ISTP “Doing the Best I Can with What I’ve Got”

As an ISTP, career satisfaction means doing work that:

1. Let you identify and use resources that are available to you in the most efficient manner possible.

2. Lets you practice, master, and then use skills you have acquired, especially mechanical skills or those requiring the use of tools.

3. Lets you apply your understanding and technical knowledge of the world around you and see the logical principles underlying your work; lets you engage in troubleshooting and problem-solving.

4. Has clear directions; where you can work expediently and deal with real and practical products.

5. Is fun and active and lets you work independently with frequent opportunities to get out of your workspace and be outdoors.

6. Is done in an environment without excessive rules or operating standards imposed by others; where you can enjoy spontaneous adventures and step in to manage any crisis.

7. Let you work independently, with a minimum of supervision, and where you are not required to closely supervise others.

8. Gives you plenty of time to pursue your interests and hobbies.

9. Gives you a substantial amount of enjoyment and is continually challenging.

10. Lets you use an economy of motion and energy and does not require needless routines or procedures.

Work-related strengths and weaknesses of ISTPs include:

Strengths

· Work well with real and tangible tasks and products.

· Able to bring order to confused data and unrecognizable facts.

· Usually enjoy using hands and mastering the use of tools.

· Usually enjoy working alone or alongside others they respect.

· Identify and use available resources well.

Weaknesses

· May lack interest or ability in verbal communication.

· Often have little patience for abstract and complex theories.

· May get bored and restless easily.

· May appear to be insensitive to the needs and feelings of others.

· May be unpredictable and unreliable.

Implications For The Job Search

Pathways to Success

As an ISTP, your most effective strategies will build on your abilities to:

· Gather and remember all relevant data. Use your tremendous powers of observation to notice the people and surroundings of a potential workplace. Compare your recollections later as you think about whether the setting is right for you. Explain your ability to serve as a walking storehouse of information. Provide examples of how that capability has proved useful to past employers.

· Adapt and take advantage of available resources. Persevere in your job search even when faced with obstacles. Demonstrate your skills at developing instant solutions to immediate problems when they pop up during your job search or during an interview.

· Demonstrate to potential employers your ability to think things through carefully and logically. Take time to apply your ability to figure out how things work to assess the organization and the people in it. Ask yourself how your prospective role will fit within it as it currently exists. Be straightforward and honest in your responses to all questions.

· Analyze opportunities objectively. Use your well-developed logic to see the natural consequences of actions and choices. Let prospective employers know you can remain calm, even during unexpected changes in plans or during a real crisis. Include in your listing to prospective employers the ability to keep your head about you when others are upset.

· Take reasonable risks. Look for opportunities when it is appropriate to be impulsive and spontaneous. Show your true colors-a person who enjoys working hard and also having a good time. People are more likely to view you as a member of the team if they can imagine having a cup of coffee together. Demonstrate your ability to troubleshoot by researching some of the potentially current problems being faced by a prospective employer and offering your suggestions for ways to solve them.

Possible Pitfalls

· Try to plan ahead and follow an organized job search. Don’t move on to a more exciting challenge before waiting to see if your previous efforts have paid off. Make a conscious effort to develop your perseverance, remembering that hard work and sticking to your plan of action will give you the results you really want.

· Look for possibilities beyond those that exist at the moment. Try not to take stopgap jobs. Resist the temptation to prematurely end the process by accepting an adequate but not truly satisfying option. Set long-range goals for yourself and your career. Ask yourself what you hope to accomplish five and ten years from now. Assess whether the job you are considering will help you reach those goals.

· Beware of the propensity not to exert any more effort than is absolutely necessary. Avoid taking tempting shortcuts even though you readily see them. Pay close attention to all phases of your job search and conduct each with the same energy and diligence. Remember that employers look for conscientiousness in employees. Demonstrate your willingness to go the extra mile to get the job done right.

· Don’t postpone a decision too long. Make decisions and then move on. Eliminate poor options and keep yourself in the running for job options you really want. Don’t let yourself appear undependable and lacking direction by procrastinating too long.

Ken Meyer
Myers Briggs Master Practitioner and Retired Senior Career Coach at Eastern Michigan University