I was discussing personality type as a factor that can affect office behavior with my class the other day. I suggested that they take a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test to see how they’d fare. I shared that, for me, knowing about my personality type and being aware of others’ helped me a lot on how to work my way through the workplace. In addition, it gave a lot of perspective on how to plot out a career path. But in hindsight I ask myself, is it really that important? Sure it worked for me, but to what extent?

While the Myers-Briggs is one of the more popular personality type indicators, it’s unreliable. Results can change depending on the person’s outlook during testing. But regardless of the test, profiling just seems to have its own advantages and disadvantages.

One of the dangers of profiling oneself is the personal tendency to self-typecast. Not just because you’re profiled as one type, you have to limit yourself into acting that particular way. I’ve fallen into such pitfall in the earlier days of my corporate career, thinking that I always have to act rationally and act hard and fast being an ESTJ (Extrovert, Sensing, Thinking and Judging). It took a harsh lesson for me to learn that gut-feel and relationships with people also count.

Many people think that taking these types of tests would help them to early on especially when choosing career paths. I, for one, thought of really pursuing a career path that’s supposed to be in line with my personality type – administration. While I felt that doing what I was doing fit my own personality, there were still other conditions (such as the nature of the field and the workplace) that affected my whole outlook on going about my work. And look at me now, I’m writing and an educator (teachers are supposed to be ENFJ. And that’s another danger of personality types. Some people think that a personality type actually dictates competence.

On the other hand, knowing your personality type helps in curbing your tendencies and knowing how to adjust your reactions toward different situations. If you feel that your type fits your personal assessment of yourself, then take it as a guide on how to balance out things once in a while. Achieving balance can help you act on things maturely and professionally. It also helps you to interact with other people who have different personalities.

Well, I think, generally, personality tests are important for introspection. Avoiding the common pitfall of self-typecasting is really a step toward a better understanding of oneself. As long as you avoid boxing yourself in, knowing your personality type.

You still are who you make of yourself.