There's a reason I'm so anal.

It's ingrained in my personality. On my DNA, it's written: brown eyes, brown hair, weird big toe, control issues. Or so says Myers-Briggs.

I took two "assessments" recently as part of my quarterlife crisis. I've been having "What the hell am I doing?" issues, and part of that is my uncertainty about my career. So I figured I could use a little outside help. I called the career center at Delta College and it turns out they offer career counseling in the form of two tests: the Strong Interest Inventory, and the Myers-Briggs personality test. I went in and took them both on a computer, and just got my results back.

First, the SII. I am an SAE, which, in order of strength, means I'm social, artistic and enterprising. This is really surprising. First, I'm totally ANTI-social. I don't like many people. Well, it's not that I don't like them, it's just that we don't click. But maybe I fake it well, so well that the test didn't even know. Hmm. I guess that's good. (But I promise, if you're reading this and you think you're my friend, you totally are. I'm not faking it with you.)

Second, the artistic part is also weird, because I love order. I like deadlines, a clean apartment, matched socks. But "artistic" on the test includes things like writing, so when I saw that, it made more sense. I guess artistic doesn't only apply to free-spirited painters.

And the enterprising part is a little weird, too, because I am the world's worst salesperson. I had a job when I was a freshman in college at a pet supply store. This was a really chi-chi one, with all sorts of shit that no dog really needs, and $600 cat scratching posts that look like trees, and biscuits that were made of such great ingredients that a person could eat them. (I did, too. The owner made us once so that we could sell them truthfully. And they were good. Plus, I had class right before I was supposed to be at work, so sometimes I got desperate.) Anyway, I got fired because I never got in anyone's face and tried to push her products. I never thought it was fair to assault customers when I know how much it sucks.

So that whole assessment was pretty eye-opening. It suggested I work in industries like health care (No thanks. I saw "Sicko.") or education, or mass communications (thank god). So I'm not entirely off track. Oh, and it also suggested culinary arts, so my recent move was up the right alley.

The Myers-Briggs test is more related to psychology. According to that, I'm an ESTJ, which means extroverted, sensing, thinking, judging. Basically, unemotional, rigid hardass. Which is kind of disappointing, but also a little true. The counselor said people with my type make good leaders, but they don't allow personal feelings to influence business decisions.

This test really helped me understand why I am the way I am sometimes. I like decisions to be made so I can plan accordingly. I like to know what's going to happen and when so there aren't any loose ends. I make reservations. I don't flake on plans. But I'm no good at being spontaneous or just going where the day may take me. After this, I resolve to be more easygoing in an effort to round myself out. So if you want to go to a movie at the last minute, give me a call!