Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/61367
From Editors the What's Your Type? to our identities as our names or our astrological signs. A typical conversation might begin with a classmate proudly saying, "I'm an ISFP. That means I'm an artist. So, what are you?" "I'm an INTP—a scientist," I'd say. I'd then go to my physics class, where my grade was a rock-solid "C," and imagine my future as a second-rate astro- physicist always asking to borrow her colleagues' notes. Needless to say, the scientific route didn't work out. Still, I found my way. After I'm an INTP. At least, that's what I am according to the Myers Briggs Type Indicator test a career counselor administered to me during my senior year in college. Of the eight character traits and 16 personality types the MBTI measures, I was Introverted, iNtuitive, Thinking, and Perceptive. At the time, it seemed those four letters, along with a well- worn copy of What Color Is Your Parachute?, were my ticket to the picture-perfect job. In fact, my cohorts and I considered our four-letter designations to be as integral whether the student is a naïve undergraduate or a veteran executive seeking a major career change.When doing research for this issue, I was glad to learn that career services offices have redoubled their efforts to engage students as soon as possible. Corporate recruiters are targeting students much earlier than they did a decade ago, career center directors told us for our article "Jump-Starting the Job Search." That stepped-up timetable has forced everyone to think of the career search not as a specific goal, but as a long-term process. It's also reassuring to know that truly rewarding working environments are out I realized that I could write critical papers on William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying with much more skill than I could decipher Einstein's theory of relativity, everything finally fell into place. Choosing the right career has always been an intimidating part of academic study, requires self-awareness as well as a strong resume, say career services professionals. Developing that awareness takes much longer than the final semester before gradua- tion. Career counselors know they'll need every semester of a student's program to make that dream job happen. I have to admit feeling a spark of jealousy for today's career- there, if students just know where to look. In our interview with Jim Goodnight, founder and CEO of software company SAS, we found that the company offers all its employees benefits such as on-site health care and day care, generous vacation time, and freeM&Ms on the job. The goal, says Goodnight, is to create a working environ- ment "similar to a university," which fosters employees' creativity and helps them con- tinue their professional development long after their college years are behind them. To find that kind of work environment—not just a good one, but a great one— center protégés. Had I jumped into the career search process as a freshman instead of as a senior, perhaps I would have interpreted my own INTP status differently. I could have saved myself an untold measure of science-related angst. I would have known that the right parachute isn't just for one-time use—it's good for life. s z 6 BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 BILL BASCOM