Empowering career search and enrichment

Written by Catherine Rains

Alas, we live in a world the culturally prefers Judging. So what happens to the 50% of us who prefer Perceiving? We learn Judging skills to be successful in a world that values Judging type behaviors. This certainly was my case. As I have mentioned in previous blog entries, my father (who prefers INFJ) trained me almost from birth to exhibit Judging behaviors, and I’m very grateful that he did. As a result, most people pick me up as someone who prefers Judging, which has helped me live successfully in a Judging world while also honoring my clear preference for Perceiving. And I am far from unusual - I have met MANY people who prefer Perceiving, while exhibiting Judging behaviors professionally, making it a challenge to figure out their true preference. This also means that it could be difficult to guess their dominant function. However, if you look real close, and are patient, you can still find the true preference lurking in the background – it just might not be obvious at first glance.

Here are some cues that I look for. They….

• Usually won’t choose their major until the absolute deadline for doing so – end of sophomore year or when an authority figure says they must 
• Could add a minor, a double major, or choose one major with LOTS of career options (i.e. Communication, History, Psychology) 
• Might dress in a more casual, comfortable or artistic style, even in professional garb 
• Sometimes ask things like “when do you really need that by” or “is that the real due date” as they will be energized to get things completed close to the ultimate deadline 
• Often think no decision is final and are willing to change their mind when new information surfaces, like when they discover a new major that is more interesting than the one they already choose and have earned 60 credits toward 
• Sometimes look at the 4-year plan from the Career Center as a list of suggested activities and will jump into the list wherever it looks interesting 
• Might drop in to meet with you without an appointment 
• Often want to keep ALL options open until the last minute, including what they are going to do this afternoon

What am I missing? What other cues do you use to pick up whether someone has a preference for Perceiving?

Written by Catherine Rains

Finally, we get to my favorite set of cues. The outer letters, the attitudes, show how we express our middle letters, and can thus be sometimes more obvious in terms of behavior cues. Remember too that the J and P were added by Myers and Briggs to indicate what a person shows to the world, or what they extrovert. So again, this attitude is often something that we can see, more so than the middle letters. This is ALWAYS assuming that someone is actually showing us their true preference for J or P. I am a case in point with this one as my behavior and appearance look J, but I have a preference for P. But I’ll share this next week when we get to behavior cues for Perceiving. Meanwhile, let’s look at common cues for the Judging preference.

Here are some things that I look for. They….

• Usually chose a major before they get to college, or by the first semester of their Freshmen year (this is a question I sometimes weave into a conversation!)
• Might show up 15 minutes prior to an appointment or engagement 
• Often will get assignments done days before the deadline 
• Could have a neat, crisp appearance with clothes pressed, hair well groomed, more conservative and angular in style 
• Often have a very organized back pack, purse and/or daytimer 
• Might plan out their weekends and vacations with a schedule, and don’t want to move forward without a plan 
• Could appear closed to new information once a decision has been made  
• Might decide quickly to get a decision checked off their list 
• Sometimes love the 4-year plan the career center provides, and follows the plan year by year

What else gives you the impression that someone has a preference for Judging? Please share what you have observed.

Written by Catherine Rains

Someone who prefers Feeling usually starts most conversations and/or meetings with a personal topic. Establishing a personal connection with anyone they do business with is paramount to them wanting to do business with that person in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, they also want to get to the point of a meeting and get things done just like someone who prefers Thinking. But they would prefer to establish a personal connection first, and do business second. Someone who prefers Thinking wants to get business done first and talk personal second. But both preferences DO both. It’s all a matter of where each preference likes to start. So what behavioral cues make it obvious that someone prefers Feeling, other than they might start a conversation with a personal topic? They:

• Might start the conversation by asking how you feel
• Often respond to a compliment with a longer personal narrative about what was complimented about 
• Sometimes speak about what they feel, appreciate, and value 
• Might begin a sentence with the phrase “I feel…” 
• Could ask about how others have decided about something 
• Often begin emails with personal questions or commentary, maybe even add a :)
• Usually smile at you, shake their head up and down, validating what you are saying
• Sometimes indicate they are interested in a career that will help others in some way
• Could be very open and generous in their compliments and appreciation of you
• Sometimes look for ways to support what you are saying

So what have I missed? I’m sure you can come up with a few dozen more Feeling cues!

*It is important to understand that you cannot assess a person's type based merely on type cues; having the person take an assessment and giving them a proper interpretation is always recommended. The point of the blog is to try to understand how to pick up on certain type cues when in the absence of giving someone an assessment and self-verification, such as in a job interview.

Written by Catherine Rains

When I’m working with a new client, the first thing I usually try to guess is their preference for Thinking or Feeling. Why? Because it will dictate how our conversation will start. If my client prefers Thinking, they will want to get to business right away, with minimal personal chit chat, which is not true with my Feeling preference clients. Because knowing this preference is so important to me early in the conversation, I pay very close attention to their Thinking/Feeling behavioral cues, even more than with the other preferences. Here are some things that I look for. They:

• Might look more serious, business-like, appearing a bit indifferent
• Often will jump right into the purpose of the meeting without my prompting
• If I compliment them, they sometimes respond with a quick thank you with little personal narrative about what I complimented them about
• Could appear critical because of their focus on what is wrong and needs to be fixed
• Sometimes will argue or debate a point just for fun
• Might use dark humor, sharp wit or sarcasm
• Could question my competence to see if they deem me competent
• Often use the phrase “I think…”
• Usually get right to the point in an email with little personal “talk” (unless they know they are emailing a Feeling preference, and then will add a short personal line in the beginning after they are finished writing the email!)

So what cues work for you in guessing whether someone prefers Thinking?

*It is important to understand that you cannot assess a person's type based merely on type cues; having the person take an assessment and giving them a proper interpretation is always recommended. The point of the blog is to try to understand how to pick up on certain type cues when in the absence of giving someone an assessment and self-verification, such as in a job interview.

Written by Catherine Rains

As I mentioned last week, we are all picking up Sensing information first (facts, reality, specifics), but we all don’t do the same thing with this information. With people who prefer Intuition, they momentarily look at the data, and then with lightning speed jump to what those facts mean to them. They are looking for the implications, interpretations, and possibilities behind the data. In fact, they often care more about what the facts mean, rather than about the facts themselves, which means they could lose the original intent of the facts in the process of interpreting them!

So how can you guess whether someone prefers Intuition? They ….

• Usually love to brainstorm about the possibilities of a subject
• Could ask long term kind of questions like what is the future of a certain career field
• Are more likely to ask questions that start with “what if”, “suppose” and “why”
• Often jump around in the conversation, following whatever tangent is most interesting in the moment
• Might enjoy telling stories with metaphors
• Sometimes are attracted to careers that involve creativity and little routine
• Could prefer fiction type novels
• Occasionally dress more artistically or expressively, with perhaps a few tattoos or body piercings thrown in if they are younger
• Often love to take MBTI® and/or the Strong assessment to generate new career possibilities

How many more behavioral cues can you come up with for Intuition?

Written by Catherine Rains

Guessing someone’s preference for Sensing or Intuition is a bit tricky because all of us are picking up Sensing type information (facts, reality, specifics), but we all don’t do the same thing with this information. With people who prefer Sensing, they usually stick with the facts, without interpreting them. Here are some ways that I have observed this behaviorally. They:

• Sometimes have a very specific speech pattern , using concrete descriptive words and examples
• Might ask data collection questions that begin with words such as “how” and “what”
• Could be cautious to go beyond what is actual, or what is the reality of the moment
• Occasionally express a career interest in managing “what is”, serving people in practical ways, handling data (i.e. customer service, nursing, K-12 education, accounting)
• Might also be attracted to jobs that require routine and structure, and are usually not put off by repetition
• Sometimes remember the past accurately
• Might want to take a the MBTI® and/or Strong assessments to validate what they’ve already been considering, rather than for generating new options
• Could take notes when you are talking to remember all the details of what was discussed
• Might prefer non-fiction writing
• And my personal favorite – Often describe things in a linear way with lots of details (ask them for directions to someplace complicated for a good example!)

So what other behavioral cues do you use to pick up a preference for Sensing?

Written by Catherine Rains

Behavioral cues for Extraversion and Introversion often seem obvious, however I know many people who prefer Introversion that say they are often mistaken for someone who prefers Extraversion. I most often hear this from people whose jobs require them to exhibit extraverted behaviors, which is true of most jobs in America! So it can sometimes be difficult to know whether someone prefers Introversion simply by observing their behavior at work. We often have to look for additional cues beyond the obvious (talking a lot) in order to pick up this preference up accurately. Some of the cues I look for are when they:

• Could wait until someone else starts a conversation
• Often are comfortable with extended pauses in conversation (it gives them time to think)
• Might lean back in their chair, away from the conversation
• Could ask is there something they could read to learn more about what you are discussing
• Might speak slower and with a quieter tone
• Could avoid eye contact
• Might not interrupt a conversation to make their point, even when appropriate to do so
• Sometimes prefer email communication over talking in person

What other additional behavioral cues can you add to the list?

Written by Catherine Rains

For the next 8 weeks, we are going to explore some of the behavioral cues that could indicate someone’s preferences, and that could help us be more effective with all types of people, especially with those who have opposite preferences than our own.

Let’s start at the top. What are the behavioral cues that would indicate the person in front of you has a preference for Extraversion? They…..


• Might start talking right away when you meet them.
• Could be uncomfortable with pauses in the conversation and will work to fill in any silence.
• Might talk over you, interrupt you, and finish your sentences.
• Sometimes are energized from rapid back and forth conversation.
• Might lean forward, into the conversation.
• Could talk with their hands, in addition to their voices.
• Might ask “why are you so quiet” if you aren’t talking as much as them.
• Often maintain eye contact.
• Sometimes speak rapidly and louder than their opposite preference.
• Often appear enthusiastic and animated when they speak.
• Could describe themselves as a “people person”.

What are some other behavioral cues that could indicate someone has a preference for Extraversion? Let expand this list for the benefit of us all!

*It is important to understand that you cannot assess a person's type based merely on type cues; having the person take an assessment and giving them a proper interpretation is always recommended. The point of the blog is to try to understand how to pick up on certain type cues when in the absence of giving someone an assessment and self-verification, such as in a job interview.