my personality type. For me that was sufficient, especially as along the way I have gotten insight into why certain aspects of my current job are pleasing and why others are...well, less than that. For persons contemplating or just starting their careers, the book would be very helpful. For others a little further along and not necessarily able to do a sudden career shift, or in a rut, it can be of significant use in helping adjust attitude and approaches to your job. I think the book opens up a world of possible alternative careers for all of us, you could say were hidden because we didn't know our 'type'. It's just left for us to find and seize the opportunity. |
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Rochelle (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-19 00:00>
I bought this book as part of an online class. The class guided participants through the book. This book provided valuable insight on traits and characteristics that I have and the types of careers I am best suited for. As part of the book, the reader does a Myers-Briggs test to determine their personality type. I have done Myers-Briggs testing in the past but never with the explanation about each type that this book provides. The book provides an write-up about each type - allowing those of us who cross types to hone into the exact type we are. Based on this, the reader can then read the career section devoted to their type. I found out that I am in the right career - however I am not using my strengths and preferences correctly.
This book provides great insight...I recommend it to anyone trying to determine their entry-level career or for those of us facing 'mid life' career dilemmas.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-19 00:00>
I enjoy reading and studying the MBTI and personality theory. I picked up the Tiegers' book at a book sale and certainly do not regret it. The book is well written and fills an urgent need: it attempts to help the concerned reader answer the ages old question, what am I supposed to do with my life? All sixteen types are given ample attention and the book offers many suggestions for pursuing a career based on your personality type. Each section has detailed, real life examples of successful matches between personality types and careers.
However, I have a few concerns about the book that prevent it from receiving a five star rating. The book does not mention entrepreneurship at all (a minor point). It also does not give an explanation that I recall regarding how the Tiegers reached the conclusions they wrote about. In my case I was indifferent to many of the suggestions that they gave as career choices for my type, and was actually turned off to several. Capability is different than interest. Another problem is that socialization or other experiences in a person's life may lead to an enjoyable career that is not what a reading of the innate preferences and combination of preferences may suggest. The Tiegers addressed these concerns...somewhat. In my specific case I concluded that my potential career goals and career path need to involve different ideas and suggestions than what the Tiegers asserted.
That said, I still recommend the book. Someone who is younger, college or high school age, for example, or someone (probably still younger aged) who is completely unhappy in their job might greatly benefit from reading the book and acting on its advice. A mediocre resource is probably better than no resource, and Do What You Are is not mediocre - it's good, but not great.
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Margaret Lobenstine (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-19 00:00>
Many of the clients I work with are Renaissance Souls (people with too many interests to pick just one.) They hate having to choose because picking one thing means giving up a whole bunch of others. For this reason, they hate taking the standard Myers'Briggs test where the choice is either this or that. Tieger's book avoids that problem by skipping the either/or questions and letting readers place themselves somewhere on a continuum in each area. This makes so much more sense and makes such a difference! |
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Riaz Rizvi (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-19 00:00>
I bought this book to help my fifteen year-old niece narrow down her study options. She was able to pick out her Myers-Briggs personality indicator which the book described along with suggested careers. Case studies further detailed why people enjoy their chosen profession. My niece immediately identified with the career suggestions. She also tested the book's system by checking the recommendations of her opposite personality type, these she found obviously inappropriate so we concluded the book is discerning.
In the end I worked through it myself, as did my wife and sister-in-law, so I would recommend it for a broad range of people (I am a thirty five year-old professional). Instead of a Myers-Briggs questionnaire the book describes the personality categories and leaves it to you to find your own type. I think it is more revealing because you can compare your personality to other possibilities, unlike a questionnaire which just states your type based on your score.
It helps with self-discovery and career direction and it is quick to get an answer since you only need to read the part of the book which applies to you.
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A reader (MSL quote), Canada
<2007-06-19 00:00>
Choosing a career based on personality type is not a new concept; in fact, the first edition of DO WHAT YOU ARE was released in 1992 (and I can actually remember reading it when I was a junior in high school). In this, the fourth edition, hopefully even more teens will be exposed to this great resource.
The authors, both experts in personality type and career development, put forth the idea that choosing a career path based on your individual personality will be beneficial to your success. For those worried that discovering your personality type is a difficult process, don't despair, because the authors make it quite easy.
There are four dimensions to personality type:
Whether you are extroverted or introverted.
Whether you notice things by sensing or intuition.
Whether you make decisions by thinking or feeling.
Whether you prefer to live by judging or perceiving.
Once you've discovered the answer to each of these four questions, you'll be able to discover which of the sixteen possible personality types you fall into. Once you do, you can quickly skip to the relevant section in the book.
In my case, my personality is ESTJ - or extroverted, sensing, thinking, judging. According to the authors of DO WHAT YOU ARE, my strengths lie in organization, being objective, working alone, and being a good decision maker. My weaknesses are also outlined, and include impatience with those who don't follow procedures, a tendency to overrun people, and difficulty listening to opposing viewpoints. Some suggestions for careers, based on my personality type, are as a teacher, government employee, sales, supervisor, or a manager.
Of course the above is not a full list of the strengths, weaknesses, or recommended career choices for those whose personality type is ESTJ - the above is merely a sampling. But I can say with truth that DO WHAT YOU ARE can be a great resource for those beginning their search for a career choice. I can agree that ESTJ is definitely my personality type (faults and all!) and have no doubt that this book has the power to help everyone looking to correctly match their strengths to the perfect career.
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1 Total 1 pages 10 items |
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