"Greg, you took an interesting exercise which was originally developed for the American Management Association. [...]

"Your Personal Concept is characterized as the "SPECIALIST" pattern. This is a brief, stereotypical description of a person with a similar behavior pattern.

"Specialists "wear well" with others. A controlled and modest demeanor enable them to function effectively with diverse behavioral styles. They are considerate, patient, and willing to help those they consider friends. [...]

"Comfortable when they feel competent, they can be relied upon to consistently fulfill their daily responsibilities. Sometimes taken for granted, this type responds to sincere appreciation in maintaining that steady pace. [...]

"One piece of advice: 'Throw away some of those old papers in the drawer!' [Ironic, considering that that's where I found this report. :) ]

"One of your exercises was the MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR (MBTI). This assessment instrument is widely recognized in American education and business as an effective tool for helping people in organizations to: (a) understand themselves and their own behaviors; (b) appreciate others in order to make constructive use of individual differences; (c) recognize that approaching problems in different ways can be healthy and productive.

"Your Personality Type is characterized by the letters INFP. [Less than 1% of the general population is INFP.] The following page provides a narrative summary, as measured by the MBTI.

"People with INFP preferences have a great deal of warmth, but may not show it until they know a person well. They keep their warm side inside, like a fur-lined coat. They are very faithful to duties and obligations related to ideas or people they care about. They take a very personal approach to life, judging everything by their inner ideals and personal values.

"They stick to their ideals with passionate conviction. Although their inner loyalties and ideals govern their lives, they find these hard to talk about. Their deepest feelings are seldom expressed; their inner tenderness is masked by a quiet reserve.

"In everyday matters they are tolerant, open-minded, understanding, flexible, and adaptable. But if their inner loyalties are threatened, they will not give an inch. Except for their work's sake, INFPs have little wish to impress or dominate. The people they prize the most are those who take the time to understand their values and the goals they are working toward.

"Their main interest lies in seeing the possibilities beyond what is present, obvious, or known. They are twice as good when working at a job they believe in, since their feeling puts added energy behind their efforts. [...] They are perfectionists whenever they care deeply about something.

"INFPs are curious about new ideas and tend to have insight and long-range vision. Many are interested in books and language and are likely to have a gift of expression; with talent they may be excellent writers. They can be ingenious and persuasive on the subject of their enthusiams, which are quiet but deep-rooted. They are often attracted to counseling, teaching, literature, art, science, or psychology."

"Greg, you took a more comprehensive aptitude and vocational interest exercise called the Strong Interest Inventory. It is designed to identify interests and aptitudes and link them with potential pre-vocational fields of occupational endeavor. The purpose of the exercise is to give you a sense of future direction, not to focus you on a particular career at this point in your development.

"The responses have been analyzed by computer, and a profile and detailed summary are attached to this Report. This exercise was developed by John Holland and colleagues, whose work in the area of career interest matching is highly regarded and taken as the classic reference for work in career and vocational counseling.

"The Holland theory is based on four assumptions. First, in our culture, most people can be categorized in terms of six types of interests (not personality, as in the previous exercise). These are: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, or Conventional. Each person can be characterized by one, or some combination, of these types. Second, occupational environments can be divided into the same six types, and each environment will be found to be dominated by a particular type of person. [...] Third, people search for environments that will allow them to exercise their skills and abilities, express their attitudes and values, take on problems and roles they find stimulating and satisfying, and avoid chores or responsibilities they find distasteful or formidable. Fourth, behavior is determined by an interaction between a person's personality and the characteristics of his or her working environment. Factors such as job performance, satisfaction and stability are influenced by this interaction.

"As the detailed report on the following pages indicates, your strongest interest areas are ARTISTIC and INVESTIGATIVE. [...]

"Interests do change as they are influenced by opportunity, education and experience. [...]

"[...] Remember that the Strong [Expanded Interpretive Report] IS AN INVENTORY OF YOUR INTERESTS; IT IS NOT A TEST OF YOUR ABILITIES."

"ARTISTIC - Your highest score on the General Occupational Themes was on the Artistic Scale. Your score is High compared to a general sample of men, which means that you have strong interests in this area of activities.

"[...] They typically prefer unstructured, flexible organizations that require originality and imagination. They do not mind working alone. Your leisure activities or hobbies may include photography, drawing, sketching, painting, or attending dance, musical performances, or the theater. You may also enjoy reading, creative writing, visiting museums and galleries, collecting artwork, dancing, or playing a musical instrument."

"INVESTIGATIVE - Your second highest score on the General Occupational Themes was on the Investigative Scale. [...]

"People who share this interest choose occupations in research, science, and medicine. Investigative types enjoy gathering information, uncovering new facts or theories, and analyzing and interpreting data. They prefer to be independant and self-reliant in their work rahter than working with others on group projects. They tend to view themselves as persistent, self-controlled, analytical, scholarly, and achievement oriented. [...] They often prefer tasks that are ambiguous and theoretical. You probably like to work with ideas, symbols, and words. You may enjoy spending your leisure time participating in complex activities that require learning many new facts, theories, and principles such as astronomy, computer science, sailing or skiing. Your approach to both your avocation and your vocation will be analytical."

SOCIAL - "Your third highest score on the General Occupational Themes was on the Social Scale. [...]

"Your score suggests interests in the Social area, especially teaching and social service. Others with these interests choose education and therapeutic vocations that provide opportunities to help and work closely with other people. You may like to work with groups, to share responsibilities, and to assume leadership positions. You may also enjoy activities that involve training, informing, developing, teaching, or enlightening others. Social types usually have verbal or leadership skills and prefer to solve problems through discussions of feeling and interactions with others. They see themselves as humanistic, ethical, generous, and concerned for others. You may like to spend free time entertaining others, organizing group social events [...] or doing volunteer and community service work."

BASIC INTEREST SCALE REPORT - "The 23 Basic Interest Scales are subdivisions of the General Occupational Themes, and high scores may reflect several different types of interests."