Published on AASL Learning4Life Lesson Plan Database

What's Your Type? Personalities and Career

Choices
Created by: Catherine Beale
Title/Role: Media Specialist
Organization/School Name: Hopkins Middle School
Location: South Carolina
Grade Level: 8
Type of Lesson: Stand-alone lesson
Type of Schedule: Flexible
Collaboration Continuum: Limited
Content Area:
Vocational education
Content Topic: Personality and Career Choice

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner

Skills Indicator(s):
1.1.1 Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and make the realworld connection for using this process in own life.
3.1.1 Conclude an inquiry-based research process by sharing new understandings and reflecting on the
learning.
4.1.5 Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience.
Dispositions Indicator(s):
3.2.1 Demonstrate leadership and confidence by presenting ideas to others in both formal and informal
situations.
4.2.1 Display curiosity by pursuing interests through multiple resources.
Responsibilities Indicator(s):
2.3.1 Connect understanding to the real world.
Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s):
1.4.4 Seek appropriate help when it is needed.
2.4.4 Develop directions for future investigations.
4.4.1 Identify own areas of interest.
Scenario: Counselors work with 8th grade students to help them set appropriate career goals and to
develop an individual graduation plan (IGP). The media specialist develops and co-teaches an online
activity that includes an abbreviated Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality assessment, descriptions of
the 16 personality types, possible career choices based on type, and typical educational requirements and
work descriptions for the careers students select to explore.
Overview: What is my Myers Briggs personality profile? What careers may be a good match for my
personality and work preferences? What are the educational requirements and job expectations for those
careers?

Final Product: Students will share their personality and career findings with their counselors and other
students in a small group setting.
Library Lesson: Students will take a brief personality test based on Myers-Briggs Type Indicators and
determine their indicated Myers-Briggs type. They will use their test results to read descriptions of their
personalities and then research possible careers based on their MBTI results.
Estimated Lesson Time: 90 minutes

Assessment
Product: Students will submit their assessments and responses to their counselors online. Counselors
will meet with students and review the completed online activity responses as part of each student?s
career exploration and Individual Graduation Plan development.
Process: The media specialist creates a student response sheet that includes a personality
assessment, links to overviews of the 16 MBTI types, and links to different career options based on
MBTI results. Students select one career to research using the Bureau of Labor Statistic?s Occupational
Outlook Handbook at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/ to find out the minimum education required for the career
and other questions such as work conditions and salary.
Student self-questioning: Students read their tested MBTI profile and reflect on whether or not the
assessment resulted in an accurate description of their personality preferences. Students review
educational requirements, salaries, and work conditions for their career choices and consider whether
the career is a good match for their individual preferences.

Instructional Plan
Resources students will use:
Dataset (ie. lists, tables, databases)
Interactive Resource (i.e. webpages, multimedia learning objects, chat services)
Software
Interactive Resource URL: http://hopkins.richlandone.org/
Resources instructor will use:
Projector
White board
Other
Other instructor resources: desktop computer

Instruction/Activities
Direct instruction: The media specialist asks each student to write down what kind of career he or she
is thinking about choosing after graduating from high school. Students then write down what kind of
training they think they will need for their chosen career and what they believe the annual starting salary
may be. The media specialist then has each student find the file for the personality and career activity on
the school web page, save the file on the school network, and begin the personality assessment. When
students have finished the assessment, the counselor directs students to
http://www.palisadessd.org/cms/lib03/PA01000106/Centricity/Domain/279/8th/MyersBriggs.pdf and

discusses personality differences.

Modeling and guided practice: A student volunteer sits at the computer that is connected to the
projector so his or her work can be viewed by the class and followed as an example. Pointing to the
white board, the media specialist shows students how to log on to the school web page to retrieve the
activity and how to save the file on the network. The media specialist and counselor then assist students
with questions about word or phrase meaning on the assessment.
Independent practice: Students will read descriptions of their Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
Students will answer questions about the personality profile and decide if the description is a good match
for their own personalities. Students will review a list of career possibilities for their MBTI and investigate
those careers. Students are encouraged to return to the career goal they wrote down at the start of the
activity and use the Occupational Outlook Handbook to find out the actual education required and
average salary for that career.
Sharing and reflecting: Students share their findings with small groups and with their counselors. They
will use their assessments as part of their eighth grade career exploration and Individual Graduation
Plan development.
Have you taught this lesson before: Yes
Strategies for differentiation: The media specialist and counselors assist students with vocabulary on
the assessment as needed. Students who want to read more on the topic of Myers-Briggs are provided
auxiliary materials by the counselor.

This lesson plan is subject to copyright by the American Library Association and may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or
educational advancement granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address usage requests to the ALA Office
of Rights and Permissions.

Whats Your Type? First, take the quiz . . . .

E

Tolerate noise and crowds.

Avoid crowds and seek quiet.

Talk more than listen.

Listen more than talk.

Communicate with enthusiasm.

Keep enthusiasm to self.

Easily distracted.

Concentrate well.

Meet people readily and participate

in many activities.

Proceed cautiously in meeting people

& participate in selected activities.

Blurt things out w/o thinking.

Think carefully before speaking.

Hate to do nothing. On the go.

Time alone to recharges batteries.

Like working or talking in groups.

Would prefer to socialize in small

groups or just do job "by myself."

Like to be center of attention.

Content being on the sidelines.

N
Learn new things by imitation
and observation.

Learn new things through general

concepts.

Value solid, recognizable methods

achieved in step-by-step manner.

Value different or unusual methods

achieved via inspiration.

Focus on actual experience.

Focus on possibilities.

Tend to be specific and literal;

give detailed descriptions.

Tend to be general and figurative;

use metaphors and analogies.

Behave practically.

Behave imaginatively.

Rely on past experiences.

Rely on hunches.

Like predictable relationships.

Value changes in relationships.

Appreciate standard ways to solve

problems.

Use new and different ways to solve

problems and teach solutions.

Methodical.

Leap around in a roundabout way.

Value realism and common sense.

Value imagination and innovation.

http://www.new-oceans.co.uk/new/newbig4.htm

http://personalitytype.com/career_quiz

Whats Your Type? First, take the quiz . . . .

T
Have truth as an objective.
Decide more with my head and logic.
Question other peoples findings
because they may be wrong.
Notice when reasons dont make sense.

F
Have harmony as a goal.
Decide more with my heart and feeling.
Agree more with others peoples findings,
because people are worth listening to.

Notice when people need support.

Choose truthfulness over

tactfulness.

Choose tactfulness over truthfulness.

Deal with people firmly when needed.

Deal with people compassionately.

Expect world to run on logical

principles.

Expect the world to recognize

individual differences.

Notice pros & cons of each option.

Note how an option has value and

it affects people.

See others peoples flaws... critical.

Feelings valid if they're logical.

Like to please others; show appreciation.

ANY feeling is valid.

Prefer my life to be decisive,

imposing my will on it.

Seek to adapt my life and experience

to what comes along.

Prefer knowing what Im

getting myself into.

Like adapting to new situations.

Feel better after making decisions.

Prefer to keep things open.

Enjoy finishing things.

Enjoy starting things.

Work for a settled life, with my

plans in order.

Keep my life as flexible as

possible so I dont miss anything.

Dislike surprises & want

advance warnings.

Enjoy surprises and like adapting

to last-minute changes.

See time as a limited resource,

and take deadlines seriously.

See time as a renewable resource,

and see deadlines as flexible.

Like checking off "to do" list.

Ignore "to do" list, even if make one.

Feel better with things planned.

Rather do whatever comes along.

Settled. Organized.

Tentative. Flexible. Spontaneous.

Whats Your Type? First, take the quiz . . . .

2. Add up the total number of items you selected for each column. Look at the top of each column and type
the letter below that has the larger number of checks.

Next, go to one or more of the links listed below and read an overview about your personality type.

https://www.personalitypage.com/high-level.html
http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/
http://www.typelogic.com/
http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/myers-briggs/myers-briggs.htm
Read about your personality. Write down three sentences that describe people with your personality type.
A.
B.
C.

Does the personality type describe you?

3. Next, match your Myers-Briggs personality type to a career.
Go to one or both of the links below:
http://www.wsc.edu/advising_services/career_planning/exploration/personality_careers/
https://cms.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/careercenter/explore/assessment/typefocus/whatperso
nality .
Follow the link for your Myers-Briggs letters. Choose a career youd like to research.

Identify your career here:

Whats Your Type? First, take the quiz . . . .

4. Go to http://www.bls.gov/ooh/ . Search for the career youve chose for your research.

5. Answer the following questions.

A. What is the median (middle) yearly pay for your career?

B. Describe the work environment for your career.

Whats Your Type? First, take the quiz . . . .

C. What is the minimum education required for your career?

D. PARAPHRASE: What do people in your career do?

E. What is the expected job outlook for your career?

6. Click on the link for similar occupations. Choose one of the similar occupations that appeals to you and
paste the job title here:

Student:
Date:

Whats Your Type: Personalities and Career Choices

Guidance Counselor:
Task

Students will take a brief

personality test based on
Myers-Briggs Type
Indicators and determine
their indicated MyersBriggs type.
Students will read
descriptions of their
Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator (MBTI). Students
will answer questions
about the personality
profile and decide if the
description is a good
match for their own
personalities.
Students will review a list
of career possibilities for
their MBTI. Students
select one career to
research using the Bureau
of Labor Statistics
Occupational Outlook
Handbook at
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/
to find out the minimum
education required for the
career and other questions
such as work conditions
and salary.
Students share their
findings with small groups
and with their counselors.

Poor

Student does not take the

personality assessment.

Better

Great!

Student begins but does

not complete the
personality assessment,
completes the assessment
carelessly or the does not
finish the scoring.
Student does not read at
Student reads one online
least one of the online
MBTI description and
MBTI descriptions and
describes the type in three
write down three
complete sentences.
sentences that describe
Student gives a one word
people with his personality response to the whether
type. Student does not say the personality type
if the MBTI is a good
describes him.
match for his own
personality.
Student does not select a
Student selects a career to
career to research based
research based on his
on his MBTI and
MBTI and determines the
determine the educational educational requirements,
requirements, salary, and
salary, and work
work conditions for the
conditions for the career.
career. Student does not
Student indicates the job
indicate the job outlook or outlook and what people
what people in the career in the career do. Student
do. Student does not
provides the job title for a
provide the job title for a
similar occupation.
similar occupation.

Student selects a career to

research based on his MBTI
and determines the
educational requirements,
salary, and work conditions
for the career. Student
indicates the job outlook and
what people in the career do.
Student provides the job title
for a similar occupation and
provides the same
information for that job title.

Student does not share his

findings with his group or
with his counselor.

Student is prepared to share

all parts of his research with
his group and counselor.

Student shares part of his

personality and career
research with his group
and counselor.

Student completes the

personality assessment
carefully, asking questions as
needed about word meaning
and/or connotations and
determines his MBTI.
Student reads one or more
online MBTI descriptions and
describes the type in more
than three complete
sentences. Student indicates
whether the type description
is a good match for his own
personality and elaborates on
the reasons for his answer.

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