Career

A Career Guide for StrengthsFinder?

StrengthsFinder Career RecommendationsSince I’ve written a popular post on how to use StrengthsFinder for career assessment, I’ve received a number of inquiries asking some variation on the following questions:

  • I have the following StrengthsFinder themes, so what job do you recommend for me?
  • Given my StrengthsFinder themes, am I in the right career?
  • How do I transition from my current job to another more consistent with my themes?

Lets take each of these questions in turn, below.

Can StrengthsFinder recommend particular jobs for me?

One big problem with this question is that StrengthsFinder just isn’t built to suggest specific jobs based on your strength themes. As the makers of StrengthsFinder themselves admit:

“[StrengthsFinder] is not designed to direct you into specific professions. Although certain themes do appear to be quite consistently dominant within certain professions, it would be wrong to say that a given profession requires dominant talents in certain themes. During our research, we discovered many individuals who were excelling in the same profession but who had very different top five themes.”

And you know what? I agree with this: StrengthsFinder just isn’t useful as a job recommendation tool.  Each strength has applicability in so many different fields that I think it would be reductive and inappropriate to guide people into a particular career just because of just a handful of strength themes.

You may also have noticed that some StrengthsFinder themes are fairly useless for guiding you into a particular job or industry. For instance, I’m a “Relator.” This theme tells you nothing about my ideal industry or company role. Rather, it tells you that I need a certain type of workplace: one that is fairly flat (i.e., non-hierarchical and egalitarian) and where I can trust my boss and my colleagues. So my being a “Relator” tells you only about the organizational culture I need to look for, not a particular type of job I’m suited for.  If a person has a number of these “soft” themes, it’s nearly impossible to say that they should go into a particular career or industry.

In other words, StrengthsFinder can tell you what you like and dislike, but it’s not a career recommendation tool. Plus I believe it’s unlikely that ANY diagnostic tool is going to know the differences across all possible jobs, and slot you into the right one.  The important takeaway is that there simply is no one-to-one relationship between your strengths and a particular job or set of jobs.

Can StrengthsFinder tell me if I am in the right career?

I don’t think StrengthsFinder can tell you if you should be happy in your current career either.  The reason is that each profession can often “contain multitudes” — that is, it can have a number of subareas that may cater to people with very different themes.  Sometimes if you find the right job or specialty in your career, you may end up being a lot happier.

Take marketing, for example. I like marketing in general, but different marketing specialties exercise quite different strengths, and some areas do not suit me at all. For example, I’m not big on event marketing, which is all about repetitive planning, logistics, improvisation, and people management — or maybe “people corraling” is a better way to put it. I find event marketing alternately boring and exhausting, and guess what? It doesn’t satisfy any of my StrengthsFinder themes either.

By contrast, I love strategic marketing and digital marketing, which exercises more of my strengths — usually.  Online marketing satisfies my “Strategic” and “Intellection” sides, for sure. But I’m also an “Input” themed person, so I find it boring to work on just one online marketing channel.  I prefer to work on several marketing channels at once, which allows me to get learnings from a variety of sources, and apply these across my whole marketing strategy.

Again, StrengthsFinder can help you identify what you like and dislike about your particular job, but some careers contain so much variation that again, it would be silly to tell you to leave a career just because you don’t feel suited.  It would make much more sense for you to investigate your options first, using the process I describe below.

How do I transition to a career more suited to my StrengthsFinder themes?

Let’s say you know you’re on the wrong career path right now, but you don’t know where to go next, or how to make the transition? I advocate a process that depends on where you are.

If you’re still in school, the best way is to just try things out: study what interests you, talk to students with work experience in an area, do internships, or help your fellow students start a business or a non-profit. Look for “flow” — that feeling when you’re lost in a project and excited by it. Write it down when you feel it, and look for opportunities that let you follow that flow again.

If you’re already in the working world, I recommend the following process:

  • Know yourself.  Know not only your strength themes, but what else is important for you to feel fulfilled and purposeful in a job.  If you’re having trouble describing this, you may want to work with a qualified professional coach.
  • Dream a little. Picture the conditions under which you will best thrive or be challenged, and write them down. Also write down conditions which are simply unacceptable in a job.
  • Conduct informational interviews. Schedule chats with people who are doing the jobs that you admire or desire, starting with people in your own company, if possible. Ask what the jobs are like, and see what the people who do them are like as well. Ask how they got into their roles, and what training or education they needed. Do they seem happy or unhappy? Ultimately, you want to understand what motivates them about the job. Then ask questions that relate to your strengths. Do they get to use talents or solve problems that fit with your strengths? As you listen, are you excited or bored? I know interviews take time, but it takes much less time than wasting months at a job that’s a poor fit. What you learn will help you find out what you truly respond to and what kind of problems you like to solve.
  • Interrogate your interviewers. When you’re actually interviewing for a new job, make sure the job will have challenges you seek — and will not have the dealbreakers you wrote down above. Ask about the work style and strengths of your coworkers.  Most importantly, make sure that the job will feel purposeful, or else you just won’t be happy.

Whether it’s an informational interview or a “live” one for a real job, it’s important to use your intuition: if the job and its challenges are meaningful to you, you will feel a strong attraction. If you don’t feel the attraction, don’t pursue the job.

In summary, while there may be no magical career guide or job recommendation table for StrengthsFinder, what it does provide you is information that can help you understand the work you should be pursuing.  Agree or disagree? Leave a comment if you find anything.

Special thanks to the talented professional coach Lisa Carpenter for feedback on this post.

63 thoughts on “A Career Guide for StrengthsFinder?

  1. Finally, I get it – you made it clear – there really is not one-size fits all solution for finding a career match. However, I’m still very frustrated. I wonder if my StrengthsFinder theme is actually what’s making it hard to choose (Relator, Achiever, Belief, Intellection, Learner)? I’ve been at my digital marketing firm for 10 years now as the director of sales. I’ve done a lot as the trainer on the side. I am very creative and have helped out in marketing a lot. All three things I do are fairly fun and stimulating, but I can’t help but feel there is something more. Perhaps business ownership of some kind? Maybe it’s something more meaningful and purposeful? Ugh! I really envy folks who seem to know what they are interested in, love to do and get a complete sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. Your questions will help me move closer, but tell me, how did you arrive at marketing?

    1. I tried lots of different things (including strategy, business development, product management) and marketing just was the thing that clicked.

      As for business ownership, you had better like doing EVERYTHING, because as a business owner, you will need to be happy to everything yourself — at least to start off with. Of course, if you are a learner, that might be what you like!

    1. Well, I was talking about marketing strategy. Note that almost any job can be strategic — you just need to find out what your company’s objectives and business strategy are (or write down what you think they are) and align your work with that strategy.

  2. Hi Daniel,

    I’m a 24 year old full-time administrative employee and student. While I feel the world is my oyster and anything is achievable I’m also crippled by fear of making the wrong decision and spending time (and money!) pursuing an unfulfilling degree and career. I’ve taken the basic strengths test two times over the course of three years and went from:

    Restorative
    Harmony
    Relator
    Woo
    Empathy

    To:

    Developer
    Empathy
    Input
    Positivity
    Futuristic

    While teaching, coaching and managing are trending career suggestions that appeal to me, I still feel uncertain about how to proceed and what my actual career options are within those broad categories. Will I enjoy being a school teacher if I’m an automaton covering standardized material? Would empathizing with others suffering and heartbreak depress me as a counselor? How can I possibly know the answers to these questions without hands on experience? I also become conflicted when I think about the points the books So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport makes (he states career happiness factors are: control, freedom, creativity regardless of the job you do) and Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. I’ve been tortured by this for years and can practically see the stress related wrinkles setting in!

    Do you have any suggestions for finding peace with this decision?

    1. First, I would say: relax. Take a breath. You’re 24. You have lots of time to make a career decision, and frankly, even if you do, there’s no guarantee that the career you choose will continue to excite you, or even exist, for the next four decades of your working life.

      That’s right: four decades. Forty years. It’s a long time, and you will continue to grow and explore in your life and career during that whole period.

      Second, I would say: set aside your fears and try some interesting jobs out. Nobody expects much of you in your 20s anyway. If a particular degree seems scary or weird, don’t do it — instead, find a job relevant to that degree and do that for a while. Be a substitute teacher. Take a job with (or even volunteer for) a non-profit you care about. Join a startup.

      You’re right that hands-on experience with a particular job is important, but it’s not because you must be dedicated to becoming “so good they can’t ignore you.” It’s important because it will help you know that a career path is the right one for you — at least for now — and let you see what your life in that career might be like, for good or ill.

      Let’s say you do teaching, non-profit, or startuppy things for a year each. At the end, you’ll be 27. You’ll still be young. You’ll have some interesting stories, and you’ll have even more opinions about what you like and what you don’t. Life isn’t a race to beat your peers; it should make you happy and satisfied. You’ll learn the most by living it.

  3. Daniel,

    I am a 46 year old and feel like I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up. I took the Strenghtsfinder and it came out as a (strategic, context, individualizations, responsibility, activator). My issue I believe is like yours in that I like where I work, and that is what has kept me at my job of 5 years. I have gone down in production rapidly in the last few months (sales) and have been analyzing everything as of late because of my decline in income. I feel like I’m bottled up at times, but I enjoy a completed sale and a loyal customers. The test seemed to answer some questions for me, but I’m afraid of a big change that might end up in failure. I’ve got three kids, and can’t go any further down in income.

        1. If it’s motivation, is it about the product, your company, or your role? One or a combination can lead you in different directions.

          Based on your results, though, have you considered sales management? This would allow you to use your strategic interests and experience, while your other skills (individualtion, responsibility, activator) could be well use to understand and motivate your team. You may not have a path upward at your current job, but nearly every business requires sales skills in some respect — and an experienced VP or Director of Sales to manage the team.

  4. Hi Daniel,

    Am 28- at times I feel like I am in the perfect job and on other days I want to run away and do something different. My top 5 were Strategic, Ideation, Individualisation, Futuristic, Connectedness

    Wonder where I fit best.

    1. In the future, note when and why you want to run away. For each incident, decide whether you’re running FROM something (fear that you will fail) or TO something (something that will be more fun or more fulfilling). What do you think it is?

  5. Daniel,
    My name is Andre, I’m 50 and unhappy in my current career, as a personal florist and landscape designer. My top 5 are Consistency, Connectedness, Strategic, Restorative and Empathy.
    I always feel good when I am of service, listening and helping others find resolutions and recognizing the potential in a project or scenario and I’m a detail person.
    I am considering some form of counseling or coaching or project management. Never before in my lifetime, but now, I feel like this decision to change careers, may be my last and feel like I can’t make a mistake; really annoying.

    1. Career coaching is a good idea for moments like this. It is rare for anybody to know what all the possible career options you have are, or how to pursue them — you may simply not have the exposure. And it looks like you’ve been doing what you do for a long time.

      You may should also ask yourself, what do you LIKE about what you do? Maybe you’d like to keep some of that. Your current skills and contacts may help you make the transition more easily, or at least make half a step toward the next things.

      For example, do you like interior decoration? Event planning? Home staging? These are fields your eye and talents may help you easily transition to. It also seems like people-related Strengths are important to you, so don’t leave those behind.

      Talk to others in the fields you think you might want to join. See what they like and dislike — does it sound like something you’d like, or wouldn’t?

      So definitely consider a coach, but also start talking and sharing with people what you’re trying to do. It feels like the best next step is to get some ideas of some possible destinations — and later you can think about how to get to them.

      Finally, don’t be hard on yourself. Transitions are difficult: remember that you can choose to reduce the risk by only pulling back from your current business when you’re good and ready. And I think you’ll find that retooling may just be a question of readings some books or taking a few classes; don’t believe that you need an MBA or a two-year certificate program to do something if it’s not required.

      1. Daniel,

        Thanks for your quick reply. I am meeting with 2 individuals in the the coaching/counseling field this week, to ask questions and hopefully gain some insight.

        As much as I love interior design and event planning, I have become unfulfilled in the design industry, so I’m cautious about remaining in the industry. I’m highly creative, but I would be willing to solely express myself in that fashion on a personal level.

        I feel like I’m wanting to simplify my life by just showing up and not have to deal with product placement, logistics, et. al. I need a loose leash too:)

        1. If the next step is more of a stretch, I think talking to coaches is the right move. And it’s good to do your homework (like you’ve started to do with StrengthsFinders) — to figure out what you like and don’t like. The more you can tell your coaches up front, and the less they have to pry out of you, the better (and faster!) they can help.

          1. Daniel,
            Thank you. i’ll continue with the leg work and continued evaluation of my strengths.
            Andre

  6. Hi Daniel

    I’m 28 and recently quit my job after realizing my personality (ENFP) did not fit the environment or type of work I was doing. I was a compliance analyst at a bank. I did well in the job but I wasn’t excelling and flourishing like I want to be. After taking the Strengthfinders test and getting Activator, Futuristic, Strategic, Significance, Positivity I am understanding more and more now how my last role did not allow me to use any of my strengths. It felt stifling. At the moment I am now working to start my own business but I am trying to think carefully of what business I want to create for myself. For now, my activator strength is telling me to get something off the ground just so I can experience the process of running an online business. Further down the road however I see more and more that coaching is definitely something that I LOVE and fits with my personality type and strengths. I have a knack for inspiring people in to action, but truthfully I’d rather push others to act than do the monotonous work involved. (I know, it sounds less of a strength than a real weakness)

    I do have experience starting a business but I am not really enjoying the aloneness that comes with it. Which is leading me to believe my business needs to be consulting/coaching oriented rather than a product, or a product that is socially responsible in some way that the Significance factor can come in to play and I an share my journey on a media outlet like instagram. I am learning more how I excel when I am in charge and bouncing things off other like-minded people.

    Do you have any suggestions to hone in on what I should be doing? Or what my strenth combo really means? Surprisingly enough I have this impression that coaching would be much harder for me to get in to than creating a product/brand.

    I have this assumption that I can’t break, that people may not take life coaches seriously. I want to provide value to people and give them tangible solutions that are rooted in research as well as be respected.

    Thank you!

    1. You’re right that coaching is a tough business, and that there isn’t a single, official credentialing path. Plus you’re young, so you may lack the business experience that is most helpful in making you credible. That doesn’t mean you should try — but it might be a tough row to hoe unless you’re the type of person who people readily go to for advice.

      Here’s what I recommend for someone with your strengths and the will to start a business: do a marketing plan! That will allow you to be future-oriented and strategic in a structured way. Once you try that and see how it works, you’ll have a lot more credibility, either as a coach or as a business consultant (which is often just another type of coaching).

  7. Hi Daniel,

    I took the 5 strengths assessment and found that I clicked neutral on many an answer because I believed in both answers.
    I got Achiever, Developer, Focus, Learner and Responsibility. I also read the other strengths and did believe that Strategic, Ideation and especially Futuristic were also strengths that I do have. When I read the results the immediate next thought was, how would I then link the results to a potential future career which involves the results above ?

    Regards

    Sohaib

      1. I work as a Banking Teller at the moment. I am not a fan of the repetitive work pattern that offers no creativity or reward for effort, even if I go above and beyond the required sales targets (sales as a new task added to my objective as part of the Bank’s Objectives and strategy)

        1. Yeah, you’re too future-oriented to be a teller. Look for other jobs at your bank, or even a different kind of job in a different industry. You’re not going to be happy to work that repeats every 5 minutes.

          1. Hi Daniel,

            I have recently been looking for a different job in a different industry but have not an idea as to where to start looking. So will be in need of guidance as to what kind of future orientated jobs there are out there that can allow me to use my strengths.

            Regards

            Sohaib

          2. Most any job that does NOT have training is likely to be OK — which means classic service jobs may not work for you. Look for something more administrative/managerial — where the work is not repetitive. Otherwise, the good news is that you can find future/planning oriented jobs in almost any industry. When interviewing, ask how much planning is required in the job, and don’t take a job that is effectively pre-programmed.

          3. Hi Daniel,

            This sounds good. So let’s say if I wanted to do a job in any form of creative writing, product designing or some form of entrepreneurial work, it would be a field in which I can best utilise my strengths ?
            Or if you have any future/planning orientated jobs or fields in mind that you can share, that would be great.

            Regards

            Sohaib

  8. Hi Daniel,
    It was great reading through these comments, and is so nice of you to take the time out to respond to others that are feeling lost. I’m no different. 🙂 I took StrengthsFinder last year and received Empathy, Individualization, Developer, Restorative, Harmony. I am an E/ISFJ.
    I’ve tried IT consulting, a startup as an account manager, and recruiting/onboarding at a consulting firm (current role). I’m 27 and feel like I’m on my fourth career and out of new ideas of areas to pursue. I sometimes want to be an executive assistant or office manager to really feel like I’m directly helping others and satisfying my need to “get things done” and execute. But I want more of a career path and growth than that. I struggle that many friends/family members are in nursing or social work because they have stories every day of how they’ve helped others, and I do not. But at the same time I don’t necessarily want to be a nurse or social worker. Any ideas for me?

    Thank you!
    Eileen

    1. Eileen, I am not Daniel, but I am a social worker, and after reading your strengths and your wishes in your post, I think you could really enjoy social work are a micro (as opposed to mezzo or macro) level.

      We share a lot of the same strengths themes, but I was just thinking this morning how much Developer would benefit me in the role of social worker. If you like a structured environment that would allow you to use these strengths, and with the S in the Myers-Briggs, I think you could enjoy school social work. In that role, you would work with individuals, identifying strengths and deficits, and creating goals and plans to overcome some of those deficits, as well as working with a team of people to accomplish goals within the school and for individuals. It seems like a near-perfect match to me…

      I realize you wrote this two years ago, and you may be in a totally different place right now, but in the case that you are still considering changes for your future, this is what I have to offer.

  9. Hi Daniel.

    Yet another person seeking some insight from a test about my personality best career match. Admittedly with expectation of mitigating risk.

    Things I find interesting: Psychometrics, Psychology, Data analysis, Photography, Being able to make things better.

    I’m an ambivert so I’d need at least some interaction with people/members of my team.

    Themes:
    Deliberative
    Harmony
    Significance
    Restorative
    Empathy

    Would appreciate any input you may have.

    -D

  10. Hi Daniel,

    I’m planning on entering the workforce full time again when my youngest is in full time school, 3 years away. I was a portrait photographer but I’d love something new, something more consistent. My strengths are Communication, Strategic, Woo, Includer, Ideation. I have the time now to re-educate and prepare myself but I’m struggling through all my ideas to choose one thing to aim at. Advice?

    Monica

  11. I’m struggling with my career path. I’m still pretty young (23), but am struggling to find career paths that are best suited to my interests, goals, and values. My top five strengths are Input, Intellection, Context, Learner, and Arranger. I feel like they fit me very well. But which jobs do these strengths match up to? It’s incredibly frustrating to have the pieces of the puzzle, but not know how they fit into the big picture. If I could find out which jobs these strengths match up to, I’d feel a lot more confident in which direction to pursue. I’m also trying to figure out which MBTI type I am to better understand myself, but am having trouble. I’ve tried a few different jobs out, so I have a general idea of what I like, don’t like, and what my strengths and weaknesses are, but that only narrows things down so much. I’m in the middle of a BA degree, trying to figure out what to do with my life, which means time and money are restrictions for me. If I can’t know what my idea career is, I’d at least be happy to understand the best major to pursue. Do you have any advice?

    1. I want to tell you a secret from (older) adulthood: nobody knows what their career path should be.

      If you’re doing a BA, go to your career center. Take some tests. Ask for help! This is the best moment in life to explore these things, and your tastes will evolve over the next decade, if not the next four.

  12. Hello,

    So I’m 34, and have been all over the place. I orginally went to school for Fine Arts and Architecture (my dream since as long as I can remember)…but changed majors to Geography half way through (that’s a long story). I went to grad school to be a teacher (my attempt to bring it all together)…and that didn’t pan out either. I’ve been very successful in all programs…but with Art/Architecture was scared I’d be stuck in the bureaucractic world, with Geography I realized this just wasn’t me even though the content was interesting, and with teaching I just wasn’t getting interviews. It was a huge ego blow, and at the end of the day I realized I wasn’t that disappointed.

    I now have worked my way through retail management, and work in the outdoor industry on the corporate side as an Account Manager. My problem is I can be really good at a lot of things, but these aren’t the things I necessarily want to be doing as a career. I was happy in Retail Management, but was ready for the next step…and ready to move forward, but the company didn’t have a position for me. So I moved to the corporate end, but just can’t seem to find my place here. I’m bored and frustrated with so many things.

    I’ve made mistakes in the past…by moving to a new area because it’s exciting and new. I often mistake excitement and newness as real sustainable passion.

    I’m just so confused. I’m focusing on working on my art on the side…but not really doing this as a career move…just knowing that I need to have this outlet to make myself happy as well.

    My strengths are: Achiever, Discipline, Learner, Adaptability, and Relator

    I’ve got lots of ideas, but don’t want to keep making the same mistakes and keep going all over the place. I also am now at a place where I can’t afford to start over and take a pay cut. Lots of soul searching going on over here. 🙂

    Thank you!

  13. Hi Daniel,

    I am currently serving in a position that previously was considered my “dream job” and after a year and a few months, I am burned out and unsure of what’s next. I think I feel this way because I am the employee for a non-profit doing work I have never done before, let alone by myself. I am overwhelmed and feel under resourced in terms of experience and guidance. I can feel my commitment to the mission waning. I am 29 years old and feel like I am at a cross roads where decisions I make right now will have a major effect on my family and future career trajectory. I took the strengths finder test five years ago and got connectedness, adaptability, developer, responsibility, and arranger. I took it yesterday for one of my graduate school classes and got included, connectedness, harmony, adaptability, and consistency.

    It’s clear I am a “people person” from my recent rest results but I’m not sure if it’s reflective of my actual strengths or my current feelings towards my job situation, seeing as I work alone. My line of work is all I have ever known and it drove me to pursue an MPA to really excel and now I’m not sure if it’s the direction I want to go in. Any insight based on my strengths or suggestions of where I can look at career opportunities based on these strengths?

    1. Hi Rebecca!

      Non-profits are hard. (I used to work at one.) Usually resources are limited, you wear many hats, and demands are high. Plus you’re on the side of the angels, so it’s easy to justify overwork to yourself. Working alone must be even tougher.

      I detect from your message that your current job is not making you happy. It may feel really bad to say that, especially because I’m sure you get many plaudits for taking on this role. You may feel an incredible responsibility, and that leaving this job is somehow shirking responsibility for your cause. But it’s not: you have to love what you’re doing — or at least like it, especially in an NGO.

      Remember: you’re *only* 29. You still have lots of time to explore new directions, especially with your new MPA. One thing about degree programs is that, upon graduation, you are a liminal being — you aren’t who you were before, and you don’t have to be. You’re a newly minted MPA, and nobody will question your desire to go in a new direction — or to want to explore something new. So go do that! Talk to your fellow students. Pursue internships. Do informational interviews. Talk to the career center. Find something new.

      AND consider a transition plan from your NGO. You probably have a board. (If not, create one — even an Advisory Board.) Tell them you may have to leave, and that you need their help to manage a good transition. You’re not a bad person for striking out on your own — let yourself do it!

  14. Daniel,

    Not sure if you still respond to posts on your website but I’m crossing my fingers (love your blogs and the material here by the way). I recently was encouraged to try the StrengthsFinder test. My results are as follows:

    Competition, Achiever, Deliberative, Command, and Significance.

    Right now I work in the court system as a court reporter but feel like marketing or sales (which I have done prior to and loved) is more right for me. My biggest fear is the lack of a steady paycheck and if I can make a good income doing sales to support my family and 2 young children.

    Thank you!

    i

    1. Sales does sound more up your alley, but it can be a quite chaotic life in terms of compensation! You may consider marketing — those kinds of job usually have a fixed salary. You also have a competitive streak that you may not get to indulge at your current job. Something with more hierarchy — and the opportunity to rise within it — may appeal to you. Maybe government or administration might suit you… providing opportunities to grow but a little more time for your young family.

  15. I’d love some insight. My strengths are activator, strategic, relator, learner and input. After starting as a graphic artist, then staying at home with my kids, I pursued yoga teaching. Three years ago I started a yoga retreat and event business with a fellow instructor and though my business partner left, I still lead these excursions. I still love the business but was feeling too lonely, a bit bored and the need to make more money (senior in high school with college ahead). I started working at a non profit in events and loved my first four months working on event logistics, doing some sponsorship work. I loved the people I worked with and felt really energized. Since then the company reorganized, some people have left and my position changed to a fundraising. I have lost steam and feel really lost and unexcited. What are some other types of work that would be in my strengths area? I also think I have positivity, adaptability and ideation. Also, although I still use my design skills, I feel they might be too rusty compare to others to venture back into that world though I miss being creative. Thanks for any guidance.

      1. Sorry I am French and I do not speak English so I use a translator.
        Ok so my profession is designer web and graphics communication but I would like to change so I have done the gallup test and my results are relator strategic activator ideation and futuristic that can you advise me as professional guidance I have 44 years thanks in advance.

      2. Sorry I am French and I do not speak English so I use a translator.
        Ok so my profession is designer web and graphics communication but I would like to change so I have done the gallup test and my results are relator strategic activator ideation and futuristic that can you advise me as professional guidance personality test is INTJ/Architect I have 44 years thanks in advance.

  16. Hi Daniel,

    I am 12 years in my IT career but now I am not able to see myself doing the work in software industry in near future. My strengths are Harmony,Empathy,Deliberative, Connectedness & Developer. I like to help and motivate people in my team. I like to hear peoples problems and try to give them some directions & advice. At times I have very philosophical view over issues.Can you suggest which career options will suit me in long run?

    Thanks,

    1. It sounds like you are a people person. Luckily, it sounds like you’re already managing people! Have you considered studying more about how to manage, cultivate, and motivate your team? From there you might be able to go into a position involving people exclusively…

    2. It sounds like you are a people person. Luckily, you’re managing people! Have you considered studying more about how to manage, cultivate, and motivate your team? From there you might be able to go into a position involving people exclusively…

  17. Hi Daniel,

    First, I’d like to echo a lot of the other commenters and thank you for continuing to respond to comments. Reading through everything has made me feel like I’m not the only person mid(ish)-way through my career who still has not answered the dreaded ‘what do you want to do when you grow up’ question.

    I just turned 38, and have been bouncing around all aspects of marketing for the past 15-ish years. I’ve done email marketing, market research, account manager for a digital marketing agency, product marketing, content strategy & writer & industry marketing. I’ve done a lot of job-hopping in my career because I get bored REALLY quickly, but despite that I’ve been very successful and I am good at what I do. I’ve only been in my current job about 2 months (industry marketing for HR software) and I’m bored beyond belief. I thought I was starting to hate marketing and that I should do something completely different, but Communication came up as my 3rd ‘strength’ (the others were Strategic, Maximizer, Futuristic & Activator), so maybe it’s not marketing but the types of companies I’ve landed at?

    After reading through all of the descriptions it seems like I would do well in a small start-up, but I honestly have no idea where to start. I’d be ok taking a bit of a pay cut to do something I love, but I have no idea what that might be.

    I’d be very appreciative of any advice you may have.
    Amanda

  18. Hi Daniel,

    I’m a professional flounderer. I’m the king of selling myself short. Trading what I want for what I think I need. Somehow, I’ve managed to trail along the outskirts of what I want my professional life. I’ve worked for companies like Martha Stewart Living and Ralph Lauren. On paper, I am successful. All that being said, I have no idea what I want to do with my life or should be doing with my life. Turning 41 a couple of months ago hasn’t helped either.

    I love design. Namely textile design and interior design. In college, I majored in fashion design. I quickly left that industry as I knew I wasn’t built for it. Home products was a natural transition. I love designing, creating, sewing, working with fabrics and prints and colors and different materials and pieces. Yet, I continue to find myself in positions where I am up against bullies. Micromanaging bosses who won’t give me the room to have ownership over my work and allow me to be creative and to shine. I feel like an Aston Martin, up on blocks, with the engine running.

    You can imagine the soul searching that has happened as of late. A friend of mine recommended Strengths Finder 2.0. It was $14 on Amazon, so I said, why not? My results:

    1. Futuristic
    2. Intellection
    3. Strategic
    4. Activator
    5. Empathy

    To use a cliché: you can’t see the picture if you’re standing inside the frame. I can’t say where I am is rock bottom, because that is overly dramatic. I guess I could say the slate is wiped clean and ready to write the next iteration. Any insight you have, as an unbiased source would be appreciated.

    Thank you!
    Jamie

  19. Hi Daniel,

    I found your website upon doing a search for job paths related to my Strengthsfinder top 5 (Empathy, Relator, Developer, Maximizer, Connectedness) and I’m so glad it led me to this page. Your insight was very valuable on how the strengthsfinder could be useful in gaging the right career and the ways in which it should not be utilized. Also, I found your responses to the comments even more helpful and thought I should submit mine as well, even if just to thank you for writing this up!

    I recently finished up my MBA (after 3 years finally! it was part-time while I worked) and am in the throes of an attempted career transition from finance to tech. I’m 32 and have worked for over 7 years in client-facing investment management and honestly this transition has been tough! I’ve tried to leverage my transferable skills as much as possible, but it’s been hard to get my foot in the door, despite what I believe to be strong credentials. (By the way, I received my undergrad degree from Berkeley.. Go Bears! I saw via your About page that you went to Haas.) As you can gage from my ‘strengths’ they are almost all soft-strengths and indicates that I’m very people-oriented, so I felt it was especially unhelpful when it came to career paths. It seemed like I really could be in any industry as long as the culture was right. I wanted to transition into tech (strategy, account management) because I simply felt it had more of the organizational culture that I sense I would fit better within (compared to the often regimented, traditional structure in finance, and especially at the firm where I’ve been at for over 4 years). I’ve started applying to fintech and other startups too. Reading some of your comments also made me think of learning & development type roles too, as I truly do enjoy motivating others and helping them to grow, but even if it were not on the HR side, I would still like to be in a place where I can position myself to manage more people in the future. I feel like it’s an interesting time career-wise and feels rather heavy as it seems I should really make a choice and go for it. I don’t want to be floating all over the place simply because I do have a lot of interests and am people-oriented. It does feel a bit overwhelming at times and I don’t know if there’s any more feedback to be gained from my top 5 strengths. Any insight you might have would be incredibly welcome. Thank you so much!

    Best,
    Nancy

  20. I am older, 61. I am still interested in finding a career/job that will make me happy and that I can use my strengths in. I am Empathy, Includer, Intellection, Input, and Developer. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

  21. Daniel,

    I am lost. I have worked the last decade as a Technician in the Diesel industry. Building things and fixing things is very enjoyable, but not as a profession. I hate doing it for money, it takes the fun out of it. I have returned to school and I am pursuing a degree in engineering, but I dont feel that is the direction I should go either. Im not passionate about it. I have a mortgage and a family, so career bouncing is not an option. I have taken the strengths finder and I feel very confident with my results that a career that utilizes those strengths would be much more rewarding for me.

    My strengths are:
    Deliberative
    Consistency
    Relator
    Intellection
    Input

    Is there a direction that I could be looking in to find a career that will utilize these talents?

  22. Hello,
    The StrengthsFinder test told me nothing new about myself, though I was hoping it would since my job search group touted it as a valuable tool in re-marketing yourself for a job you’re happy with. My strengths are: Empathy, Achiever, Developer, Responsibility, Input, and until June, I was working as a teacher. I also, 20 years ago, worked as a newspaper reporter. Felt well-suited to both jobs. But at 54, I have aged out of education – all I can get in my part of the country are sub jobs [substandard wage] or temp jobs [tyrannical boss], not teaching directly for a district as I’ve yearned for for 10+ years. Single mom w/a teenage son to raise/support. No job [resigned the last teaching job when it got up to 15 class preps – 3 grades, 4 subjects a grade, 2 different buildings, before-school STEM Club added [w/140 kids!], math enrichment, PETS [critical thinking prgm for all K-2nd graders]]. As my son pointed out, the job was killing me. I can’t get directly hired with any local district because I have the educational equivalent of a ‘master’s plus 10’ on the union payscale – they can hire 20-somethings with just their bachelor’s and no years of experience for much cheaper. As I’m trying to step into journalism, I’m also finding I’m aged out – employers are expecting a blog [have never done this], video/audio portfolio, etc. – where what I have is a physical booklet [published a law review article], yellowed newspaper articles [wrote over 500 of them], and assorted church newsletters, etc.

    The only thing I can think of is to move away – to an area of the country where teachers are in such demand that districts won’t mind paying me what the union pay scale says I’m worth, and starting a blog and submitting articles in my free time, to update my writing skills. Ultimately, I’d love to be a writer out west.

    I welcome any thoughts or suggestions!

  23. Dan,
    I just did the StrengthFinders test and my results were Discipline,Harmony,Deliberative,Learner, and Analytical. I’m 46 and have been working as a project manager in the construction industry for over 10 years. I’m tired of the repetitive nature of projects; while each project is different, they all follow the same pattern of tasks and issues. I like the satisfaction of being able to say I helped build something, but I don’t want to keep doing this until I retire. I have a creative side (like to paint, play guitar), so I would love to have something like that in a career, but I don’t know that it would mesh with my strengths. Any suggestions on careers to look into that would play to my strengths but also allow for my creative side to flourish?

    Thanks,
    Dan

  24. Hi Daniel,

    This might be a little long. I tried to get to the point. ‘m 26 years old and have been out of school for a few years. I graduated with a bachelor’s in speech pathology. Since then I have been trying to get into grad school because a bachelor’s in speech pathology is pretty useless. However, I’m having a hard time getting accepted anywhere (it’s a competitive field) and currently trying to figure out Plan B career paths.
    My themes are: Restorative, Harmony, Futuristic, Empathy, and Individualization. I also want to point out that I scored as an INFJ as my personality type–“the counselor” type. I can see how my themes and personality type intertwine, however, I am also aware of how the economy is right now and don’t want to risk pursuing a career in counseling or psychology (jobs that have been applied to my personality type) because I hear from family members who are also psych majors how hard it is to get a job after college in these fields or have not been compensated well pursuing them. I prefer stability, decent income, and comfortable working environments.
    I currently work as a behavior technician for an in-home autism company and am not happy mainly because it is stressful dealing with aggressive behaviors on a daily basis, I have to travel a lot sometimes to clients who live outside of my region. At work, I have the opportunity to take an online grad program to become a BCBA (board certified behavioral analyst) if I am absolutely desperate and can do anything else, however, I already dislike the working conditions.
    Finally…..here are my questions: 1) Do you think speech pathology is a good fit for me? I still don’t want to give up on it. 2) Are there any careers besides counseling and psychology types that might be a good fit for me? Everywhere I look for info this is what I usually get.

  25. I am 50 years old. I have had many part time jobs, all of which I have enjoyed. As I wife and mother, I have had the luxury of working part time and being home with the children. Now that we are all (kids too) older, I would like to spend the next 15 years applying my “talents.” I took the test: Activator, Positivity, Relator, Developer, Command. I am looking for some guidance on what I should do full time. Any suggestions?

  26. One thing I find very interesting about all of this is that job ads are very specific to roles vs. strengths, and how as candidates we need to do a much better job in the interview process to ensure a great fit (after you’ve figured out which org’s and what roles to apply for in the first place).

  27. Hi Daniel,

    My name is Courtney. I took strenghfinders twice years ago. My first one was restorative, analytical, belief, individualization, and responsibility.
    The second time it was restorative, individualization, responsibility, harmony, and relator. I’m 27 and want to aggressively pursue my next plan of action. My past experience is in management of restaurants and grocery stores. I did like some aspects of it… mostly the people side of things. But I couldn’t stand the mundane and repetitive Work. I am tossing some things around including Human Resources or counseling/administration of some sort. I like to feel like my life is helping other people and that I am accomplishing something as responsibility is one of my strengths. I do get a bit frustrated with people who underperform due to laziness or apathy but I do like to see people succeed in life and help them to do that. I feel like I have a good understanding of myself but really unsure of how to meet my desires. What are your thoughts on where I am? I also thought of being an educational administrator but teaching isn’t my gift and I don’t have the strategic thinking either. But I’m drawn to it because of the difference I can make in students life and have the sense of responsibility and freedom as well. But I’m not sure what other careers would give me that satisfaction. Thanks! Hope to hear back from you!!

  28. Hi Daniel.

    Great Article! I have done Strenghtsfinder 2.0 about 2 years ago. It has helped tremendously. I am fortunate to work for a Charity that has given me the space and freedom to develop my own role and set the direction for our HR department. Understanding my strengths has helped me in setting the direction. The charity supports young people with barriers back into employment and we do this by offering them an apprenticeship in one of our businesses. They do a qualification and we train them up in a specific skill. During my 5 years supporting clients I have seen many go onto long term employment upon their completion of their apprenticeship, but what i have noticed is that most of them find a job in a totally different job sector to what we trained them in. I now realize that teaching skills are great but it is not everything. And the biggest impact we have made in their lives are giving them confidence in themselves and in them being able to build their own career. Building on this i would like to support our clients more in understanding their strengths, passion with good information on careers options so that they can see the fit. I believe many young people struggle with motivation to work as they just don’t know what they would enjoy doing and what their strengths are. We have had to motivate many young people to work hard but I have seen when a person has a clearer vision of what career would fit them well then they motivate themselves to work hard. Can you recommend any online test i can do with my clients in terms of Careers counseling, strengths etc? I hold a HR degree so I am also looking at furthering my studies or doing courses in Careers counseling in order to set up a program that would help to support the clients more. So any general advice and/or recommendations in courses would be a great help.

  29. Hi Daniel,
    I’m 46 and have been withy current employer for 16 years. I am so wanting to do something different. My top 5 strengths are: Harmony, Consistency, Responsibility, Restorative and Empathy. Just looking for some ideas on where to go with that? I’m currently a commercial underwriter. Thanks so much!
    Iris

    1. Oh wow, you REALLY need to do something with more people contact. Have you considered HR? Do you want to stay in business?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.