This blog post is dedicated to the undecided majors and students torn between majors. This one is for you.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” –Lao Tzu

Yes, I know, this quote is a horrible cliché. It is predictable that an Asian Studies major would pick a quote from a Chinese philosopher. Yet, despite all this, this quote accurately portrays my journey of trying to land that dream job. At this point in my life, job searching seems like a never-ending series of steps. When it gets overwhelming, I return to this quote. No, the quote does not make me feel better; however, it reminds me that the only way to complete this process is one step at a time.

While I blog this semester, I will not take you through every step I have ever taken on my career path. However, there are certain steps that changed my course in this journey irrevocably, for better or for worse. These are the moments I will recall for you.

My career journey begins at a fork in the road. I came to Scripps with two majors in mind: Neuroscience and International Relations/Politics. Neuroscience intrigued me as a science of new frontiers that promised an understanding of the human mind. Politics gives an understanding of the human mind on an entirely different level, with human actors interacting internationally with sweeping ramifications. Yeah, I know, those majors are so far apart in academic discipline that it’s almost like saying I’d like to live on both Mercury and Pluto.  I knew this walking into Scripps, and I figured I should resolve this Science/Social Science conundrum ASAP. I talked with faculty, my parents, anyone who would listen (including my thirteen year old sister, who found the topic beyond boring). Finally, I took the problem to Valinda Lee, Career Counselor at Scripps College Career Planning & Resources. In her office, we walked through the various possibilities, even considering dual majoring in Neuroscience and Politics (which is nearly impossible, please don’t try it). Finally, Valinda suggested that it might be time for me to take a Myers-Briggs Assessment.

What is a Myers-Briggs Assessment? The Myers-Briggs is a type of personality test which assesses what type of work best suits your personality. There are 16 types of personalities in this analysis, and based on your inclination for working with others or alone, whether you think abstractly or concretely, whether you think using rationality or emotions, and whether you like planning or spontaneity, this test places you in one of the personality types. The test takes about an hour, and Scripps offers it in the Career Planning & Resources office. Basically, Valinda’s theory was this: if this test said I had a personality for science, I might want to major in Neuroscience. If it said I had a personality better suited to politics, then I should perhaps major in International Relations/Politics.

I took the test, and I got my results. I am an ENTP, or an Extroverted Intuitive Thinking Perceiving personality. Now, for those of you who read this post and thought “This test will solve all my problems!!!”…stop thinking that right now. Guess what? An ENTP has a personality that is best suited for…drum roll please… Medical Sciences and Politics! The two fields I was deciding between were both equally well-suited to my personality. For the record, that doesn’t always happen to people taking the test, or so I’m told. However, for me, the test confirmed that my two academic loves of my life were, in fact, both equally well-suited to my personality.

Myers’ Briggs did not answer my dilemma concerning majors; however, it has redefined how I search for careers. From the test, I learned I work best in groups, and that I need some people who are good at planning in my life. I discovered that I work best in abstract concepts, so a career based in the theoretical will be the most satisfying. Given this information, I search for positions that suite not only my interests, but also my personality. Personally, I value the test because I am convinced it gave me greater clarity in what I want out of a career.

So, I suppose you want to know how I resolved this major dilemma in the end. I took some advice from Stephen Colbert: I went with my gut. For me, I got more joy out of my politics papers and class discussion than I derived from Biology Lab and lab reports. Sure, I still miss cognitive neuroscience, and I still read about it in my spare time. However, Asian Studies and International Relations/Politics is my current major, and I adore it.

The Myers-Briggs was my first conscious step in my career journey, but it was certainly not my most challenging one. That step is for next time. I’ll give you a hint. It starts with an “I” and ends in “nternational Internship.”