Personality Type

[McThor]

Hi,
I just had a quick question regarding my personality type and doing well in the military. I am an ISTJ http://www.personalitypage.com/ISTJ.html and I wanted to be an Engineering Officer. I know that this could possibly bring me to the front lines of battle. My goal as an officer is to be there for my subordinates and to motivate them to do thier job the best to thier abilities. I like structure and am very organised. Being cool in stressful situations is another attribute in my favor. I am thinking of choosing the military because all the books I read on possible career paths all have this in common.
Military Officer is in the top 5 for the service orientated sector and Engineering is also in the same standing for technology. Keeping this in mind I thought why not do them both. Honestly I can see myself as an officer and I have always been good at finding efficient ways to do things as well as being interested in the way things work. I just wanted to know what the people here with the experience think. What is your point of view regarding this career path for me? If I do decide to be an officer, I take it seriously and I just want to make sure I won't be putting lives at risk just for a wrong career path.

Thanks,
McThor

 

[Stiman]

The Test Self Descriptor (TSD) that the CAF is now using during the application process is specifically designed to determine how suitable our personality is for the military. You'll write this test early on in your application process. Although you will not be allowed to review the results, your MCC will get a summary of it to use as part of your assessment.

 

[McThor]

Awesome, that helps me out a lot, thanks. That is the only thing stopping me from joining. I know I just told my family about this direction last week and they seemed to accept it and even encourage the decision. If they don't have any objections then it is probably safe to say it is a feesable option, considering they know me more than a test can show. Then if I pass the TSD and CAF then it is a go.

Thanks for your helpful knowledge,
McThor

 

[PAdm]

I hate tests....  Can you consistently put the needs of others over your own?  Do you do without so others have?  Leadership is about humility and serving others. You give credit away but keep the blame.  How fast can you apologize for someone else's mistake?  Can you strip emotion from your thought process when someone is crying in front of you?  Can you be empathetic but yet charge someone at the same time?  Can you take advice?  Do you trust your instincts?  Just a few officer tidbits you may wish to reflect on. Do not confuse being an officer with being an engineer, logistician, pilot, etc, etc in the CF.  We all can learn to do a "thing", but good officership is a more complex issue.

I applaud you asking about this in advance. Feel free to follow up.

Good luck.

 

[JM2345]

What is your point of view regarding this career path for me? If I do decide to be an officer, I take it seriously and I just want to make sure I won't be putting lives at risk just for a wrong career path.

Hey, so just so you know, in this particular role you may need to specifically put lives at risk in the course of your duties. In war times, you may need to order combat engineers to get a job done in a situation that you know isn't safe, but you simply don't have a choice. If you are strongly considering the officer path, make sure that you can honestly tell yourself that you are willing to be responsible for people dying as a result of your decisions. You could go your entire career without having to really be in that situation, but you just never know.

I read this from your link about personality types:

Under stress, ISTJs may fall into "catastrophe mode", where they see nothing but all of the possibilities of what could go wrong. They will berate themselves for things which they should have done differently, or duties which they failed to perform. They will lose their ability to see things calmly and reasonably, and will depress themselves with their visions of doom.

So before you get too far in the process if you decide to go through with applying, make sure you take some time to think about the worst case scenarios. So yes, this position could have you at the front lines, but you will also be responsible for taking others to the front lines and telling them to build a bridge while getting shot at so the tanks can roll in. I am not speaking from any experience, just what little I know about the duties of this officer position.

Just gives you more to think about.

 

[Ayrsayle]

While personality tests are useful tools for self-reflection and perhaps insight into how others might think, at the end of the day you will be working with professionals with a wide variety of "personalities".  A good piece of advice I received: "Just be you - as long as you HAVE a personality, you'll be fine".  The very fact that you worry about putting others at risk seems to be a step in the right direction, though it is likely you would be required to do so under certain circumstances.

Ultimately, you work with professionals who will do their jobs and understand your place in the vast machine of the military - I'm fairly sure many of the Engineering officers I did training with would fit the mold of "ISTJ" or "INTJ".  I wouldn't over think it to much.

 

[McThor]

I have read lots of books on the subject of being a leader as well as putting of thought towards the subject. I appreciate all the encouraging posts. I know the things I could be walking into are not the easiest, and I know the responsibily I am undertaking is not small.

Thanks,
McThor