Do You Have the Right Stuff?
Posted by Johan Cyprich on 11 Dec 2006 | Tagged as: General
All of us at one time or another were forced to take IQ tests and aptitude tests. The purpose of these tests were to identify where we belong in society. Just imagine. Our destiny can be determined just by taking a few tests designed by people who claim to understand human nature and psychology. One of these tests is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). After taking this test, your recommended career type will be revealed.
This test was developed during World War II by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. The basis for the questions were Carl Jung’s work, Psychological Types.
After taking this test, you will know which of the 16 career types you have an aptitude for. You can take a variation of this test for programmers here. There are only 69 questions and it takes about 10 minutes to complete it.
After taking the test, I found out that I was a type INTJ. The following is a description of this career type:
Scientists, engineers, professors, teachers, medical doctors, dentists, corporate strategists, organization founders, business administrators, managers, military, lawyers, judges, computer programmers, system analysts, computer specialists, psychologists, photographers, research department managers, researchers, university instructors, chess players. They have a particular skill at grasping difficult, complex concepts and building strategies.
This sounds good. According to the MBTI, I’m well suited to be a computer programmer. I even enjoy playing chess, doing research, and photography. 
So there you have it. An accurate assessment of my aptitude. But what happens if you want to be a computer programmer, or some other career, and the MBTI reveals that you are not suited for that field? Should you then give up and pursue what it recommend? I would have to say no.
A test like this may show an aptitude, but it should not prevent us from pursueing a career. There is no such thing as natural talent, no one is born with a skill or talent. Everything you know was learned by you at some point in your life. You can do anything you want to do or learn and master anything you want. Being weak in a certain area or having a lack of knowledge should not stop you from pursuing your dreams.
If you want to succeed at anything in life, first determine what you want, make a plan, and act on the plan. You should also write down your goals and memorize them, reciting them daily. Its important to keep your goals in mind so you will constantly pursue them.
If you know what you want, you can achieve great things. But the trick is knowing what you want, which many people don’t take the time to seriously think about.
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