Whether someone is transitioning to a new place to work, making decisions on where to work after graduation, or struggling with co-workers, the topic of personality will arise. The all-encompassing area of what people like, prefer, or desire as well as the subsequent behavior, attitude, or decision cannot be ignored in the realm of career development. Books, assessments, seminars, and college courses examine the multiple aspects of personality and so must we, on a continual basis. ~ Melanie Reinersman, M.A., insights@careerdevelopmentalliance.com
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FOCUS ON: On-Demand Independent Work
Employee or contractor – that is the question facing state regulators in New York and California. Labor protection definitions and debates are surrounding delivery services such as Uber, Lyft, and Door Dash. As costs go up for these companies (while profitability decreases), will employment opportunities go down? Keep up with the legislation and the discussions by reading more in the Wall Street Journal.
FOCUS ON: Psychological Team Roles
Focusing on personality, in addition to functional skills, results in more effective teams. Assessing new team members’ impact on team performance and dynamics, may result in pivotal insights. Read more.
FOR PRACTITIONERS: An Effective Counselor’s Personality
Describing the personality of a counselor in general (and perhaps a career counselor in particular) can include such words as patient, nonjudgmental, discreet, self-aware, authentic and more. Read more descriptions that probably resonate with you!
COLLEGE and UNIVERSITY: Taking Personality Assessments Helps Undecided Students
Major and career indecision can be aided by a university course in career exploration, specifically one that offers personality assessment. One recent study, using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to assess personality, found that students felt an impact of the course, particularly the use of the personality assessment. Read more from NACE.
ENCORE CAREERS: Retiring With a Type A Personality
Transitioning to retirement after a life of goal-driven career advancement may be particularly difficult. Addressing how to spend free time, learning to not live by the clock, and giving up the need to lead will be challenging for the Type A personality. However a new mindset can be adopted and the retiree can enjoy a successful retirement life. Read more on retirement.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: The Challenges of Online Tests
APA’s Task Force for Psychological Testing released a report on Internet-based tests. The emphasis, and challenges, relate to the common standards for the use of test, such as ensuring age-appropriate testing. The lack of regulation of such tests is not the only reason for online users to beware. Practitioners face ethical considerations, such as how to guarantee the security of the results or provide sufficient explanation. Given that many personality tests appear online, it is prudent to read more about the challenges as well as benefits of online tests from APA.org
TOP TEN: Difficult Workplace Personalities
Because difficult personalities can be both common and troublesome, learning strategies to deal with them is imperative. Watch out for the “gossip”, the “victim” or the “psychopath” to ensure an unhealthy workplace doesn’t develop. Read all ten personality descriptions and strategies.
QUOTES
“Personality has power to uplift, power to depress, power to curse and power to bless.” - Paul P. Harris
“Why am I as I am? To understand that of any person, his whole life, from Birth must be reviewed. All of our experiences fuse into our personality. Everything that ever happened to us is an ingredient.” - Malcolm X