In order to do this I had to reflect on my previous work experiences, likes, dislikes and interests but as part of the process I also decided to do a personality test at www.16personalities.com .
The test only took a few minutes to complete and I found it very accurate and insightful. It identified that my personality was 'LOGISTICIAN - ISTJ' (Introvert, Sensing, Thinking, Judging)
I enjoyed reading the information but the format it uses on the website was very long and interspersed with graphics. It also had personality traits, likes and dislikes spread over different topics whereas I wanted a format that grouped everything together so I could refer back to them quickly. Having quite large images and big blocks of texts also made for quite a hefty printout.
It was such useful information, I decided that I would take some time to re-arrange and condense it into categories that were meaningful for me.
Here is the original 'Logistician' explanation : www.16personalities.com/istj-personality
Condensing process
Here is the process I followed :
1. Copied all Logistician text from the webpage into Microsoft word and printed it.
2. Then selected categories that would be most useful to me and my job search going forward :
- Characteristics (Personality traits) - What you are like as a person (1)
- Approach - The approach that you take towards your work (2)
- Enjoy - What I enjoy with regard to work (3)
- Others - Relationships with others in work, what works well and what are the challenges (4)
- Dislikes - What I dislike about work (5)
- Problems to work on - I am strong believer in personal development so if the personality test highlights weaknesses and I agree, I see them as areas I need to work on and become better. (6)
- Self harm - Strong title but the reason why I became ill was because I was a workaholic and overworked despite my body protesting. Having learned such a valuable lesson I obviously didn't want to repeat this error so I put a category in to highlight any potential for re-occurance.(7)
- Work structure - Clarifying what work environment suits my personality type and will cause me the least amount of stress. (8)
4. Opened up a new (blank) word document in addition to the existing word doc with all the Logistician text.
5. Added the category heading into the new blank word document
6. Using the printout that I had marked with pencil to identify the categories, I then copied and pasted text from the full Logisitician word document into the relevant categories on the new word document.
The result is key information from the 16 Personalities Logistician result broken down into my personal categories.
LOGISTICIANS (ISTJ)
1. Characteristics
§ Calm
§ Practical
§ Logical
§ No-nonsense
§
When ISTJs say they are going to get something
done, they do it, - word is a promise, and a promise means everything
§ Possess
sharp, fact-based minds
§ Dependable
with impeccable personal integrity
§ Passion
for duty
§ Honest
§ Dedicated
§ Productive
§ Hard
working
§
Patient and determined
§
Proud repositories of knowledge, though the
emphasis is more on facts and statistics than concepts and underlying
principles
§
Jacks-of-all-trades
§ Crave
and love responsibility and the power resulting from it.
§ Loyal
§
Meticulous
§ Value
peace and security in the workplace
§ Respect
authority and hierarchy, and have no problem following orders and instructions.
People with the ISTJ personality type take on roles as the defenders of these
ideas, in big ways and small, and are rightfully proud of it.
§ ISTJs
may need clearly set steps and well-defined responsibilities
§ Among
colleagues, no one can be trusted more to ensure that projects are finished on
time and by the book
Negatives
§ Honesty
is far more important than emotional considerations, and their blunt approach
leaves others with the false impression that ISTJs are cold, or even robotic
§
Stubborn –
The facts are the facts, and ISTJs tend to resist any new idea that isn’t
supported by them. This factual decision-making process also makes it difficult
for people with the ISTJ personality type to accept that they were wrong about
something – but anyone can miss a detail, even them
§
Often Unreasonably Blame
Themselves – All this can combine to make ISTJs believe
they are the only ones who can see projects through reliably.
2. Approach
§
Stay focused on their goals
§ Take pride in the work they do
§ Have
strong opinions about how things should be done
§ Adhere
to established rules and guidelines
§ Have a tireless dedication
to duty
§ Hold back none of their
time and energy completing each relevant task with accuracy and patience.
§ Don’t make many assumptions,
preferring instead to analyse their surroundings, check their facts and arrive
at practical courses of action and clear rational decisions
§ Prefer to work alone, or at least have their
authority clearly established by hierarchy, where they can set and achieve
their goals without debate or worry over other’s reliability (autonomy and
self-sufficiency
§ Honesty is far more important than emotional
considerations, and their blunt approach leaves others with the false
impression that ISTJs are cold, or even robotic
§ Seek stability and security, considering it
their duty to maintain a smooth operation
§
Emotional manipulation, mind games and reassuring
lies all run counter to ISTJs’ preference for managing the reality of the
situations they encounter with plain and simple honesty.
§
Word is a promise, and a promise means everything
§
Loyalty is a strong sentiment for ISTJ
personalities, and they fulfil their duties to the people and organizations
they’ve committed themselves to.
§
The primary goal of any ISTJ is to be effective in
what they’ve chosen to do, and they believe that this is accomplished best when
everyone involved knows exactly what is going on and why. Unclear guidelines
and people who break established rules undermine this effort, and are rarely
tolerated by ISTJs. Structure and rules foster dependability; chaos creates
unforeseen setbacks and missed deadlines
§
Can apply themselves to a variety of situations,
picking up and applying new data and grasping the details of challenging
situations as a matter of course.
§ Uphold the hard standards
§
Quiet and methodical, people with the ISTJ
personality type keep cool when the going gets tough, but expect their
colleagues to share their approach
§
Pressing themselves hard to meet their obligations,
ISTJs regularly go above and beyond their duties
3. Enjoy
§
Enjoy taking
responsibility for their actions – It demonstrates trust
that has been placed in them, an opportunity to prove once again that they are
the right person for the job. They love the power resulting from it.
§ Prefer
to work alone, or at least have their authority clearly established by
hierarchy, where they can set and achieve their goals without debate or worry
over other’s reliability
§ If
they can find coworkers and spouses who genuinely appreciate and complement
their qualities, who enjoy the brightness, clarity and dependability that they
offer, ISTJs will find that their stabilizing role is a tremendously satisfying
one, knowing that they are part of a system that works.
§ What
they crave is dependability, and that is reflected in their choice of work
§
Seek structure, clearly defined rules, and respect
for authority and hierarchy
§
Peace and security in the workplace
4. Others
§ When they’ve made a decision, they will relay the
facts necessary to achieve their goal, expecting others to grasp the situation
immediately and take action.
§ Have little tolerance for indecisiveness, but lose
patience even more quickly if their chosen course is challenged with
impractical theories, especially if they ignore key details – if challenges
becomes time-consuming debates, ISTJs can become noticeably angry as deadlines
tick nearer
§ they
are baffled by people who don’t hold their own word in the same respect
§ Combining
laziness and dishonesty is the quickest way to get on ISTJs’ bad side.
§ Honesty
is far more important than emotional considerations, and their blunt approach
leaves others with the false impression that ISTJs are cold, or even robotic
§ ISTJs’
dedication is an excellent quality, allowing them to accomplish much, but it is
also a core weakness that less scrupulous individuals take advantage of. ISTJs
seek stability and security, considering it their duty to maintain a smooth
operation, and they may find that their coworkers and significant others shift
their responsibilities onto them, knowing that they will always take up the
slack. This can create an emotional strain that can go unexpressed for years,
only finally coming out after it’s too late to fix
§
Emotional manipulation, mind games and reassuring
lies all run counter to ISTJs’ preference for managing the reality of the
situations they encounter with plain and simple honesty.
§
Peoples’ preferences are a factor to consider in
this process, and ISTJs work to make the best use of individual qualities, but
these decisions are made with effectiveness in mind more so than empathy. The
same applies to criticisms, for others and themselves.
§
Unclear guidelines and people who break established
rules undermine this effort, and are rarely tolerated by ISTJs. Structure and
rules foster dependability; chaos creates unforeseen setbacks and missed
deadlines
§
Insensitive – While not intentionally
harsh, ISTJs often hurt more sensitive types’ feelings by the simple mantra
that honesty is the best policy. ISTJ personalities may take emotions into
consideration, but really only so far as to determine the most effective way to
say what needs to be said.
§
Judgmental – Opinions are opinions and
facts are facts, and ISTJs are unlikely to respect people who disagree with
those facts, or especially those who remain wilfully ignorant of them.
§
As they load themselves with extra work and
responsibilities, turning away good intentions and helpful ideas, ISTJs sooner
or later hit a tipping point where they simply can’t deliver. Since they’ve
heaped the responsibility on themselves, ISTJs then believe the responsibility
for failure is theirs alone to bear.
§
Nothing is quite so challenging for a ISTJ as
ongoing debates about who is responsible for what.
§ ISTJs
have strong opinions about how things should be done, and if things are
shuffled too often, people with this personality type can become surprisingly
vocal about their opposition. It’s important for ISTJs to remember that even
the most traditional and stable career paths can and need to change as time
goes by. It is much better to accept this with grace than to develop
reputations of being enemies of new ideas
§
Keep cool when the going gets tough, but expect
their colleagues to share their approach
§
Innovations, brainstorming, theories and new ideas
all disrupt this comfortable state, and it takes a great deal of respect on
ISTJs’ part to acknowledge their validity
§
ISTJs regularly go above and beyond their duties,
and expect their subordinates to act with the same level of dedication
§
Are very intolerant of their subordinates’ failures
to meet their obligations, and one of those obligations is to stick to the plan.
Subordinates stepping out of bounds must be backed up with just the facts, and
results to justify it.
§
Are capable of laying down hard criticism, and
their willingness to make tough decisions can make perceived insubordination
the final trespass
5. Dislikes
§ Indecisiveness
§ Impractical theories, especially if they ignore key
details
§ Time-consuming debates, ISTJs can become noticeably
angry as deadlines tick nearer
§ People
who don’t hold their own word in the same respect
§ Laziness
§ Dishonesty
§ Worrying
over other people’s reliability
§ Dependending
on others at it is seen as weakness
§ Co-workers
and significant others shift their responsibilities onto them, knowing that
they will always take up the slack
§
Emotional manipulation, mind games and reassuring
lies all run counter to ISTJs’ preference for managing the reality of the
situations they encounter with plain and simple honesty.
§
Unclear guidelines and people who break established
rules undermine this effort, and are rarely tolerated by ISTJs. Structure and
rules foster dependability; chaos creates unforeseen setbacks and missed
deadlines
§
Facts are the facts, and ISTJs tend to resist any
new idea that isn’t supported by them.
§
Opinions are opinions and facts are facts, and
ISTJs are unlikely to respect people who disagree with those facts, or
especially those who remain wilfully ignorant of them.
§
Since they’ve heaped the responsibility on
themselves, ISTJs then believe the responsibility for failure is theirs alone
to bear.
§
Unclear roles, responsibilities and work
environments.
§ Have
clear ideas on how things should be done and don’t like things shuffled too often
§
The seriousness in ISTJs’ approach to their work
makes them surprisingly sensitive to criticism, leading to a sometimes vexing
level of inflexibility.
§
Emotional types baffle ISTJs with their need for
emotional support and openness, or capacity for dropping something, half
finished. To ISTJs, either something’s been done right or it’s been done wrong,
and sugar-coating it or walking away isn’t going to fix it.
§
People not sticking to the plan.
§
Insubordination
6. Problems to work on
§ Have little tolerance for indecisiveness
§ They
report their own mistakes and tell the truth even when the consequences for
doing so could be disastrous.
§ Lose patience if their chosen course is challenged
with impractical theories, especially if they ignore key details – if
challenges becomes time-consuming debates, ISTJs can become noticeably angry as
deadlines tick nearer
§ They
are baffled by people who don’t hold their own word in the same respect
§ Dependency
on others is often seen by ISTJs as a weakness
§ Honesty
is far more important than emotional considerations, and their blunt approach
leaves others with the false impression that ISTJs are cold, or even robotic
§ People
with this type may struggle to express emotion or affection outwardly, but the
suggestion that they don’t feel, or worse have no personality at all, is deeply
hurtful.
§ Core
weakness is that less scrupulous individuals take advantage as co-workers and
significant others shift their responsibilities onto them, knowing that they
will always take up the slack
§ ISTJs
tend to keep their opinions to themselves and let the facts do the talking, but
it can be a long time before observable evidence tells the whole story.
§
Peoples’ preferences are a factor to consider in
this process, and ISTJs work to make the best use of individual qualities, but
these decisions are made with effectiveness in mind more so than empathy. The
same applies to criticisms, for others and themselves.
§
Stubborn – The facts are the facts,
and ISTJs tend to resist any new idea that isn’t supported by them. This
factual decision-making process also makes it difficult for people with the
ISTJ personality type to accept that they were wrong about something – but
anyone can miss a detail, even them
§
Insensitive – While not intentionally
harsh, ISTJs often hurt more sensitive types’ feelings. ISTJ personalities may
take emotions into consideration, but really only so far as to determine the
most effective way to say what needs to be said.
§
Always by the Book –
ISTJs believe that things work best with clearly defined rules, but this makes
them reluctant to bend those rules or try new things, even when the downside is
minimal
§
Judgmental – Opinions are opinions and
facts are facts, and ISTJs are unlikely to respect people who disagree with
those facts, or especially those who remain wilfully ignorant of them.
§
They load themselves with extra work and
responsibilities, turning away good intentions and helpful ideas. Since they’ve
heaped the responsibility on themselves, ISTJs then believe the responsibility
for failure is theirs alone to bear.
§
Nothing is quite so challenging for an ISTJ then
ongoing debates about who is responsible for what.
§ ISTJs
have strong opinions about how things should be done, and if things are
shuffled too often, people with this personality type can become surprisingly
vocal about their opposition. It’s important for ISTJs to remember that even
the most traditional and stable career paths can and need to change as time
goes by. It is much better to accept this with grace than to develop
reputations of being enemies of new ideas
§ Struggle
with the increasingly open and social requirements of modern work life
§ ISTJs’
"just the facts" attitude can be downright alienating when it comes
to more sensitive personality types.
§
The change that comes with assuming those new
responsibilities, or in losing old ones, is often a significant struggle for
ISTJs.
§
They reluctant to give up responsibilities even
when they are overburdened, or when there are better people for the job
§
The seriousness in ISTJs’ approach to their work
makes them surprisingly sensitive to criticism, leading to a sometimes vexing
level of inflexibility.
§
To ISTJs, either something’s been done right or
it’s been done wrong, and sugar-coating it or walking away isn’t going to fix
it.
§
They are very intolerant of their subordinates’
failures to meet their obligations, and one of those obligations is to stick to
the plan
§
ISTJ personalities are capable of laying down hard
criticism, and their willingness to make tough decisions can make perceived
insubordination the final trespass
7. Self harm
§ When
ISTJs say they are going to get something done, they do it, meeting their
obligations no matter the personal cost,
§ They
report their own mistakes and tell the truth even when the consequences for
doing so could be disastrous.
§ Major
weakness is co-workers and significant others shift their responsibilities onto
them, knowing that they will always take up the slack
§ ISTJs
need to remember to take care of themselves – their stubborn dedication to
stability and efficiency can compromise those goals in the long term as others
lean ever-harder on them, creating an emotional strain that can go unexpressed
for years, only finally coming out after it’s too late to fix
§
ISTJs would rather run themselves into the ground
with extra days and lost sleep than fail to deliver the results they said they
would
§
Since they’ve heaped the responsibility on
themselves, ISTJs then believe the responsibility for failure is theirs alone
to bear.
§ ISTJs
crave responsibility, which makes them the go-to subordinates for odds and ends
and unpopular projects
8. Work structure
§ Have
their authority clearly established by hierarchy, where they can set and
achieve their goals without debate
§ Truly
unstructured environments leave ISTJs all but paralyzed
§ They
crave dependability, and that is reflected in their choice of work
§ Institutions
of respected tradition, authority, security, and established consistency
§
ISTJs working alone, which is usually their
preference, but when teams are necessary, they are best defined by clearly
outlined roles, responsibilities and work environments.
§ ISTJ
personality type seeks structure, clearly defined rules, and respect for
authority and hierarchy
§ The
change that comes with assuming those new responsibilities, or in losing old
ones, is often a significant struggle for ISTJs.
§
ISTJs value peace and security in the workplace
§
Pressing themselves hard to meet their obligations,
ISTJs regularly go above and beyond their duties so a depressurized environment
is preferred
I hope you found this information helpful and it would be great to hear from you so please leave a comment below.
