Personality Testing

I’ve taken these tests and similar tests before. Most recently, while at the desk on a slow day at the library, my co-workers and I took the Enneagram test (from a different website), and my sister and I entertained ourselves one evening by taking the Myers-Brigg test (the same one listed in the reading and from another website because the first site crashed while we were using it) first as ourselves and then as we thought different fictional characters would answer. While it was interesting to compare types at work or with my sister, I wonder how reliable the tests are, since I got different results for both tests this time around. Last time I took the tests, I discovered I was an INTJ and a Type 1. This time I found I was an ISTJ and a Type 5. Based on the descriptions, parts of both types apply to me at least some of the time, and the two types are not too far apart.

I found taking the tests frustrating, both this time and previously, because I often wanted to choose both answers (especially on the Enneagram test) or got hung up on the wording of the question. For instance, any time the Myers-Brigg test used “always,” experience with true/false tests inclined me to choose “No,” even if the statement was true about me most of the time, because I could come up with at least one exception. Likewise, I had difficulty answering “Strict observance of the established rules is likely to prevent a good outcome” because I thought the answer depended a lot on what the established rules were and how they had been devised, as well as what I was trying to accomplish and what was meant by “a good outcome.” I suppose that my thought process while taking the tests might itself be indicative of my personality.

I’m not sure how much I can learn about other people from this kind of information. The descriptions I read seemed to describe me fairly well, but I also know that due to the Barnum effect (also called the Forer effect), I may be giving the the results more credit than they deserve. I also noticed that while overall the descriptions seemed fairly accurate, not every trait listed seemed to fit me. Likewise, knowing someone else’s Myers-Briggs or Enneagram personality type does not guarantee that they share all of the common traits of that type, so I would hesitate to make too many assumptions about the person’s personality. While I can see some instances where having this information would be useful, for instance, when assigning people to a project, a manager may want to take personality types into consideration either to try not to put too many very different types together or to intentionally put them together, but I wonder if a formal personality test is necessary to achieve this. Still, if nothing else, taking the tests can spark discussions about similarities and differences in personalities, which in turn can help co-workers learn more about each other.

5 Ethical Principles for Jones Library Staff

I. Respect all visitors the library, working to ensure fair access to resources and information and providing dedicated service for all, regardless of personal characteristics or university status
II. Respect library patrons’ freedom to information by collecting works from a broad range of viewpoints, resisting efforts to censor materials or information, and providing access to materials and information regardless of our personal beliefs or opinion of the material
III. Respect patron’s right to privacy with respect to materials borrowed or used, questions asked, and any other personal information, including information such as address and telephone number stored by the library
IV. Respect intellectual property rights and assist faculty, students, and other library visitors in understanding these rights and in using materials in a way that does not violate intellectual property rights
V. Respect one another

Elevator Speech

My speech:
I’m interested in exploring web technology in an academic library. At UNC Chapel Hill, I took classes in internet applications, which introduced me to methods of web development I’d like to explore further. I also had the chance to do some web work as part of my job as a grad assistant at the Health Sciences library, which I really enjoyed. For instance, I created a tutorial on plagiarism, and another grad assistant and I started the library’s Facebook page. I’d love to have the opportunity to build on what I know and gain new web development skills. Furthermore, as a student myself, I know I spend a lot of time online, so I’m interested in the challenge of reaching students there, whether it’s making library resources available in new ways or developing new resources altogether. Overall, I’m looking for a position that will offer me the chance to explore the possibilities of integrating web technology into an academic library and will also provide me with opportunities for professional development.

I wrote my 1-minute speech as a starting point to answer the interview question, “Why are you interested in this position?” The hardest part of this assignment, other than imagining myself delivering a 1-minute speech in response (as I noted on Blackboard, I’m definitely not someone who is comfortable speaking publicly without obsessive practice first), was writing a speech that would sound natural when I spoke it. My early drafts were overly formal and better suited to a cover letter than a conversation in an elevator. For instance, I referred to my school as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in my speech, even though in most conversation I find it more natural to say “UNC” or “UNC Chapel Hill.” I also wrote very long sentences that looked fine on paper but when I read them out loud, left me out of breath by the end. However, I also wanted to be sure that the speech sounded thought-out and coherent. After all, the purpose in planning it ahead of time was to come up with something better than my usual way of speaking. Another challenge was in finding an ending. After writing what I thought was a good ending, I read my speech out loud a few times. When I did so, it became evident that I needed one more sentence that would signal to my listener that I was done. I couldn’t convincingly say my current ending in an “ending voice,” so I added one more wrapping-up sentence.

Once I had finished writing and practicing my speech, I delivered it for some of my friends. I found that even though I had spent time choosing each word carefully, I still made a few changes on the fly. I tried to reflect these changes in the transcript above. For instance, I had written “which I enjoyed” but when I delivered the speech, I added the “really.” I also changed “like” to “love” two sentences later. Because I was delivering my speech to my friends, my previous language sounded too detached. The extra adverb and change of verb sounded to me a little less formal and closer to how I spoke in ordinary conversation. In a different context, such as if I actually were at a job interview, I might have left the speech as it had been previously.