2. Your Interests/Skills (getting in touch with yourself)

"Nothing is real work unless you would rather be doing something else." - James Barrie^vi

What do you want to do? In other words, what do you enjoy doing or what are you good at doing? These essential questions, which only you can answer, are instrumental in guiding you towards a rewarding, satisfying career. So, how do you figure out what you like to do or what type of person you are? Here are two suggestions:

A. Determine Your Personality "Type" - Have you ever taken a Myers-Briggs test? Chances are, if you have not ever heard of this test before, you probably have not taken one. Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers (Katherine's daughter) were two psychologists who extended the work of Carl Jung (a noted Swiss psychologist) on personality types. They developed the Myers Briggs Type Indication (MBTI) scale, which measures sixteen distinct personality types.^vii This scale uses the following four personality preference scales:^viii

When determining your type, you are either one or the other of each preference. Your personality type is represented by four letters, each representing a preference.

The questions on the test attempt to judge your preferences for interacting with others and your environment. I have had students take Myers-Briggs tests several times in the past. When the questions on a Myers-Briggs test are answered honestly, the majority of my students felt that the personality preferences indicated were accurate representations of their personality types. Where can you take a Myers-Briggs test? Most colleges (especially two-year institutions) administer tests free (or for a modest fee) as part of their career counseling services. You can also take tests online, usually for a small charge. One such site is www.personalitypage.com.

So after you find out your personality type, then what? Read about the various personality types by either buying a book or looking online at sites such as www.personalitytype.com or www.personalitypage.com. Research of this nature should help you get in touch with the ways in which you prefer to approach personal interactions and work tasks. This should assist you when deciding which IT career (or any career for that matter) is right for you, based on the situations and environment that career involves.

B. Think About What You Already Do or Have Done - Your current or prior interests and experience can help you define the parameters of your IT career. Perhaps you already have an interest in a particular industry from a past career. If you worked in sales at a pharmaceutical company and enjoyed the environment, an IT career in the pharmaceutical industry may be a natural fit. In addition, combining skills from a previous profession with IT skills can make you more marketable. Previous marketing experience combined with web development skills could make you very attractive in an e-commerce role.

Therefore, think very carefully about what you enjoy doing. You are going to be spending a lot of time working and, to avoid viewing your job as drudgery, you should attempt to select an IT career that relates to your areas of interest.