Understanding and Interpreting the MBTI and Strong

1. Understanding and Interpreting the MBTI and Strong Presented By: Jackie Dernek

2. MBTI Objectives • What is the MBTI and why is it important in career Development? • What are the characteristics of your own MBTI type and how will they impact your personal and professional development? • How might an assessment like this be useful when working with clients?

3. Background of the MBTI • Based on the work of Carl Jung • Differences in behavior are a result of inborn tendencies. • As we act on these tendencies, we develop patterns of behavior. • Developed in the 1940s • 40+ years of research • Most widely used personality indicator in the world • Administered to approximately one to three million people each year. NC State University

4. What is the MBTI? • A self-report assessment tool that determines personality type. • An indicator of preferences. • A way to sort, not measure. • Research backed. • Rich in theory. • Professionally interpreted. • Important note: there are over 100 aspects of personality, MBTI highlights only sixteen!

5. Four Scales of the MBTI • The chart is grouped into four basic scales with opposite poles. • The four scales are: • extraversion/introversion • sensing/intuitive • thinking/feeling • judging/perceiving

6. MBTI Key Words Extraversion Introversion • Energized by being with others • Breadth • Sociable • Initiates • Interaction • Many • Energized by being alone • Depth • One-to-one discussion • Reflects • Concentration • Close relationships • Few

7. MBTI Key Words Sensing Intuition • Perceiving with senses • Reliance on experience • Practicality • In touch with physical realities • Attending to the present • Attention to detail • Perceiving with memory and associations • Seeing patterns and meanings • Seeing possibilities • Prefers adding new skills • Looks at “big picture” • Identifies complex patterns

8. MBTI Key Words Thinking Feeling • Cause and effect reasoning • Objective • Logic • “Tough Minded” • Fair –wants everyone to be treated equally • Decisions based on impact on people • Guided by values • Strive for harmony • “Tenderhearted” • Fair –wants everyone treated as an individual

9. MBTI Key Words Judging Perceiving • Focus on completing tasks • Deciding and planning • Organizing and scheduling • Controlling and regulating • Goal oriented • Wants closure • Focus on starting tasks • Taking in information • Adapting and changing • Curious and interested • Open-minded • Resists closure in order to obtain data

10. How to Interpret Your Score • Your type consists of four letters that represent your four preferences. • The results illustrate the clarity of your MBTI preferences. • A larger number suggests you are quite sure that you prefer that pole. • A lower number suggests that you are less sure about your preference for that pole.

11. The MBTI 16 Types • Based on 1996 data from the US population—CPP) • http://www.delta-associates.com/type-percentages/

12. Guidelines • A person’s type is regarded as a working hypothesis. • Everyone uses every preference. We favor, however, one preference over the other on each of the four scales. • High scores do not indicate greater skill, magnitude, or use of a preference. Scores indicate clarity of choice. • Type can explain some human behavior—not all. • Type is not an excuse for doing or not doing something. • Avoid stereotyping someone on the basis of his or her type.

13. Uses for our Clients • Increase client self-awareness through greater understanding of personality type. • Help client to understand others by knowing more about themselves. • Understanding how a client’s personality type fits into their career search. • Appreciate how personality impacts personal satisfaction and job performance. • *Understanding your own MBTI score can help you identify potentially challenging situations or prejudices you may have that may impact your interactions with clients.

14. Simulation Activity • In groups of 4-5 discuss the situation given to you and formulate an action plan for how you would help this client. • Situation A • Situation B • Situation C • Situation D

15. Strong Interest Inventory Objectives • What is the Strong and why is it important in career development? • What are the characteristics of your Strong, and how will it impact your personal and professional development? • How might an assessment like this be useful when working with clients?

16. Strong Background • The most widely used interest assessment in North America. • Based on Holland’s theory of vocational interests: • Realistic • Investigative • Artistic • Social • Enterprising • Conventional

17. Strong Guidelines • Will NOT predict with certainty what occupation one should consider. • It can be a useful tool for identifying work setting and occupations that may be satisfying. • It indicates how similar or dissimilar one’s interests are in comparison with people in a wide variety of occupations. • Remember it’s just one tool of many!!

18. How the Assessment Works • The Strong is organized in four ways: • General Occupational Themes (GOT) • An overall view of your interest patterns • Basic Interest Scales • Specific interest areas based upon your GOT • Occupational Scales • Specific interest patterns to people working in the field that share your likes and dislikes • Personal Style Scales • Your preferences on 5 different scales

19. Your Personal BIS Scores • Notice the kind of job categories in which you have an elevated score. • How do you feel about these scores? In your opinion, are they accurate why or why not?

20. Using the Strong with Clients • It can be helpful in identifying interests, which can lead to greater job satisfaction. • It can be helpful information to assist with career and educational planning. • 3-Step Process--include the client in all phases: • Preparation • Interpretation • Exploration

21. Activity • Twenty Things You Like to Do!