Do What You Are [Paperback]

Paul D. Tieger (Author), Barbara Barron-Tieger (Author)

Book Description

Series: Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type | Publication Date: September 1, 1995

Revised to include today's careers in telecommunications, health care, and education, a best-selling guide to charting one's personality type suggests the most satisfying careers for each type and offers savvy advice throughout. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger are principals of Communications consultants LLC and have been training professionals in the use of Personality Type for twenty years. They teach individuals and groups how to improve their effectiveness at work and at home. They live in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown & Co (P); 2nd edition (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316845221
• ISBN-13: 978-0316845229
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #975,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

573 of 581 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on personaility type and work, October 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Do What You Are (Paperback)

I'm a career counselor in private practice, working with mid-career changers and young people making these decisions for the first time. This is one of the two truly extraordinary career books I ask all of my clients to buy. It was written for people who want to choose a direction that is a perfect fit with their personality. It does a wonderful job of introducing you to the 16 types. However, personality type is only one of many important factors in making a satisfying choice of direction. I recommend that you also get yourself a copy of: "The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success", by Nicholas Lore. It is by far the best guide to picking your career. Whether you are thinking of changing careers in mid-life or are a student trying to figure out how to be successful and love your work, buy both of these books, and use them! Together they will guide you to putting the pieces of the puzzle together in a way that will keep you getting out of the right side of your bed for years to come.

322 of 330 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Makes you think about job hunting in a different way..., August 18, 2000

By 

Renaaah "Renaaah" (Bronxville, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Do What You Are (Paperback)

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a personality test based on Jungian theory. In a nutshell, it states that every person falls into one of sixteen categories, and each one of these categories or "Types" has distinct needs, ways of interacting with others, manners of processing information, etc.

"Do What You Are" attempts to help individuals plot their own careers based on their own Myers Briggs "Type." Before finding this book, the only other career-related thing I had read was "What Colour is your Parachute," which was terrific. But I loved "Do What you Are" because it stated something that is so rarely said today... that you should find a job and career that suits who you really are. I passed this book around to all my friends and family, and most (but not all) loved it, too.

Something I found particularly delightful was that it affirmed a lot of things I had been thinkingabout my own situation, but had considered "unimportant." My type is "ENFP" (I know it might sound like jibberish to you now, but it will make sense if you read the book). This is a type that thrives on creativity, feels confined by rigid rules, and needs lots of friendly social interaction on the job. But, since I have a high IQ and did well at school, others have constantly tried to push me into "status" fields like medecine and litigation. In my heart, I had always felt those kinds of careers would kill me, but I couldn't really articulate why. After reading "Do What you Are," I was better able to accept my instincts and explored PR, fundraising, and finally settled on a job in publishing. I LOVE my job, and although I think I would have arrived here eventually, I do think that it would have taken me twice as long to arrive had I not read this book.

49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful and easy to read, but not stand-alone, May 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Do What You Are (Paperback)

This book is well written, fun, and a great source of ideas if you already know your Myers-Briggs type. If you don't, the section on identifying your type is weak; I recommend Kiersey's "Please Understand Me" instead (or inquire at your local educational institutions: I took the Myers-Briggs, had it professionally interpreted, and got loads of helpful reference material from a $40 seminar at a community college).
The book is most useful if you're discontented with your present career (or have qualms about the career you're preparing for, if you're a student). I was railroaded into a career that didn't suit me because of my family's expectations, although I was determined and intelligent enough to become moderately good at it. But I never felt comfortable with it, and it was only after many unhappy years that I realized I was in the wrong job and broke away to find a more congenial career path. I wish this book had existed 30 years ago!
I agree with other readers that the book is short on practical guidance as to WHICH career you should choose -- I've found Barbara Sher's books much more helpful. Nonetheless, this is a good place to start, at a reasonable price, and it's excellent as far as it goes.