When you change your job, does your personality change with it? I have always been a fan of personality tests. I've taken a bunch: Myers-Briggs, Enneagram, StrengthsFinder and DISC (My personal favorite). I just recently took the enneagram test again for my current role.
In years past, I have always been a solid 2. Enneagram 2s are helpers: generous with their time and talents. When I look at my career, I previously worked in positions where I was the helper. It was fulfilling. I love to help others. However, there are always cons to the pros. I found myself struggling with people-pleasing. I had a hard time saying "no". My mental health came second or third or just plain last in comparison to the need to help.
I was shocked when I took the enneagram test recently to see a new number: 6. I have ALWAYS aligned myself with the enneagram 2, so it's honestly taken me some time to digest.
Enneagram 6s are The Loyalists. The Loyalists are hard-working and responsible. At their best, 6s are very self-confident. At their worst, 6's struggle with self-doubt. A 6's biggest goal is to feel stable.
As I reflect on almost a year in my "new" role in a new industry, I think my shift to an enneagram 6 is very logical. In learning all new things, I was grasping for stability in the skills I did know. I definitely experienced self-doubt as I navigated conversations this past year (what does that acronym mean? is that how it's supposed to be done?). However, I have been very lucky to have a super supportive boss and team. I have not been afraid to ask questions or to put in the work to better understand. Again, creating a stable environment is important to me (my DISC profile also shows a high S for stability/security).
Am I still a type 2 but in an environment that has stretched my comfort levels? Maybe I have always been a 6, who filled the self-doubt and need for stability with "over-helping", sometimes to the point of burn out? I am not sure.
If someone is an awful person in job A, will they continue to be an awful person in job B? Or perhaps job B is better-suited for their skillsets and/or offers benefits that job A did not.
So, does your personality change with your career? Or do you think your personality ebbs and flows depending on the stage of your career?
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
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