| | |  | Career Books | Home » » Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type | | | | | | | Description: | | Already a classic in the genre, DoWhat You Are has helped hundreds of thousands of people find truly satisfying work. Do What You Are introduces Personality Type - how you process information, make decisions and interact with the world around you - and shows you which of the 16 types describes you best. It lists dozens of occupations that are popular with people of your type. Then, using workbook exercises and real-life examples to highlight the strengths and pitfalls of each personality type, it shows you step-by-step how touse your unique strengths to customise your job search,ensuring the best results in the shortest period of time.And if you plan to stay in your job, Do What You Are provides savvy advice for getting the most out of your current career.Every other career guide offers generic, one-size-fits-all advice. But because it is based on personality type, Do What You Are helps you determine what you need to be more successful and satisfied. | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Paul D. Tieger | | Paperback:
| 416 pages | | Publisher:
| Little, Brown and Company | | Publication Date:
| March 21, 2007 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0316167266 | | Product Length:
| 7.5 inches | | Product Width:
| 1.25 inches | | Product Height:
| 9.25 inches | | Product Weight:
| 1.38 pounds | | Package Length:
| 9.1 inches | | Package Width:
| 7.4 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.1 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.6 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 58 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 58 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
82 of 82 found the following review helpful:
 Career-ChangerSep 01, 2010
By Christopher J. Cranford
"C.C."
I purchased this book two years ago trying to get something for my brother, so that he could decide what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. I worked as a electronics technician in a factory after ten years in the Navy, and even had gotten a degree in computer database programming. I brought the book home over Thanksgiving, and started to read it one day because I was bored. I count that as was one of my luckiest moments ever.
Two years later I had put aside enough money to go to college full-time and finish a degree I always wanted. I so strongly believe in what this book says, it's changed my life. I hated my job, and hated the prospect of programming databases (I had to pick a degree that was work related, so my job would help pay for it. In addition, there's a lot of databases in the world to work on so I was looking at job security). I always believe That You Do What You Have To Do To, that you sucked it up and worked at where you got paid. I was taking anti-depressants and just hoping I could work one more year, year after year. I was so stressed out about work that my jaw would clench when I slept and I would bite my tongue, over and over again.
I read this book, and found out my personality type. I took the free online test to confirm what I thought. Then this book laid out for me exactly why I hated my job, and exactly why I would hate database programming. And it laid out what job I needed to be in, and why that job would make me happy.
I'm scared every now and then, because it's something new and I'm middle-aged now, and I'm used to having a job. But taking a year out to get a degree in something that will make me happy for the rest of my life will be worth it. Oh, and I've been off anti-depressants for a year now, and Doing Great!
This book won't say: "Mr. Smith, you need to work at an accounting firm for a food company in Dallas Texas." What it will say is: "Hey, you're the kind of person who loved working with numbers, and double-checking digits, here are several Fields of jobs for you, why you would like them, and why you wouldn't, and what other people who are like you are doing."
I'm actually bringing this book to college for some of the younger kids. I'm ordering another just to make sure I still have one. I wish I had had it when I was going, twenty years ago, and maybe my life would be a lot different.
If you are at all like me, get this book. Don't wonder what will make you happy, find it!
30 of 30 found the following review helpful:
 Great book for digging into your personality and relating it to your work.Dec 09, 2008
By Dwayne A. Hoover
Having recently taken an authentic MBTI (Myers-Briggs) assessment and experiencing some "what should I do when I grow up" anxiety lately (I'm 31, haha), this book was a great tool for my search. A large portion of the book is spent determining your MBTI type and then digging deeper into your type and what it actually means. There are 16 different types, and each type has its own chapter, so if you're put back by the size of the book (really not that big anyway), don't worry...you probably will just read about your own type. If after reading this book, you're still a little unclear about what you want to do...check out "I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was" as an awesome follow-up.
20 of 20 found the following review helpful:
Helped my choose my major.Jul 13, 2007
By Corey Burns
"college student"
This book was really helpful. What made it different from other personality type books is the real world example. I could read one and say, "that's just like me!" or "that's not me at all". After I finished it, which didn't take very long, I knew what my strengths and weaknesses were. It even gave me a list of good jobs for people like me. For a college student who's trying to decide what they want to do career wise, this book helped seal the deal and choose a major. I highly suggest it to anyone who is unsure who they are or what they want to do.
29 of 33 found the following review helpful:
 Myers-Briggs test is very generalFeb 28, 2011
By Chris Waldorf
While this is a well done book and it will be very helpful for some, for those of you who take this test and something doesn't quite click, don't despair. Try another route. The Myers-Briggs test which this book is based on isn't the only type of aptititude test out there.
In my case, I took the Myers-Briggs test a couple times early on after college and it really didn't help me. After taking the test I also read a number of the different 16 personality types and thought they applied equally well to me. I never thought that the guidance was very useful. Because I didn't think to try another style of test, I went along in a finance career for over ten years that I really didn't find fully engaging.
Thankfully, in my thirties I did end up finding another book (Discover What You're Best At by Linda Gale) that hit the nail on the head for me. As a result of this and another test by Johnson O'Connor I went back to school to become an industrial engineer and I love what I do. Also, if you want to spend more, the top career testing outfit in the country is called Johnson O'Connor (which is not for profit) does a great job and also identified my current career. While the price is high, the investment you make in your career is far greater.
The reason I bought this book and another which also turned out to be based on Myers-Briggs is because I wanted to help a young person find some direction and I bought it. After reading through this and taking the personality test, this didn't come close to identifying the career I'm in now. The Myers-Briggs test is just too general and doesn't provide much guidance.
If this book and the Myers-Briggs test work you you, great. If not, try other types of tests. It is well worth the effort.
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
Shortest Possible Way to Know About Yourself & Choose The Right Work For Life...Sep 29, 2009
By Zeerik Ahmad
"IdeasNexus"
" Do what You Are " just shook me out of nowhere, which I was not expecting. Although the concept given by these two thorough researchers (Paul & Barbara) are well established for several years now, but frankly, it was the first time for me that I was reading & understanding about the 16 types of personalities - what are these 16 types of personalities by the way...
How can the entire population of more than 6 billion people be just divided into these 16 types - how can it be like that - I had more skepticism on my mind than the positivity. Well since the start of the book " Do What You Are " was so interesting, I felt gripped to read on & know more. That's what I did.
The strange awkward four letter combination - like ENFP, ESFJ, ENFJ, INTP, etc initially sounded silly & stupid without making any sense to me. But later, they actually proved to be magical letters.
As I shared I didn't know what these personality types are and how effective they are. The only way for me to validate were two ways:
1 - To do further research & know more about the authenticity & validity of these authors & their works & its practical application on others.
2 - The second way was to apply it on me first.
So I started my journey to validate this model based on my simple approach at least first to convince myself about the quality & effectiveness of the product.
Well, in short, it helped to change my life to a great extent and the way I look at it now. It threw the most impactful impression on my mind.
I have read many more similar books in life especially on self-improvement - well many have their own angle to address life & human mind - and they definitely are good and also add value. But this book " Do What You Are " completely addresses a different subject and makes it more direct simplified to know about yourself through a proper proven & validated system.
The first confusion & complexity about life and human being is that majority of us still don't know `who actually we are' or `who actually we are meant to be' - we just live & design our lives based on many general family influences, cultural norms, friends influences, society, schooling etc. and we start becoming very practical & intelligent -this is what we think - but the fact remains that most of us end up living mediocre lives - why it is like that ? - may be after only our retirement we will have time to think about it...
" Do What You Are " simply helped me to understand what job & work I should choose which will interest me more, which will connect with my innate talents, which will help to do more & more of it, which will help me to excel in it, and which will help me to enjoy it all of my life.
Well, one important point to learn is that - it doesn't matter -if the talents which we eventually find relate to something very ordinary & small or something not very main stream - becoming a doctor may itself be a very big dream, but you may hate the look of medicines and injured people - perhaps you may only like to draw sketches - well definitely becoming a doctor is much more lucrative, society friendly and gets you more money in life. The route for drawing sketches, concentrating on it may not bring you much money or the kind of status doctor or lawyer or business tycoon can enjoy.
The writer, the traveler, the musician, the actor, the researcher, the journalist, many more of such kinds may not apparently give you the feel that it can bring good money & status, and you may have your own requirements or family requirements or pressures to earn more in life. That is where we deviate from our innate talents - and get on the bandwagon. But you know there are chances that if even by other influences you happen to become a doctor or lawyer, still you may end up having an ordinary living because you may not be doing that good which any other passionate doctor or lawyer can do and also you will have burn out after 10 or more years - so it's a lose-lose situation largely.
On the other hand, if you choose to stick to your innate talents & aptitude (be it small or ordinary), the initial route may not show you big rewards , status or money, but after years of commitment & hard work it starts opening up new opportunities for you. That's the kind of patience which is required after we know about ourselves through "Do What You Are".
Having read " Do What You Are " is one thing and trying to apply it on you is the real deal. I am very confident that it will help you as it has helped me to unclutter the confusion for myself.
Through this book - I turned out to be "ENFP" - Extrovert, Intuitive, and Feeling & Perceiving.
I was doing a job in a bank in Operations for about 10 years - well now if you happen to read about who ENFPs are like in this book "Do What You Are"- you will come to understand why I was at the wrong place for so many years. It has changed now - I am doing Marketing - and involved in writing, graphics & creativity. That's what I am and really enjoy too.
It has helped to me to establish clarity about me & my life - which indeed is great feeling. Every day, when you wake up, you feel fresh right from the first hour and feel fully geared up for the day ahead. That's all matters in the short term. With this approach in mind, you automatically will achieve your long term goals and dreams too. Instead of making big plans and long term objectives, just try to focus on the small gains and what matters most to you in the short term - it will lead you to big victories.
" Do What You Are " has become one of my favorites - I feel like preaching about this book to all... This feeling is simply based on my own research & experience & the impact it had on my life. But I urge you to read it with positive frame of mind and by giving sufficient committed time to help you understand the concepts.
I wish you luck if you do happen to grab this book...
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