INTP PART 5

Finding Your Passion or What Makes a Job Right for You?
Rationals - Finding Knowledge and Competence

In this five-part series, we're examining each personality type and job fit. Rationals may have a problem with the Boomer phrase, "Finding Your Passion." Many Rationals are suspicious of strong emotion. For them, life satisfaction equates to having Knowledge and Competence.

Many of our early Presidents were Rationals, such as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe. A common characteristic is a vision of the future and the ability to make that vision come true.

The most reserved of the Rationals is the Architect (INTP). They store huge amounts of information in their heads and can analyze problems with great insight. They are often drawn to professions where they can be their own bosses, such as optometrist, plastic surgeon, neurologist, or scientist. They may become lawyers, architects, or financial analysts. Many are found in the higher levels of academia in such fields as archeology, chemistry, philosophy, or mathematics. They may show a strong creative bent as a musician, inventor, or photographer. Some restore antiques or old cars. Says Don, "I like having my own business as an optometrist. I am constantly reading about new advances in the field. My work must be of the highest quality. My reputation has caused many patients to come to me because they have problems that were not solved by other treatment professionals."
The drive towards constantly increasing their knowledge base and being highly competent is what gives Rationals a sense of personal satisfaction.
People want to have a life that gives them a sense of personal satisfaction. Here are links for the other three temperaments:

The Toughest Interview Question
"Tell Me about Yourself"





A Rational might want to emphasize their ability to analyze systems and to create new designs. Tony, a Rational Fieldmarshal was applying for the Manager of Information Systems. He answered the Tell Me about Yourself Question in this manner:
"As you are well aware, the field of Information Technology has seen a lot of changes in the 30 years that I have been in the field. New software and new technologies are constantly being introduced. It is a constant challenge to maximize the competitive advantage while minimizing costs. In general, people who are attracted to IT are self-educating problem solvers. But the rate of change and pressure on the staff can be so high that people get burned out. One of the innovations that I used at my last company was giving spot awards to individuals who volunteered to show new techniques to colleagues. Many people in IT concentrate on their own projects and don't pass information along and the spot awards have encouraged a more communicative environment. I'm now looking for a new challenge in a larger sized company and believe I would be a good fit for your needs."
In each case, the person answering the question gave a true picture of how he or she solved problems and brought value in their last situation. None portrayed themselves in a phony style. None are likely to end up in a mismatch with their skills not fitting the new position.

You Wear What You Are (Maybe You Shouldn't)
Fitting Clothes to the Job


Most Rationals wear dark colors and don't want to fuss much about what they wear. They can get stuck in a rut and become too "geeky-looking." It's good if they come out of their intellectual dark room every few years to see if their clothes send the message they want others to hear. Marina upgraded to blazers and more tailored slacks and found her opinions had more impact.


Your clothing is the easiest way to identify yourself. You don't have to become a clone to show membership in a group, but if you refuse to show any sense of membership, you're not likely to get the spot you want. Remember, there are more Guardians than any other temperament and they are very sensitive to "norms."



Dealing with Stress from Work: Rationals
How do you deal with work-related stress? Each personality type has different stressors and copes in different ways. Better understanding of your own stressors and coping mechanisms can help you reduce the tension and anxiety work stress often creates.


Since Rationals search for knowledge, competence, and eternal truths, when these needs are blocked, they become stressed. When Rationals experience great stress, they experience thoughts that tell them either that they must act or think in a particular way or that they must not act or think in a particular way. The outside observer sees the Rational as driven by compulsions or prohibitions.
The Fieldmarshal is driven to lead. They want things to be logical, to be recognized for their accomplishments and to be respected for their visionary ideas. Sometimes they are forced to be harsh with others to accomplish their goals. If their harshness triggers high emotionalism from workers and rumblings of disrespect, they can become hypersensitive to their own feelings and have outbursts of emotion. When high stress is triggered, they can become ritualistic in their behavior in an effort to control both the outside world and their inner emotions. It can help to talk to a trusted person whose counsel can help bring back balance. Also silent support from others along with the resolution of the crisis will restore equilibrium. Says Joan, "I have the entire responsibility for my area's non-profit organization. When contributions shrunk, I had to cut back on some programs. Some people hated me for my decisions. My second-in-command quietly backed me up and asked me why I was brushing my teeth so often. I hadn't realized it. It was as if I wanted to brush my bad words and their bad words away. Now people are used to the cut-backs and the grumbling has mostly stopped -- so has the excessive teeth brushing."
The Mastermind sees situations from their own unique perspective and they enjoy finding new solutions to complex problems. They are driven to implement their ideas whether or not others can see their vision for improvement. If they are given no support, they dig in their heels and work all the harder to achieve their vision. Stress comes when they are forced to deal with too many unexpected events or if they are forced to be too extraverted for too long. The stress manifests itself by obsessive thoughts on external data and feelings of the world being against them. They can recover if they are given time to be alone, get their tasks rebalanced and have time to pursue their visionary solutions. It's best if others do not try to give them advice or suggestions. Says Vince, "I can see ways to make information more accurate with less effort which will greatly benefit the organization. Unfortunately, most people can't see what I see until I actually can give them a working model. Luckily my current boss has faith in my visions and gives me some free reign. He doesn't ask me to account for all of my time and gives me a heads-up when a specific deadline is coming up. This is so much better than my last boss who pressured me all of the time that I became less effective and wanted to withdraw from everyone."
The Inventor is always imagining something new and bounces their ideas off willing listeners. They are usually very positive and often laugh off anything negative. But if excessive negativity comes their way and/or they become physically exhausted, their fluid imagination works overtime and obsesses about problems. They can withdraw and sleep a lot while their mind deals with the issues. In the worst case they can become phobic and lose their friendly social abilities. It's best if they can walk away from their problems for awhile and let their brain rest. Meditation often helps. Quiet support from others for their physical needs can help. Says Nathan, "I'm basically a positive person, but every so often I just crash. I feel exhausted and sleep a lot. I usually come out of it in 2-3 days. When long weekends occur, I don't want a list of chores to do. I need real recovery time. Getting extra rest and doing something playful helps me get back to my normal self."
The Architect prides themselves on their objectivity and ability to impartially analyze and organize thoughts. They enjoy tough critiques that help them to hone the exactitude of their thoughts. What they don't like is strong emotional expression directed at them and being denied the alone time that they need. If this goes on too long, they become highly stressed and may emphasize their logical thinking to the extreme. They become overly sensitive to relationships with others and can lash out emotionally. To achieve their normal state again, they need to be left alone and not asked about their feelings. They also need reduced responsibilities until they recover. Says Tina, "I'm the one they go to when they have a really complex problem that needs solving. Last year I was pressured by my new boss to do too many things and solve too many problems. He even swore at me when I couldn't get results back to him quickly enough. I learned long ago that I can't function under that kind of behavior. So I took two days off and then went to see my old boss who had been promoted. I now report directly to him and have more independence and more peace."


Dealing With a Shrinking Job Market
When the economy tightens, eventually the job market shrinks. When jobs shrink, bosses are more likely to keep “utility players” who can handle a variety of roles.
Don’t:

• Advertise your fear about losing your job.
• Come across as an “old fogie” who resists all change.

Do:

• Evaluate your skills and see what new ones you can add to be more valuable to your company.
• Talk positively about solutions you can bring to company problems.
• Be active in networking with others about potential opportunities.

Rationals, who comprise a small percentage of the population, can come across as arrogant or too intellectual. Like Idealists, they need to translate their visions into concrete facts that are understandable to the more numerous Guardians and Artisans. Since Rationals seek expert status, they can sometimes have trouble moving into a new area where they are a novice. Sticking with a no-longer-needed skill set will ensure that they are on the lay-off list. They can profit by doing a risk analysis of different options and actions.
All employees need to learn how to talk positively about their past efforts and current plans to keep a company functioning. They need to be seen as a part of the solution. For new employees, it is necessary to show their dedication to the company by working hard, turning out quality work and staying away from gossip and complaints. Getting a reputation as a hard worker goes a long way in contributing to job security.
Experienced employees also need be seen as hard working plus they should take advantage of the network of contacts they have within the organization. Having a positive attitude, coupled with their deep knowledge of the organization and understanding of the current situation will give them the edge in keeping their job.

When Should You Take Career Risks?



The last letter of how you scored on the Keirsey Temperament Sorter gives a hint at how you are most likely to react when faced with a potential career change. Generally speaking the probing Perceiving types are more likely to take risks and move faster than the scheduled Judging types. The scheduled Judging types usually investigate and carefully plan before they make a career change.
There are many triggers for taking career risks. The current salary may be too low to survive on or the person can be driven to become wealthy. The company may be laying off people or going belly up. The career may be a poor fit causing the person to feel anger, sorrow, or anxiety. The person is driven to follow a long-held dream. The person moves to a different area and can no longer ply his/her trade in that area and must make a change. I'm sure you can think of some others.
Career changes require some skills in risk assessment. The probing Perceiving types are the most likely to seek out and accept risk. The scheduled Judging types are the most likely to want to contain and minimize risk. If the probing Perceiving types jump without assessing, they may land in hot water. If the scheduled Judging types keep trying to contain risk without assessing, they may miss opportunities and find they are the lobster in the pot of now-boiling water.


All Artisans are probing Perceiving types as are two of the Idealist types (Champion and Healer) and two of the Rational types (Inventor and Architect). They are all more drawn to change and risk and need to look more closely at the cost questions, as they tend to focus on benefit rather than cost. If they do not move quickly enough while they are still excited about the opportunity, they will lose their motivation.
Now matter how much you plan, nor how much you are excited about the change, there is always a chance it won't work out. It's always a good idea to have a plan B and a plan C in case A doesn't work out.


Networking is Key in a Tight Job Market
The vast majority of jobs are never advertised nor posted on the web. How do you find them? Through your network of friends, acquaintances, co-workers and former bosses. Networks are important in times of lay-offs both within and outside your company. So what is networking all about? It is connecting with others for fun and mutual assistance.
Conscious, purposeful networking helps to

• Uncover opportunities and to keep options open
• Identify problems that people will pay you to solve
• Increase timeliness in achieving your objectives

What you might want from a network

• Get an introduction to someone who may be able to help you
• Gather specific information that you want or need
• Gain visibility and increase your reputation
• Keep up to date in your field
• Learn a new skill

What you might have to offer your network

• New ideas and critiques of others’ ideas
• Specific knowledge or expertise
• Mentoring or teaching
• News of changes in the field
• Giving feedback and appreciation
• Increasing other’s networks

Those of us who are more extraverted may find networking easy, while those who are more introverted may need to rely on friends who are good networkers. Some network for practicality while others network for ingenuity. Some network for factual information while others network for human interest. Some only network to achieve an objective while others network to respond to opportunities. Which aspects of networking are more interesting to you?

• Guardians tend to be the most aware of the structural and logistical aspects of businesses and organizations. They don’t like to make changes unless there are proven benchmarks. Their most successful contacts come from working to improve business operations or smooth people interactions. Their networks help provide stability to themselves and others.
• Artisans live in the now and want excitement in their lives. They are pragmatic and want something that works. Artisans are most successful if they make connections to deal with crisis and change and to energize others to action. Their networks help uncover opportunities.
• Idealists want to improve the future for others. They are proponents of self-development. Idealists are most successful when they network to help others succeed and to influence organizational change. Their networks provide inspiration for others.
• Rationals are the least common of the different personality types. They drive themselves to be knowledgeable and competent, but often are less aware of the personal aspects of business relationships. They are most successful when they network to enact strategies or to design new systems. Their networks bring new ideas.

Networking may be the key to finding and landing your next job. If you begin your networking efforts with the objective of using your own personal strengths to help others, you’ll find that the reciprocal benefits make the effort more than worthwhile.