When Reality Knocks

How do I know what career to choose? Is the right thing to rely on well meaning advice from others? There are a whole host of people ready and willing to influence our choice of a career. Parents, family, leaders, neighbors, school guidance counselors, faculty advisers in universities. All have what seems to be a very clear idea of what we could do and what direction we should go in.

Dr. Joseph Campbell, the great mythologist of the last century, said that the key in finding your path is to “follow your own bliss.”

The point is that no one really knows us, and often we are scared that we do not even know ourselves. Campbell’s point is that we don’t have to know everything about ourselves, but do we know what we like? Do we know what gives us joy? He says if we do, go for it!

Choosing our career fits in critically with what we are doing in our new website. Personality type is critically important in our choice of our career. I know of only one intuitive person who is an accountant. Intuitives are exceptionally good at seeing the potential in a future situation. Most accountants are the very opposite. Most accountants are the careful practical down-to-earth, sensing type person. Because they are this way they often love to be in charge of organizing and accounting for the flow of money, goods and services. In the same vain, people who work in the helping professions tend to be feeling type people. They are good at knowing, without being told, what patients or clients need. Others may say of them that they “wear their heart on their sleeves.” Most sales people are extroverts because they love to mix with people and can see a deal coming a mile away.

These are a few of the ways that our psychology type helps determine what will be meaningful work for us, what will give us joy. This is what Campbell means when he encourages us to follow your bliss. Go for the thing which makes your heart sing. We will be going over this in great detail in out new site.

That is how I see it. What do you think?

This entry was posted on Monday, August 22nd, 2005 at 11:45 pm and is filed under Personal Growth, Personality Type. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.