Dear Ruth, 

What a great question. I think there are a lot of people who feel the way you do. 

When I work with people to answer this question, I take them through a variety of assessments and inventories to identify their Vocational SHAPE or VSHAPE for short.

Each letter in VSHAPE stands for six key areas that correlate with job satisfaction: Values, Signature Strengths, Heart (or passions), Abilities, Personality and Experiences. To answer the question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” usually takes a lot of soul searching but let me provide you with some steps you can take to get started.

Step 1

Take The Myers-Briggs Temperament Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI is a validated, well-known and popular personality assessment. After taking the assessment, you’ll receive a report that describes your personality traits. Most people enjoy the MBTI because the report describes personalities using positive and affirming language. My clients are almost always amazed how closely the description fits them.

The assessment is available through the Career Planning and Placement Office at the College of Lake County. Please make an appointment by calling (847) 543–2059. You can also take a free version of an “unofficial” MBTI at www.humanmetrics.com.

Step 2

Borrow or buy a copy of “Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type” by Tieger and Tieger. This is a marvelously helpful book. The authors provide lists of dozens of jobs for each personality type.

These recommendations come from research that has demonstrated a correlation between certain personality types and job satisfaction. For example, common sense tells us that extraverts may enjoy calling on customers all day, while introverts may be more satisfied writing or making calculations. Many people find that the job suggestions are quite helpful as a starting point.

Step 3

Based on your interests and preferences, select several choices from the book and conduct research to determine which alternative might be best for you. To learn details about different careers, go to: http://online.onetcenter.org/find.  Enter the job title you want to research and you’ll find just about everything you need to know about an occupation: tasks, skills, abilities, tools and technology, required education, future outlook, salaries and more.

Step 4

Conduct informational interviews to answer your unique questions. Find people who are actually doing the job you’re considering, ask them out for coffee (you’re buying), and interview them using a prepared list of questions.

Step 5

Before you make any final decisions, invest in schooling or quit your job, try to secure a day or more to shadow someone who is currently doing the job you want to do. What a great way to see the good, the bad and the ugly.

Good luck, Ruth.

Your neighbor and career coach,

Christy