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A lot of students end up in limbo for months trying to figure out what Career would be their best fit and what higher education program would get them to that career. They are often confused about which bachelors program to pursue after high school. We have all been there! A relatively easy and reliable solution to this situation is to take specific tests and find out. Personality assessment, also known as psychometric assessment, has been gaining popularity as a reliable solution to the crucial question – What after 12th?
For a very long time, people believed that a satisfying career was one that aligned with a person’s skills and interests. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really happen. Most individuals are forced to make major career decisions at a very young age. In India, by 10th grade, students are supposed to choose one among the three streams: arts, commerce or sciences and math. And by 12th grade, they have to decide which college to go to and which major to choose. These decisions put students on an irreversible path towards a career that they might or might not succeed in and by the time they realize that that job isn’t a good fit for them, it’s already too late. So, people continue at their unfulfilling jobs to keep up with their financial commitments and wait for retirement. It sounds like a rather sad life, doesn’t it? Secondary to home, work is the place where a typical person spends most of their quality time, so might as well enjoy it!
We have established that choosing the right career path is undoubtedly an important decision of your life, so how can you make the right choice?
Step 1: Find your personality type
Step 2: Find out which options best suit your personality
Step 3: Make the ultimate career choice
On addressing the first step, personality types can be discovered by taking a test. Psychometric tests are an in-depth assessment of the test taker’s strengths, weaknesses, beliefs and other personality traits that reveal key information about the individual’s psychological make-up. The questions work collectively to provide an understanding of the user’s psyche and categorize their characteristics. This categorization helps counselors not only in understanding the individual’s personality better, but also in figuring out how they might react to challenges at different types of workplaces. For this very reason, psychometric tests are now a 2 billion-dollar industry and are widely used by students, counselors and HR professionals across the world.
How do Personality Tests work? These tests are a result of years and years of research and development. The most widely used personality test is known as the Myers Briggs test, and the inventors primarily created the test to match people with their ideal careers. It works by comparing the characteristics you favor against their polar opposites. For example, one particular feature analyses an individual’s Introversion versus their Extroversion. So, a set of questions judges which trait you favor more by the way you answer and places your personality type in that area.
Another common assessment type is known as the Big Five test. Many brands follow this approach as it gives a convenient framework to work with. As implied by the name, this type of test measures an individual’s tendency towards five qualities – Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Openness. The results for this type of test come as a percentage. Each of the traits is assigned a certain percentage based on the answers given. However, there are hundreds of personality tests available in the market that judge other characteristics like Dominance, Openness, Influence, and many more. Learning more about yourself and your personality type will help you apply that knowledge into your career search.
Personality tests work in two ways with respect to careers: first, they help a person figure out what stream or career options are most suitable for them and second, they allow a college or company to choose which applicant profiles fit their needs best. If you are someone who loves your job and see yourself thriving in that industry in the long term then congratulations, because many people spend a lot of time trying to figure this out. They spend years working in the wrong role or even the wrong industry before realizing that they aren’t a good fit. The creators of the first personality test focused on solving this problem because they believed that the sooner an individual finds the career most suited to their natural skills, the faster they can reach their full potential to satisfy both individual and organizational goals. Taking a personality test will not only help you in finding your ideal career, but also in avoiding the ones that might only be a source of stress to your personality. This will ultimately save you years of unhappiness.
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