Why These Jobs Work For You
You are the person for a job that involves thinking outside the box. You are innovative and intellectual. You don't like paying attention to administrative details, though you pay attention to details when necessary for aesthetic or practical reasons. Organizing and filing do not appeal to you. Your skills are in the art of expression, and you have the ability to convey the message to the intended audience effectively.

Research has shown that people whose personalities are well-suited to their job environments are happier and more successful. Remember, your Right Jobs were selected because they are good matches for your career personality — they would allow you to exercise the qualities mentioned above. They are not based on the skills you already have, or would need to perform those jobs. Those are things you can learn along the way.

That said, here's a description of the Right Job that is the best statistical match to your career personality. If you don't like the sound of it, you can do a bit more research on the runner-up jobs that match your personality almost as well.

As an architect, you would plan and design structures. Most likely, you'd focus on buildings and their immediate surroundings. In particular, architects plan a building's layout — everything from the look of the building itself to where the rooms, the elevators, the stairs, the doors, and the windows should go. You'd do all this while taking the engineering demands into account — the demands necessary to keep the structure stable and safe. Architects also have to do all this while designing a structure that meets the wishes of the client.

Architects are often responsible for choosing the building materials and equipment within a given budget and timeline. That means you'd oversee every aspect of the project, including supervising workers, preparing contracts, and representing the clients' needs to contractors. Architects typically possess high aptitudes for mathematics, spatial reasoning, and creativity. They have skills and interests in both big ideas and small details. Obtaining a four-year degree and passing the Architectural Registration Examination (administered by the Board of Architecture) are prerequisites to becoming an architect. The exam consists of nine parts and takes four days to complete.

Although the work environment of an architect is the best fit for your career personality, that is not to say you won't be happy in another job. In fact, there are plenty of careers that could use your personality's strengths. Architect was the highest statistical match for your personality characteristics. Look to the right for some other jobs that scored high and would be a great fit for you.

In addition to discovering what career best fits you, Emode has provided some information about how to best fit your career goals with your lifestyle needs. After all, your career can take on many forms, and it is important to know what best works for you.

Why These Jobs Fit Within Your Lifestyle
You are a down-to-earth person who does not have many material needs. Having a stable source of income is important to you, though you've learned the art of survival and know how to get by on very little and still stay happy. Your career is a priority, but it is definitely not the central part of your identity. Work allows you the means to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, but your outside interests and relationships are more important to you. Even the best job can lead to dissatisfaction if you let work take over your life.

When establishing your career, be sure to set ground rules for yourself so that you do not spend more time at work than what is necessary. After all, your happiness comes from a variety of sources.

You may have already landed your dream job. Congratulations! But most people are still waiting to find the best job for their career personality.

Remember that wherever you are in your career — even if you're already in the job you want to keep for the rest of your life, you can't always control when or how the nature of your job might change, or how the goals of your company might evolve. But you can control the kinds of jobs you look for. That's why it's just as important to know your Wrong Job, as it is to know your Right Job.

To figure out what your Wrong Job is, we inverted the calculations for your Right Job. That means that the personality dimensions on which you scored the lowest contributed to our analysis of the Wrong Job for you.

Why shouldn't you be an underwriter? Remember it's not all about the skills you have or don't have. The Right Job for you is the job that suits your personality best. For true job satisfaction, your job environment needs to match your personality.

Beyond the daily tasks of an insurance underwriter — accepting or rejecting insurance applications, examining client insurance risks, and assigning value to property — underwriters are driven by efficiency. They like things to run smoothly and with as few hitches as possible. They are also detail oriented and disorder will lead to their downfall. These are just some of the reasons you wouldn't find life as an underwriter very satisfying — why it's the Wrong Job for you.

We've already discussed your Right Job and your Wrong Job, but you still might be wondering, more specifically, how we found them. While you were taking the test, we determined your scores on six different personality dimensions. No one dimension is any better or worse than the others, but each one is quite distinct and offers insights into your unique combination of attributes, outlooks, and sensibilities.

Your Right Job is what fell out of the equation when we looked at a couple different aspects of your career personality — more specifically, your primary and secondary personality types. Your Wrong Job is what fell out of the inverse equation, what resulted from your lowest scores on the personality dimensions. But for now, let's focus on your Right Job that was determined by your career personality.

Based on the way you answered the test questions, your primary personality type is Creative, while your secondary personality type is Analytical.

Knowing your type is important for a number of reasons: it will help bring to light aspects of your personality you hadn't thought about before, it will raise issues about matching your personality to a career that you might not have previously considered.

Here's an explanation of what that code and what your primary and secondary personalities mean.

Primary Classification

As a Creative type, your ability to look at the world with a fresh perspective keeps life interesting for you and those around you. Instead of following the trends, you want to set them yourself. Establishing a routine is not your goal; you would rather go with the flow and see where your mood takes you that day. You love seeking new experiences and sensations. Your sensitive nature is often turned inward, but your passionate nature also means that you are prone to be impulsive at times.

Secondary Classification

As an Analytical type, your inquisitive nature helps you enjoy the complexities of life. You understand that sometimes there are no clear right and wrong answers, and that's okay with you because you tolerate gray areas better than most. In fact, pondering potential outcomes can sometimes be more interesting than coming up with the definitive solution for you. You march to your own drum and enjoy being in charge more than working and compromising with others. Nothing escapes your keen observational skills, and thinking is your idea of fun.

We've figured out your Right Job, and we've calculated your Wrong Job. But the reality is there are plenty of other job concerns in between. If you do find yourself unhappy in your current employment situation, now is the time to make some changes. You can make a few adjustments in your current situation, or if things look hopeless, start to hatch a plan that will get you on track for the job you really want, the job that fits your career personality.

Knowing what we know about you as a Creative type, here are some things to watch for.

Has the workplace become too dull and rigid for you? Don't know what the day of the week is anymore? You need to find an outlet for that imagination of yours. If the dress code permits, start with the wardrobe. Just because everyone else dresses in black and gray should not hold the same for you. Make a fashion statement to brighten the room. You like being the center of attention anyway. Another suggestion is to take that passionate nature of yours and start a book club at work. Get people to read your favorite authors, and you might be surprised by the intellectual depth of your colleagues. And finally, use your vision to improve those drab office parties. You know how to throw swank parties; volunteer your skills to incorporate some style at the workplace. Now you've found yourself a new position: resident tastemaker.

On average, people make three major career changes in their lives. If you did not get it right this time, get back in the saddle and try again. To avoid repeating the same career mistakes, you may want to get introspective and ask yourself some of the following critical questions.

Did I pick this career because of my family's wishes over my own?

Everyone wants to please loved ones. Perhaps your father always wanted you to follow in his footsteps, but you always wanted to take on more risky ventures. Although your loved ones want you to have a stable career, ultimately they want you to be happy. If their approval is extremely important to you, then do your homework and come up with a concrete plan for your risky venture and demonstrate that you have the maturity and determination to realize your goals. Provide a timeframe for how long you'll give yourself before calling it quits and going the stable route. Something along the lines of, "I'll give myself five years to make it big as a rock star and if that doesn't work, I'll go to law school." Establish ground rules for how often they can ask you about your "progress." Learn to celebrate the small steps and brush aside potentially defeating remarks and "I told you sos." Remember, loved ones care and worry about you, but if they see you happy, they will eventually learn to put aside their fears.

Did I pick this job because I had low expectations for myself?

Do you think that Bill Gates and Oprah have always been free from insecurity and self-doubt? Think again. Everyone is afraid to fail, but not trying is a bigger failure than getting fired. While it may temporarily bruise the ego, it is an enriching and humbling experience to push yourself beyond your preconceived limits. So, get out of the safe and numb and plunge into uncertainty. Although it may be discomforting at first, nothing is more joyful than discovering a hidden talent or fulfilling a secret ambition. If you need to, fake the bravado and eventually it will become a part of yourself. In the end, if it does not work out, dust yourself off and be proud of your new fearless attitude. It will eventually pay off. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Did I pick this job because I did not want to go to school again?

It is understandable that maybe you had a bad experience in high school or college and you don't want to repeat that again. Unfortunately, some of the highest paying and self-fulfilling jobs require some type of education beyond high school or college. Obtaining a professional degree is very different from high school or college. Gone are the days of reading and writing about things you cannot relate specifically to your career. Professional degrees often are geared to train you in a certain area of expertise. You will not only gain practical experience but valuable contacts in your desired profession. So, let go of your preconceived notions of school and talk to someone who has the degree you want. If the tuition cost is scaring you, then you may have to tighten your financial belt for a few years and look into obtaining student loans. See this cost as an investment in your future. After all, you have a long career ahead of you and the initial cost will eventually be paid off.

I just don't know what I want to do! Everything and nothing sounds appealing.

Part of being an adult is knowing which opportunity doors to close and which to keep open. Making choices can be difficult, and there are no guarantees. But not making choices and saddling yourself with indecision is no picnic.

We hope the personality insights we provided you with point you in the right direction. But this is only the first step. You must do research about yourself and realistic career choices for you. Talk to as many people you know about their occupations and honestly assess whether their interests and lifestyles match yours. Your best friend may love being the artist living paycheck to paycheck, but if you always pictured yourself driving a Mercedes and joining the country club, then the bohemian lifestyle is not for you. Also, realistically evaluate the tradeoffs between your personal and professional life and what the definition of success is to you. Who has not wanted to be a journalist or news broadcaster and make millions like Katie Couric or Peter Jennings? But, do you realize that most journalists start at the way bottom in remote locations away from family and do not make millions? You may want to be a news broadcaster, but understand that most of them start out as unknowns and most stay unknown. You may be that one in a million, but make sure it is not the fame and money but rather the job that drives your ambition.

No matter your age or station in life, once you start taking steps to pursuing the dream job, you'll kick yourself for not having done this sooner. Having a goal and converting it to reality is a powerful experience. You will develop or regain self-confidence that permeates into other areas of your life. Life is too short to put up with barely tolerable situations, whether that is with your career or relationships. You'll expect better for yourself and from others. Settling instead of striving will no longer seem acceptable for you. Going to work won't seem like a chore anymore and your enthusiasm will be contagious for those around you.

As we've mentioned before, we all have different sides to ourselves. Depending on the situation, someone who typically plays it safe will be up for making a riskier decision. Someone who typically thrives working on their own will excel in a group dynamic. For that reason, we wanted you to see the dominant characteristics of the remaining personality types. Here they are.

Practical
Practical personalities are honest and practical. They have an affinity for the outdoors and enjoy the chance to get physical.

Personable
Personable personalities are natural teachers and leaders. They possess a friendly nature and have a genuine desire to help others, which makes them valuable members of society.

Strategic
Strategic personalities are undeniable go-getters. With diplomacy and very strong persuasive skills, they know how to get what they want in life.

Disciplined
Disciplined personalities value being conscientious and trustworthy. With their high sense of responsibility and attention to detail, these types can be relied upon in any crunch or situation.

Research has shown that people who find congruence between their personality and work environment, have a greater chance of job satisfaction, career stability, and work success (Holland, 1996). Simply stated, if your work environment is a good fit for your personality, you're more likely to be happy and successful. The research behind Emode's Right Job, Wrong Job test was based on theories developed by psychologists, Raymond Cattel, Ph.D., and John L. Holland, Ph.D.

The root of this test is based in personality research - in the unique traits that make you who you are and shape what makes you happy. Cattel is one of the first personality psychologists to examine the basic structure of personality. He developed the 16-factor theory of personality. This theory identified specific traits he believed to be the fundamental building blocks of personality (1965). These traits are: warmth, intelligence, emotional stability, dominance, impulsivity, conformity, boldness, sensitivity, suspiciousness, imagination, shrewdness, insecurity, radicalism, self-sufficiency, self-discipline, and tension.

Dr. Holland developed a theory of vocational personalities (1985) and work environments and has written several influential books on careers. Following from his theory, he developed an assessment tool that classifies people into one of six types of career personalities. These six types are: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Each personality type is suited for different kinds of work environments, not skills, but environments. After taking his Self-Directed Search Inventory (Holland, 1994), people are provided with primary and secondary scores and a corresponding occupation.

We overlayed Cattel's personality types with Holland's vocational personality types to create the career personality types in the Right Job, Wrong Job test (Practical, Analytical, Creative, Personable, Strategic and Disciplined). Once we had those, we examined your two highest scores, and mapped them to the Holland's original codes, and hence to the jobs that best matched the career personality type.

The more you know about your career personality, the more you will know about what makes you happy. Right Job, Wrong Job is just your first step to finding the perfect fit for your career, so we don't want it to stop here.

To reinforce what you've learned about your personality types and the kind of work environment in which you thrive, we're going to send you 4 follow-up emails — one a week for the next four weeks.

During that time we will take a closer look at your test answers so we can tailor more advice to your situation, to your personality. We'll help you take your Right Job, Wrong Job test one step further with advice on how to structure a good job search, how to be effective in your job search, how to come off well in an interview, and how to get what you need from an interview.

Look for your first mailing in one week!

Cattel, R.B. (1965). The Scientific Analysis of Personality. Chicago: Aldine.
Holland, J.L. (1985). Making Vocational Choices: A Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
Holland, J.L. (1994). The Self-Directed Search. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.