[ISTP] ISTPs... I have a question.

[Randomnity]

Ok thanks.
I guess I'm wondering what other ISTPs do, or want to do.

I don't think I'm really the typical ISTP, but I'm going into biomedical research of some sort. Probably pathology of some sort, possibly veterinary pathology. Something where I get to cut things apart. Surgery really appeals to me but I don't have the work ethic (or grades). I haven't gotten there yet so I can't say for sure that I'll like it, but I think I will.

I think if you have a hundred people of a given type in a room, you'll have a hundred different jobs. There are some jobs that certain types will tend to gravitate towards, but I think any type can be happy in pretty much any field, it just depends on the person and the specific job.

I'm not saying ISTPs should not do psychology, biology, or boring trivial studies but we do what we're best at in life.

 

[ptgatsby]

What exactly is a "finance" job?

In my case, it was the brokerage courses (in Canada that would be the CSC and so forth), although my interest was in derivatives, which is what I took while working.

What are you doing?

Nothing related - I work an admin job, essentially, that is really not my ideal. It has a technical edge to it though, so the back end DB work keeps me interested.

My son refuses to do anything we suggest unless he has a friend who is also doing it. He is apparently very shy and feels uncomfortable around people he doesn't know. You can't tell though because he doesn't really "act shy".

It might be late to do much about that now... otherwise I'd say to go with him at first.

I was ok once I went a couple of times, but even now the initial hurdle is a stretch.

My son gets Bs in school without trying.

That's a good sign if he tests S. The best way to use that is to find something makes knowledge practical.

Ah. Clever!
(Darn. I don't think he likes girls as much as skateboards yet.)

Heh, he's an ISTP, I doubt he's have any problems with girls. I don't know any ISTP that is consumed with girls... every STP I have known had the girls consumed with them. The musician type, the artist, the mechanic... the animal allure is pretty strong.

It's a rather INTJ thing to focus on one thing - just remember he probably doesn't think of skateboarding as "his thing". It's just what he does... and in his mind, he's doing lots of things. He doesn't see school as "school", it'll be a lot of little things... social life, etc. Any tangible thing he does is him "just doing something".

You'll be surprised what he'll do if it takes his interest. I don't know him so I can't say what will hook him in, but everyone has their hooks.

I can give one thing - find something that'll let him show off. That works all the time with me. Bigger, Better, Faster.

 

[INTJMom]

/me points to my signature link to post 29..

I enjoyed your rant, though honestly I must tell you, I only skimmed it.

This made me laugh:
"ISTPs don't like planning! they say. They like doing!, they say. They don't think things out!, they say. ... Seems like independent research suggests that it is exactly the opposite and that in a cross section of management types, ISTPs don't enter into action until they have some form of plan in their head. The only difference is that ISTPs plan to act while INTPs plan to think."

My ISTP husband is a jack of all trades.
Even if he has never done something before, like tile a bathroom,
he will try it, and do an excellent job.
He does plan ahead.
He consults with others who have done it before
to learn the pitfalls to avoid.
Sometimes he draws out somewhat complex sketches of what he is going to build.
My husband is very competent at whatever he does.

I do have to say though, he hates writing down words.
Like he refused to help me write out a budget.
He only recently began making himself a Home Depot shopping list
if he has a bunch of items to get.

I understand your frustration with the MBTI system.
I didn't know there was a problem.
I am self taught from books that were written for practical purposes like
Do What You Are, Nurture By Nature and Beside Ourselves.
To me, the whole purpose of MBTI is application, not theory.
I'm not impressed with theories that are impractical in real life.

Anyway, thanks for your input.
Nice to meet you. :hi:

 

[runvardh]

How is Industrial Electrical different from regular Electrician as far as Job Outlook goes, and salary forecast?

If I recall correctly there are three divisions, residential, commercial/industrial, and high voltage/high tension. I'm not sure about the third one but I do know that industrial tends to make 10k - 20k more than residential on average as of the last time I checked. Job futures, however, only deviated by 3% as of when I last checked. Again, I will re-iterate that this is Canadian job market as of 2002 information that I have.

 

[INTJMom]

If I recall correctly there are three divisions, residential, commercial/industrial, and high voltage/high tension. I'm not sure about the third one but I do know that industrial tends to make 10k - 20k more than residential on average as of the last time I checked. Job futures, however, only deviated by 3% as of when I last checked. Again, I will re-iterate that this is Canadian job market as of 2002 information that I have.

Thanks.
I will see if I can find some US info in the Occupational Outlook thingy.

 

[runvardh]

Thanks.
I will see if I can find some US info in the Occupational Outlook thingy.

Probably easier than going around to the different consulting/contracting firms and counting how many of them are 50+...

 

[INTJMom]

I was just remembering today how he used to watch cooking on tv even when he was very young.
I wonder if he would enjoy being a chef?
Maybe he'll get some exposure at his new job?

 

[substitute]

One of my best friends is ISTP, he's 30 and still has no idea what he wants to do with his life - well, he does, but as usual with arty types it's not something that's ever likely to support him or any family he might have. He's a really great guy (we're sorta like Miles O'Brian and Julian Bashir when we get together) and a talented artist, he's also really good with carpentry, joinery, plumbing and all that handy stuff that I'm hopeless with, so we make a good team.

See if you can team him up with someone who likes to invent. Over the years my ISTP and I have brought each other's best potential out by teaming up like that. I love to come up with ideas and I can draw blueprints and stuff 'til the cows come home, but when it comes to building what I invent, I just don't have the artisan skills and end up doing a cowboy job (saying 'close enough!' once isn't too bad, but 20 'close enough's later and the project's a mess!). He loves to build and create things but doesn't naturally lean towards inventing and contingency planning. When we've worked together on things, we've come up with saleable stuff, albeit only locally since we don't have the cash to set up seriously.

So that's my advice - direct him towards hands on trades (which other people are all saying too), but team him up with a buddy that'll bring it out of him, who needs him. Even introverts can often find they work better with a team mate (the RIGHT team mate) than alone, especially IxxP's, who might otherwise not really get around to doing much!!

 

[INTJMom]

Thanks for that!
I appreciate it.
He does have a few close friends.
I haven't really typed them because they don't talk to me much.

My ISTP husband is great at fixing things, and he's excellent at being resourceful, i.e. using the things he has at hand and fitting it to make something work.
When he has an idea for solving a problem, it's always the best solution offered.

My son has his heart set on skateboarding. I had my heart broken by the music business, so I am afraid for him that he will end up sleeping on people's floors.
He is willing to learn electricity and I am thankful for that, but I didn't want to close off all his other options without asking around a little.
It seems like he will choose something familiar and comfortable.
He's not likely to try something he's had no exposure to.

I asked my son if he would like to be a chef.
With his aptitude for food and his artistic and creative ability, I thought he might like it,
but he said there was too much pressure.

 

[ptgatsby]

but he said there was too much pressure.

He'd be right. I asked about it after cooking became an interest to me... and it's not very fun.

 

[INTJMom]

He'd be right. I asked about it after cooking became an interest to me... and it's not very fun.

Thanks for letting me know.

 

[miss fortune]

I upset a lot of people by going into law enforcement instead of something white collar (I was a national merit scholar). The idea of sitting still and doing the same thing all of the time wasn't really all that appealing to me and I dreaded graduating because of it! I worked in a kitchen a bit (I love cooking!) but didn't really like it Hope that might help out a bit!

 

[INTJMom]

I upset a lot of people by going into law enforcement instead of something white collar (I was a national merit scholar). The idea of sitting still and doing the same thing all of the time wasn't really all that appealing to me and I dreaded graduating because of it! I worked in a kitchen a bit (I love cooking!) but didn't really like it Hope that might help out a bit!

Thanks.
And welcome to the forum! :hi:

 

[meanlittlechimp]

So that's my advice - direct him towards hands on trades (which other people are all saying too), but team him up with a buddy that'll bring it out of him, who needs him. Even introverts can often find they work better with a team mate (the RIGHT team mate) than alone, especially IxxP's, who might otherwise not really get around to doing much!!

I disagree with this unless the person is already interested in the particular trade. I know ISTPs who are successful Investment Bankers, Programmers and engineers. I also know some who enjoy working in the trades.

One of the biggest problems I have with MBTI believers is how they imply the S types are meant for blue collar careers. It's kind of insulting too many who read the description and either mistype themselves, or turn off to the whole concept of MBTI. I've met more "successful" S's in the high profile careers than N types (there are more of them in the population which makes sense), but the majority of descriptions subtlely (or not so subetely) imply this - and it's wrong.

 

[INTJMom]

My son hates to read and write and is gifted with his hands.
He's very clever with math.
Sending him to college would be a waste of money since he wouldn't study.
What do you suggest?
He needs a lot of money because he buys a new pair of $70 skate shoes every 2 months.

 

[runvardh]

My father is an INFP working refrigeration, just happens to be the best back home. Why does he do it? Because he got frustrated trying to make up his mind and he likes seeing a person happy when something is fixed.

 

[INTJMom]

My husband is an ISTP.
All his life he has wanted to develop some sort of residual income so he could retire early.
He usually does the work of 3 people, very hard worker.
Right now he's gotten sucked into this multi-level marketing thing that is so dumb for him to pursue.
They promise long-term residual income,
but what do you have to do to get it?
He has to talk to strangers, build a network of people, and sell stuff, all of which he is not naturally suited for!
I don't understand why he doesn't pursue something he LOVES!

 

[mcmartinez84]

I have an ISTP son who doesn't know what he wants to do when he gets out of high school -
besides become a pro-skateboarder, I mean.

I didn't know at all what I wanted to major in. I just went through the list of majors in the middle of my 3rd year and crossed out everything I knew I'd hate or suck at. In the end I had Math and Geography. I picked Math/Stats.

The process of elimination did wonders for me. Maybe he could try the same thing?

 

[INTJMom]

I didn't know at all what I wanted to major in. I just went through the list of majors in the middle of my 3rd year and crossed out everything I knew I'd hate or suck at. In the end I had Math and Geography. I picked Math/Stats.

The process of elimination did wonders for me. Maybe he could try the same thing?

Good idea. Thanks.

 

[GZA]

I think its probably best to let him decide, but to encourage him with any ideas that come up. I've heard ISTP's often need guidance to make decisions, especially big ones (is that generally true?), so it might be good to encourage him in any ideas he has for himself.

I've talked a lot about education with my ISTP buddie whos has been in university for four years but has only settled on a major he likes now ("I could have worked the last three years and started school now and I'd be in the same place"). He says he tried alot of different subjects and majors (mostly science related) but found it difficult to even have minimal interest, so he would switch. Eventually he landed on environmental engineering sciences, and hes really passionate about the environment, so its working out. So... I think based on this it might be good to give him a lot of room to find what he wants to do.

I find it funny you say he never studies, because my friend told me just last night that in high school he "never did homework, I don't think I ever took home any book from class ever".

By the way, I'm aware that that story could probably apply to almost any type.

I really hope things work out!

By the way, is it common for people to change majors? What are the consequences?