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A few years ago, I took a personality test at a chapter STC
mini-conference. (I can't remember which test it was.) It told me I
wouldn't do well or enjoy technical, logical tasks or professions. I
laughed, as I very much enjoy technical writing (more so than creative
writing) and seem to be doing rather well with it, seeing as I've
managed to be employed at it for almost 5 years.
Usually when I am asked multiple choice questions in a "personality"
test, my answer is invariably not one of the choices. When people are
forced to pick an answer that isn't how they really feel, the results
of the test become meaningless.
I agree with Susan that curiosity and the ability to figure things out
are important skills for tech writers, and I bet those traits and many
others that make for a good tech writer cross all types of
personalities. We should always be careful when making
generalizations, and my feeling is that many means of indicating
someone's personality are much too general.
I'd be more inclined to measure (if possible) curiosity and the
ability to figure things out rather than any tested personality type
as a success indicator for this profession.
