Turns out I'm an Idealist

In an attempt to feel like I'm being productive in my job search, while actually just putting off writing yet another cover letter/pouring over craigslist for the 700th time today, I've been taking some career personality tests. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is a well known one, so I thought I'd give it a go, and see what it had to say about me. Apparently I fit into the "Idealist" category and can be described as follows:

All Idealists (NFs) share the following core characteristics:

Idealists are enthusiastic, they trust their intuition, yearn for romance, seek their true self, prize meaningful relationships, and dream of attaining wisdom.
Idealists pride themselves on being loving, kindhearted, and authentic.
Idealists tend to be giving, trusting, spiritual, and they are focused on personal journeys and human potentials.
Idealists make intense mates, nurturing parents, and inspirational leaders.
Idealists, as a temperament, are passionately concerned with personal growth and development. Idealists strive to discover who they are and how they can become their best possible self -- always this quest for self-knowledge and self-improvement drives their imagination. And they want to help others make the journey. Idealists are naturally drawn to working with people, and whether in education or counseling, in social services or personnel work, in journalism or the ministry, they are gifted at helping others find their way in life, often inspiring them to grow as individuals and to fulfill their potentials.
Idealists are sure that friendly cooperation is the best way for people to achieve their goals. Conflict and confrontation upset them because they seem to put up angry barriers between people. Idealists dream of creating harmonious, even caring personal relations, and they have a unique talent for helping people get along with each other and work together for the good of all. Such interpersonal harmony might be a romantic ideal, but then Idealists are incurable romantics who prefer to focus on what might be, rather than what is. The real, practical world is only a starting place for Idealists; they believe that life is filled with possibilities waiting to be realized, rich with meanings calling out to be understood. This idea of a mystical or spiritual dimension to life, the "not visible" or the "not yet" that can only be known through intuition or by a leap of faith, is far more important to Idealists than the world of material things.

Highly ethical in their actions, Idealists hold themselves to a strict standard of personal integrity. They must be true to themselves and to others, and they can be quite hard on themselves when they are dishonest, or when they are false or insincere. More often, however, Idealists are the very soul of kindness. Particularly in their personal relationships, Idealists are without question filled with love and good will. They believe in giving of themselves to help others; they cherish a few warm, sensitive friendships; they strive for a special rapport with their children; and in marriage they wish to find a "soulmate," someone with whom they can bond emotionally and spiritually, sharing their deepest feelings and their complex inner worlds.

Idealists are relatively rare, making up no more than 15 to 20 percent of the population. But their ability to inspire people with their enthusiasm and their idealism has given them influence far beyond their numbers.

Princess Diana, Joan Baez, Albert Schweitzer, Bill Moyers, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mohandas Gandhi, Mikhael Gorbachev, and Oprah Winfrey are examples of Idealists.

I'd say it's surprisingly accurate. Another test, the Holland something-or-other, determined that I am an SAI, or Social-Artistic-Investigative type. Apparently this means I'd make a perfect rabbi or dental hygentist.

Little Rays of Sunshine...

Despite the dark clouds of looming financial ruin and the never-ending job search, I find that 2009 has brought with it a fair amount of sunny spots. For starters, my two roommates and I began the year by moving into a new house. It's a fabulous little number in bright yellow and orange. I'll try and post a picture in a bit, but for now I can't figure out how to make it not broadcast my address when I past the google map image into this post. So for now, just imagine it.

We warmed the house by hosting a rather colorful (literally) dance party:


I ended my four month internship with what turned out to be the best of the four resource packets I've put together. Not only that, but I met the former US Ambassador to the DR Congo, and reignited my interest in Africa (esp. the Congo and Rwanda).

And amidst the lows and feelings of despair that come from the incessant job search, and constantly teetering on the edge of being absolutely broke, I find the most encouraging people pop into my life. My parents, my aunts, my friends. The wonderful little Ethiopian man who drew my blood at my doctors appt. yesterday. Everyone is so reassuring that things will work out, that things will get better. That I am ok where I am. Lots of little rays of sunshine.

AND, I just applied for what sounds like the most WONDERFUL job. I'm not going to elaborate, because nothing's happened other than a swift reply on my part to the craigslist posting. But even the possibility of working at this place is amazing. Tune in later for developments.