Your personality affects your career success. Numerous personality research experiments have proven that certain personality types do well careerwise than others.
With different tools available, the Five-Factor Model is the universally agreed upon tool used to measure personality. It breaks down personality into five traits.
- Openness to experience – This is a cognitive style that differentiates creative and imaginative people from the down to earth and conventional people.
- Conscientiousness – This refers to how one controls, regulates and directs their impulses.
- Extraversion – This refers to the affinity to engage with the external world.
- Agreeableness – This trait is mostly illustrative of cooperation and harmony.
- Neuroticism – This refers to the tendency to experience negative feelings
Research shows that while conscientiousness, extraversion and agreeableness significantly impact career success, conscientiousness is the highest predictor of career success. And no wonder because the sub-traits that mark conscientiousness include self-efficacy, orderliness, dutifulness, achievement-striving, cautiousness and self-discipline.
In a previous article, I detail how each trait impacts career success.
Having understood that, I want to make a case for the biophysical nature of personality and share a few nuggets on how you can use personality knowledge to boost your career success.
Nature vs Nurture
A big part of the personality conversation is the nature vs nurture debate. Is personality a result of the environment, or is it genetics? Different studies have shown that it is an interaction of both. Nature and nurture seem to be interdependent.
Our genetics stipulate how we should interact with the world from our inception. However, as we grow, the environment also exerts its influence. The meeting point for the genetic information and the sensory information from the environment happens at a neural level.
Buckle up for a quick Biology lesson.
Our brains and the nervous system are the communication systems that make us functional beings. If our finger gets burnt, a sensory signal is sent from our skin to our brain, which interprets it as hot and then instructs the muscles to retract the finger. All this happens at close to instant speeds.
The formation of these communication systems (our neurons, the hormonal glands, and the neurochemicals) is first written by a genetic script. But it is not permanent. As we grow, we learn. As we learn, we add information that alters the operations of the neurons, hormonal glands and neurochemicals.
The push and pull between the innate genetic script and the sensory signals forms thinking patterns, emotional patterns and behavioural patterns which then become our personality.
An example
If you want to help a baby socialise, you reinforce positive habits and punish negative ones. For instance, if a baby steals another baby’s toy, you tell them or show them that that is wrong. If they share their toy with another baby, you reward them.
This is a real-time developmental process. A negotiation between the genetic script and the sensory signals. When done for a while, you can either get a socialised child or a selfish uncultured child. Over time, the selfish child might develop narcissistic or psychopathic tendencies, while the properly cultured child becomes a decent member of society.
But remember, the development of this child depends on both the genetic script and the sensory information.
Personality and neurochemicals
The brain operates on electrical impulses and chemicals. An electrical signal is transmitted once the threshold potential has been reached. The levels of the neurochemicals determine whether a nerve fires or not.
The achievement of the threshold is achieved in two ways. The amount of the neurochemical can increase in the nerve and hit the threshold to activate an action, or the nerve can be very sensitive to a given neurochemical that even small doses of the neurochemicals trigger it. This is why our personalities are shaped by either the abundance or scarcity of given neurochemicals in our system or the sensitivity to particular neurochemicals.
For instance, the two most popular neurochemicals (hormones) are testosterone and oestrogen. These are the male and female hormones. All human beings have both hormones. It is only that males have more testosterone than females and vice versa.
Being male or female (having more testosterone or oestrogen) subjects you to certain personality traits more than others. People with high oestrogen are more intuitive, trusting, imaginative, sensitive and empathetic while those with higher levels of testosterone are decisive, direct, assertive, sceptical and tough-minded.
Keep in mind, we all have these hormones, only at varying levels.
While testosterone and oestrogen influence our gender, dopamine and serotonin influence our personalities heavily.
The dopamine hormone is related to curiosity, creativity, spontaneity, high energy, mentally flexible and novelty-seeking. Serotonin, on the other hand, is related to risk averseness, tradition adherence, sociability and the need to belong.
In the context of career success, dopamine is a higher predictor of career success. People with high dopamine levels, or those with a sensitive dopaminergic system, have higher odds of succeeding career-wise than those with higher serotonin levels or a sensitive serotonergic system.
In conclusion
Your personality has a significant impact on your career success. It is not a conceptual thing, but rather a biophysical phenomenon that affects the way you think, respond, and behave.
Just because you don't rank high in the personality traits that predict career success doesn't mean you're doomed. You can always work on developing the personality traits you want.
Personality is an interaction between your genetic script and the environmental sensory signals you receive. You can start sending different signals to your brain today and rewire it to increase your affinity towards your desired personality trait.
For example, if you are high in neuroticism, you can practise meditation. If you are low in conscientiousness, you can start cultivating healthy habits such as having a routine and journaling.
Just like you go to the gym to chisel out a six-pack, you can work on your brain and develop a career-winning personality.
