Sarah’s Story
Sarah was thrilled because the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) classification of INFP resonated with her personality. She identified with the assessment, which told her she was introspective, idealistic, creative, and driven by personal values. The test suggested careers such as writing, counseling, and graphic design, all aligning perfectly with her personality. The prospect of a career in counseling, in particular, resonated with her empathetic nature and sparked her excitement.
However, after a few months of pursuing counseling, Sarah’s initial excitement turned into a deep sense of frustration. She found herself pursuing a profession that, while matching her personality, did not align with her true interests. The necessary skills for counseling, such as conflict resolution and active listening, were not areas she was passionate about developing. This realization made her question her career decision, a journey many of us can relate to.
This experience led Sarah to try a more comprehensive career assessment, the Career Fit Test™. In addition to assessing her personality, the career test considered her skills, interests, and passions. The test revealed that Sarah had strong transferable skills in managing, training, coaching, and problem-solving and an interest in human resources and technology, which had not surfaced in her previous personality-focused assessment. As a result, she redirected her career toward being a human resources manager in the tech industry, where she found fulfillment and success.
Personality-Based Career Tests: An Overview
Career testing is a popular method for clarifying career paths by aligning personal attributes with potential job roles. The majority of online career tests, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), CareerFitter, Big Five Personality Test, Holland Code (RIASEC) Test, 16Personalities, and DISC Personality Assessment, primarily focus on personality traits to suggest careers.
Examples of popular personality-based career tests include:
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) – A widely known tool that classifies people into one of 16 personality types based on preferences such as introversion versus extroversion and thinking versus feeling.
Holland Codes (RIASEC) – Another standard model that groups individuals into six personality categories (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional) to match them with compatible careers.
16Personalities – Based on the MBTI framework, this free online tool provides career recommendations based on personality traits.
CareerFitter – A career assessment that evaluates an individual’s personality traits to suggest career options. The test analyzes traits such as whether someone prefers collaborative or independent work, structured environments, or flexibility.
DISC Personality Assessment – A behavioral tool that classifies individuals into four main traits: Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C). Each trait reflects how people handle problems, influence others, and react to rules and procedures.
Personality tests are appealing because they offer insights into a person’s natural inclinations and how these may fit into specific work environments or roles. For example, someone who prefers solitude might be guided away from highly social careers, while individuals with strong organizational skills could be directed toward structured, methodical roles.
Questions in these tests typically focus on broad personality attributes. For example:
“Do you prefer to focus on the outer world or your inner world?”
“Do you rely more on facts and details or look at patterns and possibilities?”
While these questions can reveal valuable insights about how individuals approach work and interpersonal relationships, they don’t fully address other critical factors contributing to career success, such as transferable skills, specific job interests, and career goals.
The Limitations of Personality Career Tests
While personality-based tests provide helpful insights into how individuals behave and interact with others, they often fall short in several areas:
Lack of Skills Assessment: While personality tests offer valuable insights into individuals’ behavior and how they interact with others, they often fail to evaluate their skills and interests. This lack of skills and interest assessment can hinder a person’s ability to make informed career decisions. Without understanding a person’s most enjoyed skills and professional interests, individuals might be directed toward careers that align with their personality but don’t leverage their strengths and passions. As a result, career decisions based solely on personality tests may be incomplete and less actionable.
Overemphasis on Personality: Personality-based career tests can overemphasize personality traits while underemphasizing the importance of aligning career choices with professional interests and skill sets. For example, someone with a personality suited for creative work might not enjoy a career in graphic design if they lack the skills or passion for the work itself.
Limited Career Planning: While offering insights into personal traits and tendencies, personality-based career tests fail to provide comprehensive career planning. They often fail to assist users in crucial career development tasks such as thorough assessment of transferable skills, reality testing of career options, or structured decision-making. Moreover, these tests lack guidance on practical job search activities like writing targeted resumes, uncovering opportunities in the hidden job market, preparing for interviews, or negotiating salaries. This inadequacy underscores the necessity for a more comprehensive approach to career planning, as relying solely on personality-based tests can leave users without the actionable tools and strategies needed to navigate the complexities of career planning and job hunting.
A Better Alternative to Traditional Personality Tests
Here are four reasons why the Career Fit Test™ is a better alternative to traditional personality tests:
Comprehensive Skill Assessment: The Career Fit Test™ evaluates a wide range of skills—including transferable, personal, and content skills—providing a more holistic understanding of an individual’s capabilities. This broader assessment allows users to identify strengths and areas for development, helping them find career paths that align with their skills.
Personality, Skills, and Interests Career Matches: Unlike traditional personality tests, the Career Fit Test™ doesn’t just look at personality traits; it emphasizes personal and professional interests. This focus on individual interests ensures that the test matches individuals with careers that genuinely resonate with them, igniting their passion and motivation. This leads to greater job satisfaction and fulfillment, making users feel understood and catered to in their career journey.
Career Planning and Job Search Help: The Career Fit Test™ provides valuable tools, such as a Skills Map™ and Skills Matrix, that visually organize results and offer clear pathways for career exploration, decision-making, and job search. Unlike many personality tests that lack these supportive features, this practical approach equips users with the tools to make informed decisions about their career paths, develop actionable strategies, and engage in effective job search activities.
The Career Fit Test™ considers not just who you are but also what you can do and enjoy doing. It offers a more actionable career plan, guiding individuals through all aspects of career development, including assessment, career exploration, decision-making, career planning, and job search.
Conclusion: Choosing the Right Career Test
Sarah’s journey is a compelling example of the potential pitfalls of relying solely on personality tests. Her experience underscores the crucial importance of a more comprehensive approach to career assessment. By using a more holistic tool like the Career Fit Test™, Sarah was able to discover a career path that aligned with all aspects of her potential, leading to a more fulfilling and successful outcome.
While personality-based career tests like MBTI and DISC can offer valuable insights, they often fall short of providing a complete view of your career potential. A holistic tool like the Career Fit Test™ goes beyond personality by incorporating key elements such as transferable skills and professional interests, making it an ideal choice for individuals seeking a comprehensive and actionable career plan.
Understanding who you are and what you can do and enjoy is essential for career success. A career test that gives you a complete picture, like the Career Fit Test™, can be valuable in this journey. By considering your skills, interests, and personality traits, you can make informed decisions about your career path, increasing your chances of finding a job that you not only fit into but also enjoy and excel at.