What "Prospecting" Teens Need

Personality type can get in the way of high school performance, and students who are the “Prospecting” type based on the Myers-Briggs test often need more guidance in choosing and committing to their paths.

“Which subject interests you the most at school?” “Which extracurricular activity do you enjoy the most?” I often ask my students these questions, because interests help guide paths forward.

We all know different students have different interests, and it is a common assumption that, when students get to explore different areas, they will figure out what they like most. Achievement is expected to follow when they persevere in the pursuits of their interests.

However, many students have a genuinely tough time figuring out their deep interests.

They may enjoy many subjects and a wide range of extracurricular activities, and that makes it very difficult to choose what to focus on. Many of them end up spreading themselves thin over a wide variety of pursuits.

In other cases, none of the subjects truly excite them. They may like certain aspects but dislike others, or they may not think they can excel in it. The same pattern shows up in extracurriculars.  Many of them end up moving from one thing to another throughout their high school years as their interest level rise and fall.

What do these students have in common?

As part of helping students better understand themselves, I often ask them to take personality tests, including the Myers-Briggs test. Over time, I have noticed that many of the students as described above tend to fall on the “Prospecting” rather than “Judging” side in one of the dimensions.

This dimension indicates how people feel towards opportunities out there and how they work with options they have. Prospecting individuals tend to be more open and flexible, they tend to “go with the flow”, and they can take longer to commit.

The key point is that your teen’s ability to choose their paths may be influenced by their innate personality.

For “Prospecting” students, the common assumption that broad exposures naturally lead to clear preferences doesn’t exactly apply to them, and the constant emphasis on finding a single passion can feel frustrating or even overwhelming.

In other cases, “not having found a passion” can also become a reason for not committing to any particular path.

These teens need guidance and, additionally, we need to adjust the message to meet them where they are.

For students who tend to overcommit, it’s helpful to have deeper conversations that guide them in assessing their options and finding focus. Why are they drawn to each subject or activity? Are there a couple consistent themes in what they enjoy learning or doing? What goals do they have for each pursuit? How do their natural strengths align with their choices?

On the other hand, for students who struggle to commit, it helps to remind them that steady effort and follow-through build skills they can carry into anything they choose later. Rather than separating exploration from dedication, they can see commitment to a path today as a foundation for future exploration.

Teens today face much more opportunities and options than ever before, but such abundance has made the burden of choice much heavier.

Knowing your teen’s personality type, and putting aside cookie-cutter assumptions and approaches, will make a big difference in how you can support and guide your teen over the four special years of high school.