On the heels of the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens I thought it would be appropriate to consider what Myers Briggs personality type of MBTI, you are if you were one of your favorite characters in Star Wars. As for the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens which came out in theatres December 18, 2015, no spoilers please. The hubby and I have balcony tickets on December 22nd. It’s the first tickets we could reserve where we can recline and enjoy cocktails along with the newest movie of the Star Wars movie series.

WHAT IS THE MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR?

In personality type theory, it is clear that we all have natural preferences that affect how we communicate with others, organize our lives, and make decisions. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment is the world’s most popular assessment for assessing personality type. According to the MBTI, we have natural preferences towards one direction in each of the following categories:

• How we interact with the outside world: Extraversion vs. Introversion

• How we take in information: Sensing vs. iNtuition

• How we make decisions: Thinking vs. Feeling

• How we structure our world: Judging vs. Perceiving

EXTROVERSION VS. INTROVERSION

In every step of the job search process, out natural preferences become evident.  Individuals who prefer Extraversion may enjoy attending networking events and take advantage of vast social networks to find job opportunities, whereas introverts may rely more on non-social connections. The force might just guide those introverts like Luke Skywalker. For me, Han Solo is the quintessential extrovert.  Someone with extraversion preferences tend communicate freely and openly which can be a very positive, however the tendency to think as they speak getting themselves in a whole lot of sticky situations and galactic bar room brawls. Conversely, an introvert will likely take a few seconds to gather his/her thoughts before beginning an answer which can lead to a more concise and strategic response. They might take a moment to prepare themselves and use the force before taking action. However, that pause and tendency to use few words can also make an introvert misunderstood especially when finding out Princess Layla, the girl you’ve had a crush on is your sister and in love with your best way and extrovert extrodinaire.

SENSING VS. INTUITION

The Sensing and intuition preferences play a major role in both how you read a job description as well as what information you attend to in the interview. For instance, someone with a sensing preference will key in on specifics like the hourly schedule, benefits, pay, job title, commute time, etc, whereas someone with an intuitive preference will focus more on the intangibles like career growth, job satisfaction, learning opportunities, etc. Those who are focused on sensing have likely had Jedi Master or are Jedi Masters in training.

THINKING VS. FEELING

The Thinking vs. Feeling preference will play out in both the kind of role one pursues as well as the final decision to take a job. Someone with a Feeling preference will be more likely to pursue a job that is fulfilling on a personal level and/or provides service to others. In addition, someone with a Feeling preference will also be more likely to take the feelings and opinions of their family/friends into strong consideration than people with a Thinking preference.

JUDGING VS. PERCEIVING

Finally, the Judging/Perceiving preference influences how quickly we work to find job opportunities, respond to interview requests, and accept the offer itself. It also plays a major role in how organized we are in the job search process. Someone with a Judging preference probably keeps detailed notes on the outcomes of Galactic battles, which jobs they have applied for, who they’ve spoken with at each company, and what to expect next. Someone with a Perceiving preference will be more ego with the flow in terms of the process.
Knowing your MBTI preferences is helpful for understanding WHY we do what we do. However, that is only a tiny part of the value of the MBTI. The real value comes with understanding how and when it is more constructive to flex outside of our preferences.

If you are an introvert and have not yet had success with relying on non-social networks, it may be time to flex to behaviors that suit an extravert. You will need to exert extra energy and effort, but the payoff may be exponential. I highly suggest finding someone with opposite preferences as you and modeling techniques just to illuminate your blind spots. Practice makes perfect.

Use Your Force, Luke

What type of force is strong with you? This fun graphic shows Myers-Briggs type by Star Wars character. My Myers-Briggs is ENFP which means I’m Qui-Gon. I was really hoping I’d be Obi-One, but that’s okay. What’s yours? Leave a note in the comments below. No movie spoilers, please, but I’d love to know how this one stacked up to the rest.

Photo Credit.