Are you an engineer struggling to find your 'perfect' career match?

Posted on September 08, 2023 by Tiffany Lewis, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

The fact is finding the perfect relationship match isn’t the easiest thing you’ll ever do – and, neither is finding the perfect ‘career’ match.

The whole job search effort is somewhat similar to the ritual of dating; there’s a period of trial and error until you find a career that matches you – your skills, your dreams and your personality.
Unless you’ve led a charmed life, your perfect ‘career’ isn’t around the proverbial corner. You must define the career you want, when you want it and how you want to achieve getting it – once you do that, you’ll begin to place everything in motion. The question is, though, how do you go about finding that perfect ‘career’ match?

In order to understand how you can achieve landing the best available position for you, you need to understand your temperament – your emotions, your spiritual self and your relationships. If you don’t tackle understanding yourself, it will be much more difficult to make the improvements you must make in an effort to find your best career match.

So, let’s look at some of the questions you’ll need to ask yourself – these are questions similar to those a potential employer might ask:
· Why should a potential employer hire you?
· What is your greatest weakness?
· How do you handle and manage conflict?

I’m sure you’ve probably heard these questions before, but you’ve most likely heard them in an interview situation and not in a reflective environment where you’re delving into your personality.
Personalities are a funny thing – every personality is different, yet they’re similar. According to author Tim LaHaye there are four basic personality types:

Sanguine,
Choleric,
Melancholic, and
Phlegmatic

Now, if I were in your shoes right now, I’d be wondering what each of those temperaments mean – you have to admit, they’re not used in every day conversation. So, let’s go through each for a brief explanation.

SANGUINE
A sanguine personality belongs to cheery, happy and optimistic individuals – they love life and life loves them! They’re fun to be around and they tend to be conversationalists and they will often fare well in sales position, or one in which they can use their “gift of gab.” Talkative and not shy, the sanguine person is very people oriented; however they also tend to be chronically late, forgetful and somewhat sarcastic. Sounds familiar?

CHOLERIC
Choleric people tend to be ambitious and they often possess leadership qualities. Interestingly, though, the choleric personality struggles with bouts of depression, and they are often highly organized or disorganized—there isn’t a lot of middle ground with the choleric person! Does this sound like you?

MELANCHOLIC
Melancholic people are fundamentally introverted and thoughtful—they can be highly creative in activities such as poetry and art, and they can become preoccupied with the tragedy and cruelty in the world. Often they are perfectionist, self-reliant and independent; they also can get so involved in what they are doing that they forget to think of others. Are you melancholic?

PHLEGMATIC
Last is the phlegmatic individual – phlegmatic individuals are usually relaxed and quiet, and they range from warmly attentive to lazy and sluggish. They are often content with themselves and they are kind, as well as accepting and affectionate. They may be receptive and shy, and they often prefer stability to uncertainty and change. They are consistent, relaxed, calm, rational, curious and observant – and these qualities make them good administrators. However, individuals can also be passive-aggressive. What about it? Do you have a phlegmatic temperament?

So, even though the above personality descriptions fell from favor as years and centuries passed, many contemporary psychologies believe they are the bases for today’s personality types. Christian author, Tim LaHaye, writes about and believes that there are several combinations and permutations of personality types that rule our actions and thoughts.

And, I agree with Mr. LaHaye’s assessment. So, what does all this personality type stuff have to do with you? Well, think of it this way – if you apply for a position that requires you to spend your working days in a cubicle and you have a sanguine personality, do you think that job will be a good fit for you?
Maybe. Maybe not. It will depend on what cross blending of personality types for your individual personality. However, if you’re armed with a little knowledge about the type of personality that fits a particular position, you’re ahead of the game. You can make intelligent choices about which position may be best for you. In other words, it is all boiled down to finding your Mr. or Mrs. Right career.