My Pairin results showed that I am an "I 'Get' You" person. I think this result highlights my greatest strength: empathy. Empathy allows me to have stronger relationships with the people in my life because I can understand and relate to what they are feeling. Empathy also helps me to put myself in someone else's shoes and see issues from a different perspective. Most of the jobs I've had in my life have been customer-facing. I've worked at two public libraries, an art museum, and an elementary school. Empathy helped me to connect with people and diffuse conflicts in all of these positions.
Although most of my jobs have been customer-facing, I think I am most productive by myself. I really enoy the moments where I'm fully immersed in the task at hand and because I can enter a state of flow. That level of concentration and productivity is harder for me to tap into when I'm surrounded by people. That being said, some of my best friendships have started in a workplace and I enjoy the social aspect of working with others, even if I am not as productive.
I think the area I need to improve on the most is my flexibility. Right now, I really cling to my routines and habits, particularly at work. Additionally, I can be pretty rigid in my thoughts and feelings. When I think I'm right about something, it is hard for me to change my mind or compromise. I'd like to be more adaptable and open-minded.
One of my Pairin qualities was "Transformer." I thought the description of this driver was really accurate for me and highlighted some strengths that would be particularly helpful in a software development career. I look for challenges and avoid boredom "at all costs." In a software development career, I think I will face a lot of challenging problems and puzzles but I think my aversion to boredom will help me approach these puzzles with a can-do and persistent attitude. Transformers also have a strong ability to "untwist knotted problems rapidly." This ability will be helpful as a software developer because I expect to see a lot of time-sensitive projects that require keeping a level head while working toward a deadline.
I think knowing what my strengths and working preferences are will help me find a position that I am well-suited for. I have had a lot of jobs that I didn't like in my life. In retrospect, I think that I found myself in these positions because I ignored some vital charcaterstics about myself. For instance, I have had a lot of customer-facing positions even though I know that I prefer to work alone and independently. Knowing these things about myself will also help me to be more productive and helpful on a day-to-day basis in my future career. An awareness of my strengths could help me to pick projects or tasks that I know I will be good at and that will keep me engaged.
