MBTI Series: ISTP & detachment

If I asked you to picture a beatnik how would you describe that person?  Wearing all black, a beret, and if it's a male a small goatee. Their personality is more of the example I want to focus on today as I think they can be a good general example for ISTP personalities.  ISTPs can be categorized as "Artisans" or a "Craftsman" and someone who's very willing to be a critic, observer, and analyzer of things and situations.  This can be a great skill in the right profession, but there are some things to be cautious of as an "Artisan" or a "Craftsman."

INTROVERSION-SENSING-THINKING-PERCEIVING (ISTP)
ISTP people have some amazing strengths with the ability to think critically, analyze each element separately, and hone a craft.  They are very confident individuals and can acknowledge personal strengths as an adaptation.  Many are high achievers as long as the goals have been clearly defined, and are able to initiate creativity to accomplish the goals.  They can be flexible, but the request to be flexible still needs to fall within their understanding of the situation, meaning they won't do something illogical.

Just like all types there are also potential for weakness.  If these strengths are taken too far, they run the risk of detachment from others and the feedback that different perspectives can provide.  Some may rely to heavily on what's been experienced instead of giving way to opportunities that may not have been tried yet and thus detaching themselves from other people's ideas.  Their communication style can often be seen as detached, aloof, or cool as they tend to be fast-paced and action oriented instead of slowing down to engage in conversation with all those involved.

Some suggestions for ISTP personalities:

1. Continue to explore the analytical elements of situation
2. Continue getting to the core practical issues
3. Start encouraging others' analysis, not just your own
4. Start demonstrating interest in new ways of seeing things
5. Stop taking a detached view as the initial response in interpersonal situations
6. Stop ignoring context and big picture issues

FAMOUS ISTPs - gathered from mypersonality.info
Below is a list of real and fictional characters who have been theorized to be ISTP personalities.  Note each one and the common theme which can be drawn among them.  All are seen as experts in their field, intense individuals (which could also be seen as quirky), and very passionate about their "craft."

Real ISTP People                                                                Fictional ISTPs (Characters)

Alan Shepherd - astronaut                                       Blondie - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 

Bruce Lee - martial artist, actor                                                             Boba Fett - Star Wars 

Burt Reynolds - actor                                                                                           Brett - Alien 

Charles Bronson - actor                                                              Butch Coolidge - Pulp Fiction 

Clint Eastwood - actor and director                                                 Elvira Hancock - Scarface 

Frank Zappa - guitarist                                                                           Han Solo - Star Wars 

James Dean - actor                                                                  John Milner - American Graffiti 

John Malkovich - actor                                               Maggie Fitzgerald - Million Dollar Baby 

Katharine Hepburn - actress                                                              Verna - Miller's Crossing 

Keith Richards - English guitarist/singer 

Michael Jordan - athlete (basketball, baseball) 

Tom Cruise - actor 

Zachary Taylor - American President 

For more information about MBTI there are great resources at your local library, or CLICK HERE to review the other MBTI entries from our blog.  Some information in this blog was inspired by and drawn from Introduction to Type and Emotional Intelligence by Roger R. Pearman.

Quick Tips for the Long Term Unemployed

The economy is slowly improving, but there are still a lot of folks out there that have long-term unemployment issues. Here are 3 quick tips to help you out:

1) Volunteer:   I understand that your goal is a paid position, but if you haven’t worked in a while, you may have two problems working against you in the eyes of future employers, first off, a significant gap in your employment history and second, a lack of references.  Volunteering can help with both of these issues.  Your volunteer supervisor can serve as a reference and volunteering can show you’ve made a productive contribution to society even though you’ve not been employed. Volunteering can also give you additional experience in areas where you may lack and help banish the job seeker blues by helping you to feel useful.

2) Diversify Your Strategy: One of the biggest mistakes I see job seekers make is to stick to one job search strategy, most often just applying online via big job boards.  While I wouldn’t recommend abandoning this strategy entirely, it’s important not to forget the power of things like face-to-face networking events or approaching  organizations that you are interested in whether they currently have open positions or not. 

3) Expand or Narrow Your Target: Have you been searching for teaching jobs in your county, but haven’t found anything? Maybe it’s time to expand your focus outside of your immediate geographic area or look for another similar job that serves children and families, such as at a nonprofit organization to give yourself more opportunities.

Been applying for anything and everything under the sun? Maybe you’re inadvertently putting in applications for jobs you are over or under-qualified for. A little more focus in your job search could help you make more effective use of your (and your future employers) time.

Job Fair Follow Up

Attend  the NICE Career Fair yesterday? Don’t forget to follow-up with your favorite employers! Our website has a list of sample letters you can use to give you ideas on what to say to follow up. You can also check out our CareerSpots video on following up.

Job Fair Success

Our job fairs are the largest events we organize at the office of Career Services. We already have 80 employers signed up for the NICE Career Fair. From our experience running these massive events, we've come up with a few suggestions for improving job fair success for students.

Dress Appropriately: One of the most common complaints we get from recruiters is that students don't dress appropriately for our events. Don't let an overly casual appearance detract from your qualifications!

Do Your Research: We post the list of attending employers weeks in advance of our career fairs. Doing prior research on employers of interest will provide you with two benefits. First, you'll come off as more prepared and professional when you speak with employers and second, you'll be less overwhelmed by the number of recruiters available to talk to if you know ahead of time who your target contacts are.

Prepare a Resume, But Don't Be Disappointed if a Recruiter Asks You to Apply Online: There are some anti-discrimination related federal guidelines that prevent larger companies from taking paper resumes from students. If a recruiter asks you to apply online do so and be sure to remind them that you met at the job fair.

Follow-Up: Ask employers 'What's the best way to follow-up with you?' THEN DO IT. Send thank-you notes to employers with whom you met.

Attend the Job Fair Prep Sessions: Take advantage of the drop-in assistance Career Services offers the Monday and Tuesday (April 9^th and 10^th) before the job fair. You can bring in a copy of your resume and get advice on what to wear and how to introduce yourself to employers.
The NICE Career Fair is Wednesday, April 11^th, 1pm-5pm, in the new International Ballroom in Walb.

NICE Career Fair - April 11th

April 11, 2012 ~ 1-5pm
Walb Union - International Ballroom

Over 80 employers...

For a list of employers attending the career fair, go to: www.ipfw.edu/jobzone

Job Fair Prep Session
Monday, April 9 & 10 [10am-4pm, Drop-In Hours] – KT 109

New JobZone Log In!

Ever had challenges logging into JobZone?

You told us...We Listened...and Took Action.
Student JobZone Login Easier!
Alumni...see alumni section below students.

Students:
To log into your JobZone account, use your myIPFW username and password.
You can access JobZone by:

1. Visiting the IPFW Career Services Web Site and clicking on the JobZone icon
2. Use your myIPFW username and password to access JobZone

No more remembering a separate login and password to access the jobs, internships, externships, job fair Information, mentors, and other services from IPFW Career Services.

Alumni:
If you are within one year of your graduation, you can use your myIPFW to log in. If one year has passed, you will login in as other alumni.
For most alumni, your login process has not changed. Access JobZone as instructed above, and use your current password. You will need to register for an account if you have not done so already.

What is JobZone?
JobZone is the place where employment connections are made and networking happens. Looking for a Full Time, Part Time, On-campus or Off-campus Job, Internship, or other type of employment experience? JobZone is the place to be!
Login today and see what is new!
· Externships (Spring Break and Fall Break Job Shadows)
· Spring Job Fair April 11th
· Part Time, Full Time, internships, on campus jobs updated daily
· Career Explorer (Explore career choices)
· Tell Us About Your Job! (Brag a little...or a lot!)
· Upload your resume so you are ready when an interesting position posts!
· Set up a Job Search Agent!
· Much More!

IPFW Externship Program - A Students Perspective!

IPFW Externship Program: By Khin Phyu

How does anyone know what they really want to be when they grow up? How many of us are lucky enough to have it all figured out? College is about experiencing new things and figuring that out. Even if you do have it all figured out, maybe that’s not really what you want till you actually experience it. I think of this externship as an opportunity to find myself, as cliché as that sounds.

I always thought I would end up living in NYC and working at a big company, but after externing with Dan Swartz at the Downtown Improvement District, I’m starting to question my original decisions. I saw so much untapped potential and the only way it’s going to grow as a city is if younger people get more involved to help downtown transition into a new generation. I just feel like I could make more of a difference working in Fort Wayne compared to a big city now, and this externship was a big part of that discovery.

This externship also helped me see the things I could possibly be doing in my career field. You do more than just job shadowing; you get to actually walk in their shoes for a week and work on projects that they would do. I also did also of networking and met a lot of great people who could potentially be my employer in the future.

So to recap, I spent my 2012 spring break doing an externship where I learned a lot, met a lot of people, and made new goals to strive for. I think that’s a spring break well spent.