Career Assessment and your Personality

Have you ever considered how your personality plays a big role in the career you select?  If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. For example, you are an analytical person who enjoys research and problem solving; you may not feel as comfortable in a sales environment. The same can be said for the reverse.

In my career assessment classes we talk about the variety of skills assessments that are available on the internet.  They range from those offered by the government, universities and even the Oprah Winfry electronic website. They are good (if you are really honest with yourself) tools to measure your skills and knowledge.  We also talk about the DiSC and Myers Briggs tools as indicators of personality type.  A good tool that measures your personality type is the Jung Typology Test™.  It's free, too.  Check it out and assess your type and see what kinds of careers it suggests think about.

Interviewing and Your DiSC Style

I wrote this for another job search blogging site and they included it in a contest. I didn't choose the picture that they included with the article; they must have related 'style" to wardrobe.

What do you think? You can vote by leaving a comment. Thanks all.

http://blogging4jobs.com/job-search/personal-style-and-the-interview

Personal Style and the Interview

Many articles have been written about perfecting your resume or honing your interviewing skills. While those are key elements, your interviewing style is rarely mentioned. Understanding style, both yours and that of the interviewer may help you ace an interview. One instrument to measure your style is the DiSC™ Classic.

History
The DiSC behavioral assessment is based upon the research of William Moulton Marston (1928) on how people respond to various environmental effects. Studied and modified over the years, the DiSC is a tool used to assess your behavior and interpersonal skills and those of others.

DiSC Styles
While people are usually a combination of styles, the DiSC states that in certain situations, people usually behave in a consistent manner and fall into one or two of the following quadrants.

D: Dominance
• Results oriented
• Accepts challenges
• Problem Solver
• Questions Status Quo
• Authoritative

i: Influence
• People oriented
• Articulate/optimistic
• Enthusiastic
• Motivational
• Participatory

S: Steadiness
• Skills oriented
• Consistent
• Good listener
• Patient, Considerate
• Promotes harmonious environment

C: Conscientious
• Detail oriented
• Analytical
• Diplomatic
• Systematic

DiSC Style and the Interview Process
Often, our personal style is reflected in our occupations. For example, a scientist may be a high”C”, while a sales representative may be high in “I”. A manager may have high “D” tendencies and a writer may be higher in the “S” arena. Most job postings refer to certain competencies an employee would need to satisfactorily complete a job. Terms such as “detail oriented,” “team player”, “focused”, or "outstanding customer service” can give you an idea of the type of behavior needed for the job.

In an interview, your personal style and that of your interviewer should be taken into account. While it is vital to be prepared with specific examples of your past accomplishments, it is also important to consider how you present yourself to the interviewer. Keeping this in mind, reflect on your style and behaviors and follow the lead of the interviewer. The chart below describes some of the behaviors demonstrated by the four DiSC styles and suggested responses to those questioning styles.

Dominance: Direct, Forceful, Decisive, Quick. Your responses should be direct and succinct.

Influence: Gregarious, Persuasive, Pleasant, Influential. You should be personable and cordial.

Steadiness: Passive, Patient, Team Oriented, Active Listener. Provide task clarification, display sincerity.

Conscientious: Accurate, Factual, Diplomatic, Systematic. If asked, provide detail and process.

The Last Word

It can be overwhelming to consider personal style along with all the other factors surrounding an interview. If this is the case, concentrate only on your style and recognize that you may respond to certain questions or situations based upon that style.

For more information about DiSC styles, please visit any of the websites devoted to the study of DiSC behavior.

Interviewing and your DiSC™ Style

Lately there have been a great deal of articles written about perfecting your resume or interviewing tips, what to wear on the interview or what questions to ask. What I haven’t seen is how your personality comes across in the networking, telephone or in-person interviews. I think that understanding style, both your own and the interviewer may help during the interviewing process. While there are many types of personality profiles, I’d like to concentrate on the DiSC™ definition of style.

History
The DiSC™ behavioral assessment is based upon the research of William Moulton Marston (1928) on how people respond to various effects in their environment. Studied and modified over the years, the DiSC™ is a tool used to not only assess your behavior and “personality”, but to also help you understand other people’s styles. It is used in businesses to enhance teamwork, to improve communication and customer service, to reduce conflict and value the differences in others.

DiSC™ Styles
While people are a combination of styles, the DiSC™ Classic states that in certain situations such as work, people usually behave in a consistent manner and fall into certain quadrants. These styles are described as Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientious. Their accompanying behaviors are described below.

D: Dominance
 Getting immediate results
 Causing action
 Accepting challenges
 Solving Problems
 Questioning status Quo
 Taking Authority

i: Influence
 Contacting people
 Being articulate/optimistic
 Generating enthusiasm
 Creating motivational environment
 Participating in a group

S: Steadiness
 Performing in a consistent manner
 Developing specialized skills
 Be a good listener
 Demonstrating patience, accommodating and considerate
 Creating a harmonious work environment

C: Conscientious
 Attention to key directives, details and standards
 Thinking analytically and using a systematic approach to situations and activities
 Being diplomatic with people
 Using a systematic approach

DiSC™ Style and the Interview Process
Many times we are called to our line of work based upon our personal likes and also our behavioral styles. For example, a scientist may be high in Conscientious, while a sales and marketing representative may be high in Influence. A manager may have high Dominance tendencies and a writer may be higher in the Steadiness arena. Various job descriptions also highlight the competencies the employee would need to satisfactorily complete the job. These competencies obviously vary by job but as you read them in the job description or posting, pay attention to the wording. Descriptions such as “detail oriented,”, “team player”, “focused”, or outstanding customer service skills” give you an idea of the type of behavior needed for the job.
In an interview, either networking, telephone or face-to-face, your personal DiSC™ style and that of your interviewer should be taken into account. While it is critical to be prepared with behavioral examples of your past accomplishments, it is also important to consider how you come across to the interviewer.