DO WHAT YOU ARE BY PAUL TIEGER & BARBARA BARRON

Key Concepts

• Personality as a Career Blueprint: The idea that an individual's innate personality is a stable and reliable guide for making long-term career choices that lead to satisfaction.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): The book is based on the MBTI system, which categorizes people into 16 personality types using four preference scales:

• Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I): How individuals direct their energy and interact with the world (outward vs. inward).
• Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N): How individuals process information (concrete details and facts vs. patterns and possibilities).
• Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F): How individuals make decisions (logic and objective criteria vs. personal values and empathy).
• Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P): How individuals approach life and work (structured and planned vs. spontaneous and flexible).

The Four Temperaments: The 16 types are grouped into four broader temperaments, each with core values that influence career fit:

• Traditionalists (SJ): Value structure, stability, rules, and serving societal needs (e.g., law enforcement, administration).
• Experiencers (SP): Thrive on action, spontaneity, and adaptability (e.g., entrepreneurs, first responders).
• Idealists (NF): Seek meaning, connection, and personal growth in their work (e.g., counseling, teaching).
• Conceptualizers (NT): Driven by competence, innovation, and solving complex problems (e.g., scientists, managers).

• Dominant Function: Each person has a "dominant function" that is their strongest, most natural skill. Aligning one's work with this dominant function is the key to effortless performance and job enjoyment.
• Lifelong Development: The book recognizes that while the core personality type is fixed, individuals can develop their less-preferred functions over time, which can influence evolving career interests and the potential for fulfilling "encore careers" later in life.