• Build on your journal #2 and the results of your personality/communication/emotional intelligence tests and write a post that 1) describes what these tests claim about you, 2) what you think is accurate, surprising, or inaccurate, and 3) how you might use the results to tailor your self-presentation in your professional materials.

Last class we had the opportunity to take a variety of tests that are supposed to give you insight about yourself. Firstly I took the Myers-Briggs personality test, which is a test that gives you a personality type that is supposed to describe not only your personality but how you approach situations within your career and personal life. After completing the test, you are given a combination of letters that stand for your personality. My personality type that I received was ESTP-T, which stands for Extroverted (E), Observant (S), Thinking (T), Prospecting (P), and Turbulent (T). This combination is also known as the Entrepreneur and is associated with a bold and sociable personality. Additionally, another characteristic of this personality type is that they struggle to engage with abstract ideas. When considering these both, I feel as if the personality test was accurate. Often, I find myself wanting to converse with others and engage in discussion; however, I lose interest when the topic becomes too broad or distant. Another test that I took was a communication test that is supposed to describe your interpersonal skills. On this test, I received a score that fell into the “Good Communicator” category. I feel like this accurately reflects how I think I am as a communicator because I definitely feel comfortable and enjoy commuting with others, however I agree that there is room for improvement. I think that going off of these results, I am able to capitalize off of my strengths which is direct communication and ability to adapt. Specifically relating to career goals, the ESTP-T is known to thrive in high paced, team-oriented environments. I think that my experience working with children, food service and events has prepared me well for my future career as a Museum Educator. 

When considering what I have learned from the tests, I do believe that they would be useful to know when trying to tailor my self-presentation in situations such as job interviews and other application materials. Personally, while I do believe that knowing my strengths is extremely important–being aware of my weaknesses in regards to personal and career. When considering job opportunities I can take these weaknesses into consideration to make sure that I would be able to thrive and be successful in that specific work environment. For example, one of the weaknesses of my personality type is that ESTP-Ts do not do well in traditional office settings. I definitely agree this applies to me as I have found that when placed in a slow-paced environment where I have repetitive tasks it is extremely draining to me. Considering this, I am able to begin to understand my ideal work environment and as a result look for job openings that fit this description.