Why Personality Tests Are Essential to Excelling in Your Career

Let’s be honest, entering the workforce is stressful. When applying for a job you must heavily rely on your background, education, and quantifying your previous experiences, hoping you did exactly the right things to land your dream job. But the interview stage can be even more daunting, having to be able to successfully and efficiently discuss your strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures, and how that makes you the perfect candidate for the job. Truly knowing and understanding these aspects of your work ethic are vital to not only proving your worth to your dream company but also to understanding what you need to focus on to set yourself up for success in any job you may have.

The same goes for those who have been in the workforce for years. You learn over time that in order to grow in your career you must understand the ways in which you operate best and what you bring to the table that makes you worth investing in.

Although there are a couple of ways to do this self-exploration, we highly recommend a good ole personality test. Now we know what you may be thinking, “But I already know my personality, I’ve been living with myself my whole life…”. But that’s not necessarily true. You may know how you think and act, but do you know why? And more importantly, do you know how to use that to your advantage to better yourself? While there are a lot of personality tests out there, in this article we are outlining our top two tests for getting to know your soft skills.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

One of the most popular types of personality tests is the Myers-Briggs. This test focuses on identifying your exact personality type, strengths, and preferences by asking a series of questions relating to the following scales: extraversion & introversion, sensing & intuition, thinking & feeling, and judging & perceiving. Your final result is one of sixteen personality types, each a different combination of four of the above characteristics. Along with your personality type, this test provides you with a plethora of information to further learn about yourself and your traits. It gives you details on your cognitive functions, personal relationships, potential career paths, and tips for interacting with each personality type. Reading this information is like reading a book about yourself that you never knew existed. It will give you the reasoning behind the way that you function and provide you with a guide on how to navigate the different areas of your life based on your personality.

This is extremely helpful in your career because it helps you identify a clear list of your natural strengths and weaknesses. This allows you to confidently know what you bring to the table in any work environment, what you need to work on, and what type of co-workers or supervisor would be a good asset to you.

You can use this information to your advantage in an interview by talking about these traits and acknowledging that you’ve done the work to better understand your soft skills. This will show any employer that you are conscious of yourself and recognize how to work well with others. If you have taken this test before, we recommend taking it again as your answers may change over time. Whether you are just starting out in your career or a seasoned pro in the workforce, the Myers-Briggs is an amazing tool for self-discovery and self-development.

Enneagram of Personality

The Enneagram is another popular personality test that measures your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. This test is designed to help you understand how you relate to yourself, others, and the world. It asks you a series of questions with a focused lens on your instincts, emotions, and intellect. At the end of the test, you are given a number one through nine, representing your Enneagram type. Each number is a part of one of three groups representing instinct (the body), feeling (the heart), or thinking (the head). The grouping that your number is in signifies the primary way that you react or respond to the world around you. Learning your Enneagram can help you recognize why you feel, think, and act the way that you do, allowing you to understand yourself on a deeper level.

This is beneficial in all aspects of your life, especially in your career. Knowing your Enneagram can help you approach different tasks and people in a more intentional way, building highly valued collaboration skills. It will also teach you about what is most important to you in your day-to-day based on how you see the world. This gives you the ability to learn the best ways to increase your productivity and how to create a fulfilling career based on your wants and needs.

All of this gives you an advantage in the job market by encompassing one of the best traits that one can have, being self-aware. By taking personality tests and doing the work to understand the way that you are wired and how you perform best, you become an ideal employee. You will exhibit both knowledge and confidence in any interview or role, and land your dream job by simply being you. What could be better than that?