Customer Reviews

The Career Within You: How to Find the Perfect Job for Your Personality

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

this may be the only career guide using enneagram personality typing. as there are a million and one guides on getting a job i would have preferred to see much more depth on matching careers to personality types and much less on the basics of getting a job.

this book only looks at the 9 primary personality types. it would have been a real gem and much more helpful if it had included sections on the combo of primary and secondary or "wing" types. everyone has a wing and the wing is very important. to use a food analogy, if the primary personality type is the meat, the wing is the curry, or the tomato sauce or the bbq sauce. it's the combination of the meat PLUS the sauce that gives you different dishes.

using an enneagram example, a Type 5 "Observer/Investigator" with a Romantic streak looks to express individuality. but an Observer with the Questioner wing is into reducing risk. these 2 people will want very different career scenarios. So, looking at career matches just from the primary trait perspective is grossly incomplete. imo, it's not that hard to consider what careers match the 9 primary personality types. the real challenge is matching primary and wing.

i'm sure the reason the authors didn't do this is because it would take a lot more time and pages to cover the 18 combo types. but since people are a combination of types and have to deal with matching a career to their combo that's the book that needs to be written. and that's why i only give it 3 stars.

otherwise, it is good as far as it goes. and the system for analyzing career paths is interesting and easy to use.

the problem is the authors didn't focus on what makes this guide unique, using enneagram personality typing to analyze career paths, and tried to be an all-in-one career path/job hunting guide. there are a lot of more comprehensive guides on job hunting out there. so they missed the mark on both scores.

also, the lone negative reviewer is right, you do need a basic understanding of enneagram personality typing to make best use of this-though the authors do a good job of giving a top-level primer. you also need to understand what primary and secondary personality traits you possess. reading the descriptors of the primary 9 and then picking the one you relate to is not the best way. it may not even be particularly accurate. there are online tests you can take for free. search for, "free enneagram tests" and ones from the national enneagram group in Ca. will pop up. i recommend taking the longer version of the test for the most accurate results.

re: the test. there are no "right" answers and you won't help yourself by trying to make yourself "look good" by answering in one way or another. the key is to be as honest as possible. so think a little bit before you answer. example: one question says something like, " i like my office space neat and tidy." well, who doesn't. but look at your office. if it usually looks like a collection of piles of stuff AND you operate quite well in that environment then that statement is NOT very true for you. Another example, "i value helping others." again, who doesn't hold helping others in high regard? the question for you is how much do you incorporate that into your life or wish you could incorporate that in your life. If you volunteer everyweek and tithe 10% etc. that's very important to you. if you only give money at Christmas, then it's probably not so important. BUT if you're working 80hrs a week and don't have time to volunteer but wish you had a job where you could then it's more important. See what I mean? How you answer is critical.

to sum up:
1. this book is good as far as it goes
2. you do need some understanding of enneagram personality typing to make best use of it. try "Personality Types" by Riso.
3. don't try to guess your type. take the long test online.
4. to make the best use of enneagram personality typing to determine best career paths for you, you will need to understand your "wing" type. unfortunately this book won't help much there. but it is a good starting point.

"Just as important as knowing your strengths is understanding your needs" is a quote from page 9 of The Career Within You. We would all love to have a career that not only utilizes our talents, but helps us feel fulfilled and happy. Using knowledge of the Enneagram, a personality typing system, Wagele and Stabb will help you do just that.

If you do not already know your Enneagram type, the authors have included a short questionnaire to help determine your personality type. They added examples of famous people and their characteristics to help you get a better feel for each of the nine Enneagram types. Additionally, Wagele's illustrations and witty humor help reveal characteristics of the Enneagram types in a fun way.

The first nine chapters are devoted to the each of the personality types of the Enneagram. Each chapter lists positive aspects of the type, along with traits of "the other side", as the authors call our more self-destructive behaviors. These traits will then be used, as the authors put it, "to coax your career preferences from the truest part of yourself." The Wagele-Stabb Career Finder is an easy-to-follow guide designed to take you step-by-step through a process to find a career using the qualities most important to you.

Chapter Ten contains information to help you assess your current job and decide whether to keep it or find another. There are worksheets for each Enneagram type that will help answer that question. This chapter will also help you rate the importance of other factors such as salary and predicted future growth. Finally, it will help you prioritize aspects you feel are job necessities, such as location, hours, and benefits.

The last chapter deals with the actual job hunting. Wagele and Stabb help you identify job objectives and give helpful advice on writing a resume using the knowledge of strengths of your Enneagram type. There are also sections on networking, cover letters, employment agencies, interviews, and more.

I found this book to be an excellent guide to making the best career choices for each Enneagram type's happiness, job fulfillment, and success. I highly recommend it for all ages and groups of people. It would be beneficial to high school and college students trying to discover where they want their career paths to take them, people in mid-age who are finding themselves dissatisfied with their career choices, those who have recently become unemployed, or anyone wanting to live their lives to the fullest and follow their heart's desires.

"Wherever you are at this point, you have a feeling there is an authentic career within you. Watch it unfold as you learn about the nine career types, discover which one fits you, and then match yourself to a career that is right for your particular combination of traits, gifts, and wishes. Then, this book will help you determine how to best fit into today's job marketplace. The first step is to ask some questions that have fascinating answers. Who are you? What are your greatest strengths?" - From The Career Within You

Whether you're on the cusp of finishing your education, wanting to leave a dead-end job, desiring to find fulfilling work or needing to secure employment in the face of a layoff, The Career Within You by Elizabeth Wagele and Ingrid Stabb serves as both a portable career-coach and a comprehensive job-matching guide based on your unique personality.

Perhaps you're the Adventurer type (7) like myself, one who relishes pursuing multiple interests, exploring new ventures and synthesizing information--all with a sense of idealism, optimism, infectious enthusiasm and a "sky's the limit" attitude.

Or maybe you're the Peacemaker type (9), one who craves harmony, physical comfort, emotional balance and equilibrium in your career. Your peaceful demeanor brings calm to the workplace, and you're known for being a fair-minded team-player, often with the talents of broad perspective, empathy and mediation.

Using a fascinating personality system called the Enneagram (pronounced ANY-a-gram), The Career Within You will help you determine which of the nine types reflects your innate strengths, motivations and preferences. Peppered with clever and type-specific cartoons drawn by Wagele, this book also features the groundbreaking Wagele-Stabb Career Finder tables for each of the nine types.

The authors encourage YOU to determine preferred strengths according to your type, and then match those strengths to careers that bring you a twinge of curiosity or enthusiasm when you read them.

For example, as an Adventurer, my type's strengths are enthusiasm, idealism, seeking challenges, social networking and synthesizing information. However, the traits I value most in a career are the ability to synthesize and cross-fertilize information. Because I ranked this strength the highest, I then looked at the careers listed in the Adventurer section, noting which ones utilize synthesizing information--as rated by fellow Adventurer types.

I was blown away at the accuracy Wagele-Stabb Career Finder. Would you believe that EVERY career that I found interesting was one that I either dreamed about as a child, seriously considered in High School, majored in at college or actually PURSUED as an adult! In fact, I'm insanely happy with my three current careers and--you guessed it--they all use my preferred strength of synthesizing information! (In case you're wondering, the careers are Writer, Entrepreneur and Stay-at-Home Parent).

But although information contained in The Career Within You passed my personal criteria for accuracy, excellence, comprehensiveness and practicality, I felt that I had to ask someone else to test the Wagele-Stabb Career Finder. Knowing that my husband is a Peacemaker type, I asked him to rate his favorite strengths in terms of job. He selected Capacity to Repeat the highest. I then asked him to look at all the careers and put a checkmark next to the ones that he would enjoy doing.

Get this: almost every job he selected was one that he actually did in the form of a hobby or used at his current employment (which he finds satisfactory)! (And I learned something about him, too; I had no idea he'd like a job as a Personal Organizer! I told them that they are in vogue right now.)

However, The Career Within You doesn't stop there (and compared to a lot of personality and career guides, that would still make it a superior book!). There are also Job Fit Worksheets for each type so you can compare the jobs you've held or are thinking of pursuing, create a starter resume according to your type's strengths, and identify job objectives (including high pay or recession-proof careers). The book also helps you perfect an "elevator" speech, as well as provides tips for getting the word out about your job search and interviewing (and which types could help you with various aspects of securing a job).

At 360-pages, The Career Within You also supplies sample resumes and case studies throughout, highlighting the connections between type talents, favored strengths and career requirements. Wagele and Stabb also recommend reading the types before and after your primary type (known as "wings" in Enneagram lingo) for a broader perspective into additional talents and career opportunities.

If you're ready to step off the treadmill and find work authentic to your personality, you must get The Career Within You.

College graduates will find a wealth of information, including crucial insights that might save them from chasing someone else's dream or pursuing an unfulfilling career. In additional, this book belongs on the shelf of every Guidance Counselor or college advisor; even high school students will benefit from the personality-related material.

There IS an ideal job out there for you, especially in light of your innate strengths, preferences, and motivation. The Career Within You, especially the Wagele-Stabb Career Finder, will help you discover what it is and how you can best secure it. I've already recommended this book to several of my clients, most who come to me for job advice, and I know I will continue to do so in the future.

-- Janet Boyer, author of Back in Time Tarot (Type 7w8)

I could not agree more with the enthusiastic reviewers. A well organized and helpful book. I would recommend to anyone to read it before embarking on a new career or considering a change. A big thank you to the authors for taking the time to interview so many people in order to base the book on real life experiences and examples.

As someone who has had a lifelong interest in careers and personality profiling, I was thrilled to see these two topics combined in this book. The Career Within You: How to Find the Perfect Job for Your Personality, by Elizabeth Wagele and Ingrid Stabb.

A bit about the authors --
Ms. Wagele is a musician, cartoonist and author. She previously co-authoring several books about the enneagram. For this book, she partnered with Ingrid Stabb, a graduate of Yale University with a MBA.

How could an artsy creative person collaborate with a business minded corporate person to write a book on careers? Well, answers to that and more are included in the book.

I read about the enneagram in the past. However, after I figured out my "type" (2- Helper) I got a bit bogged down, and placed it aside. However, this book, including Ms. Wagele's illustrations made the enneagram so accessible and clear. Also included in the book are short questionnaires to help you determine your own type, if you don't already know your Enneagram type. (ok, I am a 2- Helper)

Next we add Ms. Stabb's business knowledge and experience to explain how the Enneagram can be used in career development and decision making. The book explains how we can flourish in our careers by maximizing our personality and strengths! The book goes further to show how a job seeker can take this information, assess and evaluate their work values, and evaluate the likelihood of being satisfied in a specific future job or career.

Lastly the book has information on searching for a job that maximizes your Enneagram strengths.

I think this book would be perfect for individuals all along the career continuum. Young adults could learn how to maximize their Enneagram strengths early in their career. A little self-examination could help them confirm whether they are proceeding on the right path - or walking a path outlined by someone else.

Mid-career adults, or those in transition, could benefit from some insight into their own personality and careers. Maybe the reason that one job didn't work out so well wasn't because your supervisor was crazy... maybe the actual work didn't allow you to maximize your strengths and personality.

I think we've all seen people who seem to have landed in the perfect job. They radiate joy. They are shining as they fully express themselves! I want to encourage anyone who is feeling stuck in their job search or career to take time to play with this little book for some insights into your personality and career/job suggestions. And if you are already radiating joy in your current job situation, check out this book to explore more about yourself and how you can continue to maximize your personality and strengths!
Joni Liebel
Liebel Career Associates
[...]

I have to admit I'm a little bit of a junkie for books related to self-actualization, so it was with great pleasure I read through the Career Within You by Elizabeth Wagele and Ingrid Stabb, and much to my delight, I can say the book does not disappoint.

The Career Within You is basically a strengths finder guide that helps you assess, based on your psychological type, the greatest strengths you bring to the workplace. From there the book offers pretty good advice not only on how you can use those strengths to succeed in your current career, but also to help you assess your long term career goals, or determine if another career is more suitable for you.

Wagele and Stabb do this, by first helping you determine what your basic personality type is and then demonstrating many of the strengths that people of that type often possess.

All of which is pretty common in a strengths finder guide, but what made the book truly unique for me was the hundreds of career stories Wagele and Stabb meticulously collected by various people representing the basic personality types. These stories, which seem to have been collected from hundreds of interviews, provide revealing and helpful looks at the trials and tribulations of many of the various personality types as they struggle to find fulfillment in their careers. At times I found myself laughing out loud In knowing recognition as I read through the chapter of my own type, which showed me both he strategies I employ to succeed and the traits that hold me back in the work place.

In short, if you are confused about the career you want, are struggling in your current career, or just need help finding a job, The Career within You could be the book for you.

Reading and following the easy methods provided in "The Career Within You" is a great way to discover what you were meant to do in life in a fun, humourous, and very accurate manner. It will help you to discover what career fits with your personality and natural strengths as well as areas that are more challenging for you and ways that you can work on them. These are presented to you in a humorous manner using cartoons along with practical advice that really works. Match this up with other books by Elizabeth Wagele such as "The Enneagram Made Easy" to gain true insights into yourself and others. It's fun!

I got very disappointed when I read this book as I was expecting much more when I purchased it. I may say that reading it was a total waste of time!

First of all, It is basically a small and simplified version of the Enneagram. Even the test presented on the book to identify your personality type is very superficial, including only 5 check boxes for each type, for the fact the full online test contains 160 questions. Apart from that, the theory is just some bullet points from the Enneagram, so someone, who has minimal knowledge of the Enneagram, will find the book ridiculous.

Besides, the book is full of pictures and made up stories from some random people, which makes me believe they, in fact, tried to produce a book for children or dumb people who are unable to read if the book doesn't contain some big pictures.

When it gets to the Careers section, which should be the focus of the book, you are presented with some not logical tests and careers table full of mixed information without some deeper meaning, which actually don't conclude anything.

At the end, I believe that the connection made between the Enneagram and Careers was very unfortunate and simplified, and a deeper study is necessary if the authors want to make this title worth a time.

Considering that, I wouldn't ever recommend this book to anyone and it is shame that it is still available on the market.

The vast majority of this book is divided into 9 sections which contain information on each of the "career types"

At the beginning of the book there's a very short test to figure out your "career type". You're asked to check off which statements sound like you.

(The test is available here: [...]

Unfortunately the test gives you more questions than answers!

Most of the statements were vague and when I was done it seemed like I could be 1 of 5 or 6 different categories.
(Example: "Doing the right thing is important to me."

-How many people are likely to say no to this?

I continued to read through the book in hopes that it would make it easier to narrow down my type -It didn't.

I gave the book 2 stars because I feel like it could be helpful for the right person, but take the test before you even consider picking up the book.

This book was a complete waste of time and money for me. The name and the cover sounded very appealing, but it's not worth attention. Per book there are a few categories of people. I personally couldn't relate to any of them. Instead of guidance, it gave me a bunch of fake, made-up stories about people that supposedly had successful careers. This book was supposed to help me decide which path to choose, but it left me wondering. What category do I belong to? You need to know the answer before reading the book; or it will be absolutely useless.