What’s Your Workplace Personality?

Find Out Which of the 12 Career Archetypes You Fit Into.

What’s Your Career Personality Type?

We all know good, qualified people who just couldn’t succeed at a certain company. Why not? Many times it’s because they just weren’t the right cultural fit.

This fit — which has less to do with your qualifications and skills and more to do with your personality type — is vital to employers and hiring managers. You can have all the skills in the world, but if you’re not going to mesh with the team or the company, they won’t do you much good. These types, also known as archetypes, have been around since the beginning of storytelling. Everyone from the Greeks to George Lucas uses them to create characters and stories that can be universally understood. There are 12 commonly known archetypes, and knowing which one you are helps you understand what you value, what motivates and inspires you, and how you interact with the world around you.

Each of the 12 archetypes is also present in every company culture or organization. They represent the different ways an individual, group or company think or act in the world, and understanding the archetypes and culture of the company or organization you work for is imperative to your success.

So which one of the 12 archetypes best fits you?

1. The Innocent

The Innocent archetype represents the good, the pure and hopeful in the world. If the Innocent archetype is present in your life, you tend to be idealistic, valuing goodness, optimism and wholesomeness. You appreciate tradition and have respect for rules and principles.

Strengths: Innocents are loyal and trusting, full of hope for the future and have an ability to inspire these things in others. Innocents value tradition and family, and work hard to preserve a vision of the ideal life.

Traps to Avoid: The Innocent can be somewhat naïve at times, putting too much faith in the way things are “supposed” to be. This can lead to an inability to see personal limits or think about new ways of doing things. When a crisis occurs, the Innocent can get stuck in deep denial.

Ideal Company Culture: An Innocent will feel comfortable in a traditional company with a clear vision for the future. Look for a company that values loyalty and security and a job without a lot of need for crisis management.

2. The Everyperson

The Everyperson archetype is deeply concerned with fairness, equality and teamwork. These people often have a down to earth and unpretentious outlook and have little patience for people who put on airs.

Strengths: If you have a strong Everyperson archetype in your profile you are likely to work well in teams or on committees. Leadership isn’t as important as building consensus and ensuring that everyone has their say.

Traps to Avoid: The Everyperson archetype can sometimes lead to risk avoidance that inhibits new ideas. They can get so caught up in making sure that everything is fair that the ultimate mission can get lost.

Ideal Company Culture: The Everyperson will feel comfortable in a workplace that is focused on teams without a lot of layers of management. A relaxed dress code and a clear set of performance standards also make for a good fit.

3. The Sage

The Sage never stops learning and has a desire to understand everything. This understanding doesn’t necessarily mean a desire to act on that truth, which can sometimes keep the Sage a dispassionate observer in his or her own life.

Strengths: Discovering the deeper truths in situations means that the Sage is less likely to get caught up in an emotional reaction to short term problems. You may have a capacity for critical analysis and tend to be a good strategic thinker.

Traps to Avoid: The Sage can study issues forever and never act. There is also a danger of getting caught up in a particular way of studying an issue, shutting out new or revolutionary ways of doing things.

Ideeal Company Culture: If Sage is dominant, you will feel most comfortable in a learning culture where people are valued as much for their knowledge and expertise as for the amount of work they generate.

4. The Hero

The Hero’s journey never ends. The Hero takes on all challenges and meets them head-on. Heroes show courage beyond common sense at times in an effort to always come out on top.

Strengths: Long hours and extreme effort are the hallmark of a Hero archetype. You will often stick to a set of ideals and convictions and defend them without reservation. If you set a goal, you will not rest until it is accomplished.

Traps to Avoid: When a Hero gets bored trouble often follows; Heroes will create a challenge or an enemy where none existed. Often, a challenge that requires a strategic change in direction will instead be met by doing more of the same.

Ideal Company Culture: If the Hero is a strong influence in your profile you will feel at home working for an employer that values hard work and effort in a competitive culture with clear goals that define success.

5. The Magician

The Magician archetype is all about the power of transformation. Magicians have an ability to make a vision a reality, not just for themselves, but for others as well.

Strengths: A strong Magician archetype means you have a strong belief in your own ability to change the world. Often the Magician can change a negative situation into a positive one just by redefining the issues or changing goals to meet the new situation.

Traps to Avoid: Too often a Magician will spend time waiting for the miracle to happen, rather than putting in the effort to make it happen. Procrastination and over complication of simple solutions can be traps for the Magician.

Ideal Company Culture: If you have a strong Magician presence you will feel at home in an organization with a clear vision that gives you enough autonomy to effect change.

6. The Ruler

The Ruler archetype is about creating (and ruling) the perfect kingdom. A focus on rules and process as well as status and prestige are indicators of a strong Ruler presence.

Strengths: Rulers are natural leaders. You may have a knack for process and systems, and this allows you to handle complex tasks well. Leading with vision is the Ruler’s greatest gift.

Traps to avoid: The dark side of the Ruler archetype is a tendency to be over controlling. Rulers also have a propensity to focus too much on status and hierarchy.

Ideal Company Culture: A Ruler will feel comfortable in organizations with a clear chain of command as well as clear policies and procedures that hold people accountable for their performance.

7. The Lover

The Lover archetype represents a deep connection to others. These people are as likely to come to work to spend time with their friends and colleagues as they are to get work done.

Strengths: You are passionate. When that passion is directed, a lot can be accomplished. Your strong and lasting relationships with teammates and customers can overcome many difficulties.

Traps to avoid: A strong Lover archetype can sometimes have an unreasonable attachment to projects that aren’t working simply for the sake of relationships. Lovers can also get caught up in the personal lives of their colleagues, leading to gossip and cliques.

Ideal Company Culture: If Lover is dominant in your profile, you will feel comfortable in a workplace that requires building strong relationships with teammates or customers.

8. The Caregiver

The Caregiver archetype represents an unselfish concern for the well-being of others. Caregivers are a mother or father figure to those around them and often take on the responsibility of ensuring others’happiness and development.

Strengths: If you have a strong Caregiver archetype, you are active in nurturing and comforting those around you. You are rarely focused on yourself, instead working to make sure that others are happy, healthy and successful.

Traps to Avoid: Caregivers have a tendency to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others. This can proceed to the extreme, turning positive actions into self-defeating martyrdom.

Ideal Company Culture: An organization whose focus is on helping others is ideal for a Caregiver. Caregivers may also feel comfortable doing maintenance or routine tasks that allow others to succeed.

9. The Explorer

Never satisfied with what they have now, Explorers are always seeking “something more,” even when that something is unknown. An active Explorer archetype is restless and rarely content.

Strengths: The Explorer is adventurous and self-reliant. Explorers are pioneers or entrepreneurs in their chosen field and prefer to seek goals independently without a lot of help from others.

Traps to Avoid: The Explorer may have trouble committing for the long term or following through on grand ideas. Explorers can be a bit chaotic and unfocused at times while continually looking for new opportunities.

Ideal Company Culture: If you have the Explorer archetype active in your life you will do well in an organization that gives a lot of freedom to its employees, while providing just enough structure and support to help you follow through and stay on track.

10. The Revolutionary

Revolutionaries are unconventional risk takers with a tendency to do things differently just to be different. Revolutionaries are rarely content with the status quo and will create new ways of doing things, even when the old ways are working just fine.

Strengths: Revolutionaries are innovators. The innovation applies not just to products and process, but also culture and thought. If you are a Revolutionary you are comfortable taking risks and usually don’t care what other people think about you.

Traps to Avoid: The Revolutionary needs to avoid change for change’s sake. Anarchy and chaos can overtake the reasonable order and discipline it takes to get everyday tasks accomplished.

Ideal Company Culture: If you have a strong presence of the Revolutionary archetype you will feel comfortable in a work environment that encourages innovation and gives people the freedom to be themselves.

11. The Creator

The Creator is concerned with growth, beauty and self-expression. A strong presence of Creator indicates a constant pursuit of an internal vision, which may be physical beauty or elegant simplicity in everyday tasks.

Strengths: Individuals with a strong Creator archetype tend to be influenced by a deeper inspiration. This internal vision can give rise to new ideas and new ways of expressing old ideas.

Traps to Avoid: Creators may find themselves constantly striving to change things that don’t need fixing. It can also lead to a single-minded focus that can detract from other important activities.

Ideal Company Culture: An organization that allows the freedom to express your own vision will make the Creator comfortable at work. Look for employers that have good communication systems in place to allow your ideas to be heard and acted upon.

12. The Jester

The Jester archetype indicates someone with an irreverent playfulness that values fun and humor. Jesters may have a hard time taking things seriously, which can be helpful when it is time to come up with new ways of looking at problems.

Strengths: The Jester doesn’t get caught up in the details or worry too much about problems. Jesters often have an uncanny knack for adding humor to stressful situations, helping everyone around them cope. You tend to see the world in a little bit different light, which allows you to excel at brainstorming new ideas.

Traps to Avoid: The Jester archetype tends to be irresponsible and undisciplined. Routine tasks may fall to the wayside in search of fun and levity.

Ideal Company Culture: The Jester archetype does well in innovative organizations where people work together to find novel solutions to difficult problems. Repetitive or routine work will make for an unhappy Jester.

 

When you figure out who you are, then it’s time to figure out how much you want. And whether you’re a Hero or a Jester, everyone has to negotiate salary at some point.

 

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