# Putting your MBTI on your resume. Stupid? Smart?



## dagnytaggart (Jun 6, 2010)

I work at an executive recruiting firm and I manage the resumes. Well, every so often I'll get a resume with an MBTI type code on it. 

If you're curious, I've seen 5 ENTJs, 2 ESTJs, 1 INTJ and 1 ENFJ....... what?? No P's? :shocked: I guess we're not CEO material. 

What the hell is this? It's hilarious but stupid of these people at the same time. 

1. Not everyone even KNOWS about MBTI
2. Reviewers may know but view it as a feel-good psychobabble pseudoscience
3. Reviewers may know and trust MBTI, but may perhaps dismiss an INTJ's resume because they envision an ENFJ CEO.
4. It sounds self-absorbed. 

While it is useful to sort of get an idea of what the applicant is like, and shows that they take an interest in psychology (which is an important part of influence, and influence is a big part of running and expanding a business), and shows that they might be able to comprehend the differences among people to lead more effectively, it's still sort of tacky and cheesy. It's like putting MENSA on your resume. 

And then I've seen people actually list out their astrological planet charts....but...let's not even go there...


----------



## talemin (Jul 4, 2010)

well...it's NOT something I'd do spontaneously - for the reasons you stated and others - but the very first time I took an MBTI (without knowing) it was among the absolutely required steps in order to submit an online resume. Followed by some simple QI tests.

And BOTH my type and scores gained me a second step interview oO.

Perhaps these people met with more than one firm requiring it and they think now it's a common, privacy-insensitive practice for job interviews 

It was a big, european, private software house firm if you mind.


----------



## kaycee (May 18, 2010)

yeah, I would never do that for the exact reasons you mentioned.


----------



## Filo (Aug 11, 2010)

I would never do that, for the same reason I don't put my IQ on my resume. I prefer not to give more info to employers that is not unambiguously positive than necessary.

Of course, I normally get headhunted, sort of bypassing the need for a CV.


----------



## Promethea (Aug 24, 2009)

They don't give a rats arse what your mbti type is typically. And for the ones who do give you personality tests, they are looking for a particular type. Yours might not be it. :bored:


----------



## Psilocin (Feb 23, 2009)

Promethea said:


> They don't give a rats arse what your mbti type is typically. And for the ones who do give you personality tests, they are looking for a particular type. Yours might not be it. :bored:


Japjap.
I wouldn't put my MBTI type on my resume. Fuck that. I don't want them to have any bias towards me- At all. And MBTI creates a bias.

I have been given a personality test for a job before- I think it was the MBTI.
I answered truthfully and was rejected for the job, on the premise of my personality not fitting their "Family."

Fuck bussing tables anyways.


----------



## U-80 (Mar 12, 2010)

Psilocin said:


> Japjap.
> I wouldn't put my MBTI type on my resume. Fuck that. I don't want them to have any bias towards me- At all. And MBTI creates a bias.
> 
> I have been given a personality test for a job before- I think it was the MBTI.
> ...


How many times did you say fuck in your resume? :laughing:


----------



## Filo (Aug 11, 2010)

Those are easily fooled though.


----------



## dagnytaggart (Jun 6, 2010)

Filo said:


> Those are easily fooled though.


Yep. I remember I had to take those personality tests to apply for a retail job in high school.

I BS'ed the whole goddamn thing - and that was a golden ticket to getting the job. I didn't know about MBTI back then, but it's common sense. Though I'd say that retail companies would be looking mainly for ESFJs - at least for the sales associate positions.


----------



## vel (May 17, 2010)

people put their GPA on their resumes and list their awards and scholarships nobody ever heard about, places they won on some swimming marathon, greek nomenclature of some fraternity/sorority they belonged to ... it is marketing done just to catch attention

i had to take something that looked like MBTI test long way back ago when i was applying for an internship - so they had me take this test during an interview and I remember the guy who scored it gave me this wild stare, so i though i answered something wrong - ended up getting hired lol so i guess not


----------



## yesiknowbut (Oct 25, 2009)

I wouldn't want to work for a company that hired me for my MBTI type. The use of MBTI for business is horrible anyway. People want to box you, think they can predict who you are or how you will react, use your type to be able to control you, limit you....no thanks. MBTI is great for personal reflection and dealing with relationships of those around you, but using it to use people...yuk.

I'm the wrong type for my career, according to managementbollox info. But if all of us were INTJs in my line of work, we wouldn't deal effectively with the fact that we interact with the whole population.


----------



## Aßbiscuits (Oct 8, 2009)

*Okay, I personally wouldn't do it, some people type you in your interview.

Now, please, mbti stands for Myers Briggs type indicator. Which is the test.*


----------



## Happy (Oct 10, 2008)

God said:


> I work at an executive recruiting firm and I manage the resumes. Well, every so often I'll get a resume with an MBTI type code on it.
> 
> If you're curious, I've seen 5 ENTJs, 2 ESTJs, 1 INTJ and 1 ENFJ....... what?? No P's? :shocked: I guess we're not CEO material.
> 
> ...


You are correct. You should not put your MBTI type on your resume. However, I actually used it with the person recruiting me for a job and we had an awesome time discussing the topic. Though I had to use interpersonal skills to get to this topic. lol. You can't just mention it randomly! I got the job btw.:crazy:


----------



## honestfi (Jun 25, 2010)

It's funny - I'm actually seeing more and more jobs nowadays where they actually warn you that you'll be asked to do the MBTI.

If it is used for proper purposes - the likelihood of how well they will fit in with the current personalities of the staff, all well and good, I've seen enough workplace conflict to know how much it affects workplace morale. However, they should not be refused the job purely on the basis that they are an SF, say, in a team that will be predominantly NT, or a EXXP in a team that is predominantly IXXJ. This is typism and there is an argument for making it as hateful as racism or sexism, or refusing to employ a woman under the age of 30 because they are more likely to spend time off for maternity leave.:sad:

Every type has a place in society and in a group, every one has something that can be added to a discussion or an idea. The NT needs the SF to remind them that some of the world are actually human, for instance.:laughing:

The company needs to have full understanding of what it represents, and the fact that the MBTI is in no way perfect, it should just give an _idea_ of what the person is like, and should think more of what they can add to the group. But above all, it should be skills and experience, and just because someone's type, generally speaking, usually means that they don't tend to have the skills and experience, doesn't mean they _don't._

Hopefully MBTI won't get out of control so that govts insist on a _balance_ of types. Yikes, it's bad enough with the race/sex thing in local govt.

It's something I'd be willing to discuss with a future employer....at length. I'd probably frighten them off. Good.


----------



## jack london (Aug 27, 2010)

I am going to know if I'm "NOT" going to hire you in a few seconds. I might have your MBTI figured out by the end of the interview but I will ask you those types of questions because you need to gel with my team. When I was interviewing I would try to guess the interviewers type so I could tailor my answers (oh you care about the past or maybe you care about the future, you care about deadlines, you want to know if I do well in large groups, etc. )


----------



## soya (Jun 29, 2010)

...What about presenting a different type than one's own to suit what the employer seems to want? Anyone with a knowledge of the types could bias a test to have a certain result.


----------



## jack london (Aug 27, 2010)

*be true*



phthalocyanine said:


> ...What about presenting a different type than one's own to suit what the employer seems to want? Anyone with a knowledge of the types could bias a test to have a certain result.


You gotta be true to who you are because its going to come out but.... if they ask a lot of what have you done with your life questions that might mean you got an S (i'm over simplfying it here) so talk about your stability and don't be talking about how great your intuition is at helping you read people.

I'm just saying that some people try to read you and you can do the same back.


----------



## heartturnedtoporcelain (Apr 9, 2010)

Aside from all the other reasons for not doing it, who would want an INFP? Seriously, we are not perceived as the most efficient, driven etc of the types.

Maybe it would be a boon in a creative or a humanitarian field, but otherwise ...


----------



## WildWinds (Mar 9, 2010)

I wouldn't put my MBTI on my resume because I don't think it should matter. I'm not going to apply for a job or position that is incompatible with my personality, and I think what is incompatible with my personality is up to ME to decide, not a future employer who might be familiar with MBTI. I also wouldn't want "typism" or stereotypes to influence an employers opinion of me. My type's weaknesses are for me to deal with and work around, not a future employer. I just wouldn't trust that the index would be used the way its supposed to be used.


----------



## headnurse (Sep 3, 2010)

I would be cautious about doing that unless the word personality was mentioned in the job ad. if it was, maybe putting the personality type in the cover letter might be one approach.


----------



## RiverINXP (Apr 20, 2010)

I wouldn't put my MBTI on a resume simply because it's not a standard thing to do. Like it or not, the general rule of thumb with resumes is to keep them conservative and stick to the norms. If you don't, you risk being seen as unprofessional. 

There are plenty of other reasons why I wouldn't do it, but that's the main one.


----------



## azrinsani (Jul 31, 2010)

Employers wanna see what you have achieved, not what you've been born with


----------



## dagnytaggart (Jun 6, 2010)

azrinsani said:


> Employers wanna see what you have achieved, not what you've been born with


lmao.. that's what* I* just told you dude.


----------



## azrinsani (Jul 31, 2010)

God said:


> lmao.. that's what* I* just told you dude.


Yeah, I love it so much!


----------

