Thanks for joining us for the second part of this article series where we try to put together the puzzle of career compatibility for Analyst personality types. If you haven’t read part one, where we talk about careers that are a likely match for Analysts, we invite you to do so.
If you have, then you already know that we’re now going to talk about aspects of jobs and workplaces that might not be the best fit for Analyst personalities. So, let’s go!
Poorly Fitting Pieces
Like an out-of-place puzzle piece, there are certain things that these personality types have a hard time fitting into a happy career. Analysts’ rational skills can help them navigate many problems with success, but it may not make sense for them to enter a career with too many objectionable aspects.
Incompatibilities can exist in career areas that broadly seem like a good fit. And like trying to jam the wrong piece into a puzzle, things that don’t align with Analysts’ principles or preferences tend to frustrate them deeply. This can lead to loss of energy, distraction, and even poor job performance.
“I couldn’t stand how they would break their own policies to suit their needs. Don’t expect me to take you seriously if you pretend something matters one minute and then ignore it the next.”
So, it’s not just happiness that can be affected by incompatible aspects of a job, but also success itself. Many Analysts may be troubled by these factors in a career or work environment:
- Dependence on social interaction
- Heavily repetitive work
- Inflexible thinking
- Insistence on the conventional
- Arbitrary or subjective policies
- Highly emotional environments
- Hope-based decisions
- Discounting of facts
For individual Analyst personality types, career compatibility is an even more nuanced thing. In addition to the above aspects, each type has unique reactions to what they experience at work. Some things make it significantly harder for them to be happy and fully engaged in their job.
Architects
Relative to most, this personality type tends to be sensitive to:
- Lots of personal interactions. Large volumes of social contact can wear Architects out, especially if it’s mainly casual pleasantries that they don’t find very intellectually stimulating.
- Disorganization. Whether it’s a methodology or supply cabinet, Architects tend to have a firm sense of how things should be. Anything less can aggravate them in the long term.
- Excessive scrutiny. Having someone peeking over their shoulder all the time can distract their focus, or be perceived as criticism.
- Unexpected change. Architects’ vision of effectiveness usually includes planning, and they tend to resent unforeseen interference.
- Delivering instructions. In leadership positions, this type may struggle to muster sufficient tact when direction or confrontation of others is required.
- Frequent redirection. Architects love to pour dedicated effort into directions that make sense to them. They can easily become frustrated if asked to switch priorities too often.
Read more about Architect career paths and workplace habits.
Logicians
Relative to most, this personality type tends to be sensitive to:
- Required socializing. Logicians may enjoy the novelty of meeting people but may not appreciate having it be mandated regularly by their job role.
- Narrowly ordered environments. Without some looseness and flexibility around them, they aren’t at their best.
- Not enough autonomy. Logicians love the freedom to experiment. Excessive oversight can feel unpleasantly like a tangible manifestation of the restriction we mentioned above.
- Mundane repetition. No matter how diverse their task list, anything repeated too often may begin to feel stale to Logicians.
- Directing others. In leadership positions, this type may struggle to offer consistent, even direction to other people.
- Pressure to comply. This personality type excels in unconventional thought and imagination and resents what they see as the imposition of limits.
Read more about Logician career paths and workplace habits.
Commanders
Relative to most, this personality type tends to be sensitive to:
- Marginalization. Commanders feel a sense of energy from working with a team and want to be where the action is.
- Inactivity. This type enjoys taking effective action as soon as it is needed and finds sitting on their hands to be frustrating.
- Half-measures. Mere expediency, even if efficient, can leave Commanders unsatisfied with themselves or others. They like to act big.
- Disorder. Commanders are rarely tolerant of carelessness. It goes against the sense of order that helps them feel – and be – effective.
- Perpetual revision. This personality type may see frequent change as inefficient, and shifting priorities can simply seem like bad planning to them.
Read more about Commander career paths and workplace habits.
Debaters
Relative to most, this personality type tends to be sensitive to:
- External limitations. This personality type often feels restricted and may see limits as personal challenges.
- Lack of change. Debaters like to see things evolve and dislike static procedures or environments.
- Lack of innovation. They not only resent what they see as limited thinking – they may pointedly rebel against it.
- Isolation. Debaters thrive on interacting and working with other people. Regularly being alone can make their days feel lifeless and cause them to get distracted.
- Inactivity. Debaters tend to get impatient when they aren’t able to carry out their ideas quickly.
Read more about Debater career paths and workplace habits.
These conflicts can stem from specific work environments and cultures or from the work itself. But avoiding these negative factors doesn’t mean giving up on any career. It’s often just a matter of being clever about where you pursue that career.
Investigating a job or field is often possible if you’re motivated and persistent. Some employers will even allow you to shadow an employee on the job. Most people who like their work are happy to discuss it, especially with young people who show cheerful drive and initiative.
To this end, we’ve developed some career investigation exercises to aid your decision process, and we’ll publish them shortly. Real-world exploration can show you how the career compatibility puzzle looks in reality – and reveal hidden pieces.
A Unique Real-Life Picture
Group statistics are broad truths, but unique individual approaches to a job can also lead to success. Grabbing hold of any career compatibilities with determination and imagination can bring you happiness.
Let’s finish this article by hearing from an Analyst about why they really like their job. We hope they inspire you and get you thinking about how to find your ideal career path.
In an Analyst’s Own Words
We think of Analysts as being more technically than socially focused – and that’s often true. But consider how one very accomplished Debater research scientist describes their work as connecting them powerfully to others and society at large:
“After wife and children, my work opportunity defines my human expression. Living does ‘take a village,’ and my role in the village is a near perfect personal fit for what I wanted to do and can do. I would wish the same for everyone.”
This Debater further mentioned joy in “getting to answer and alter” scientific questions and said the “intellectual intimacy” with colleagues was “an adrenaline high.”
Intellectual passion is common among Analysts. But taking equal joy in how their creativity and intelligence combine positively with others’ – and benefit the world community – is an admirable expression of the Debater personality type.
Analysts can bring the best qualities of their personality type into diverse careers and work environments. Career compatibility might not always require finding a job with a uniquely perfect fit, but sometimes fitting into a job in a unique way.
Assembling Pieces of Your Future
We’ve touched on understanding the difference between what a personality type can bring to a job and what they might experience on the job. Of course, understanding goes beyond just your career; our Academy offers deeper learning about your personality type in other areas of life as well.
We hope we’ve given you some inspiration, ideas, and logical food for thought about exploring your personal compatibility with potential career areas. Knowledge is key to making a good plan and achieving your goals.
And as a final note, we want to tell you that it’s totally normal for career planning to be stressful. Lots of questions may be churning in your mind. But trust yourself – if you care deeply and apply your abilities fully, you can be successful on your own terms.
Further Reading
Life Satisfaction surveys: Career
How to Survive Your First Day on a New Job, by Personality Type
The Frazzled Debater – Stories from the Real World
Respect My Authority!: Personality Types Who Love to Be in Charge