5 Benefits of Personality Testing for Job Hunters
Job hunting is an exhausting process no matter what point in your career you are at. But you’re not alone when it comes to feeling uncertain, self-conscious, or frustrated about the entire process of searching for a new job. While any job hunter, seasoned or new to the workforce, can feel uncomfortable searching, applying, and interviewing for jobs, personality testing can help you put things into perspective and bring you a little peace about which jobs are worth pursuing. Knowing more about yourself and how to communicate who you are to others will give you more confidence, whether you’re trying to secure a dream job or land your first position.
If you’re planning to look for a new job soon or are already in the process, these five benefits of personality testing for job hunters will prove how valuable pursuing your truth can be.
1. Personality testing can provide insights into your interests and workplace strengths.
No matter where you are in your life, you may find personality testing gives you a renewed understanding of how you tick, as well as a sense of self-assurance. If you’re a new job hunter, you may significantly benefit from personality testing as you discover more about your interests and potential workplace strengths. When you think about the types of jobs you’d like to pursue and combine those details with your workplace strengths, such as the insight from the 16 personality type system, you may narrow down your search and better understand what and what not to pursue.
For example, if you’re an ESTJ (The Supervisor), you’ll flourish in a job that flexes your organizational skills and love of structure. As an entry-level applicant, you may want to consider a workplace that will provide you with the opportunity to grow and move into a management position. Or perhaps you’d prefer to pursue other structured fields like the military, the legal system, or business.
It sounds simple, but if you know more about how you function, you may discover appealing career options you never thought of trying.
2. You’ll get a confidence boost.
Whether you’re new to the workforce or have been working in your field for years, personality testing can give you a major confidence boost. The reason behind this boost isn’t that you lack confidence, but rather a personality test can solidify your beliefs about the way you fit into the workplace and the best environment for you. Even if you were subconsciously aware of your personality traits before, sometimes reading your personality test results like your Enneagram type can bring on an ah-ha moment.
For instance, if you’re an Introvert but haven’t done much research into why people are introverted and what makes them different, the details behind how you think may serve as an uplifting affirmation that answers life-long questions you’ve never sought answers to. The same principles go for analyzing other facets of your personality, including how you measure up on the Openness and Conscientiousness scale in the Big 5 test or whether you’re more of a Judger who prefers organization and structure or a Perceiver who likes spontaneity in the 16-type system.
When you recognize your preferences, it may help you go into an interview with confidence about your abilities and make it easier to answer interview questions like, “Why is this role a good fit for you?”
3. Personality testing can help you grow.
While some people shy away from personality testing because they’re afraid their results are a “self-fulfilling prophecy”— the idea your destiny is set in stone when you believe in something — personality tests should in fact be considered a guideline to better understanding yourself and more of a self-help tool. Although most personality tests don’t outline your path to growth, you can strive to do better when you know where you could improve
INFJs, for one, have a habit of procrastinating when they don’t have a set schedule due to contradictory Judging and iNtuitive preferences, as they often fight each other for control. However, INFJs who know they’re guilty of this can strive to grow better at time management by implementing a personalized schedule and giving themselves little rewards for sticking to their own deadlines (even when they’re not from an employer). Such self-evaluation techniques can apply to any other areas you’d like to work on by taking baby steps to stretch yourself in your career.
4. You may uncover things you didn’t know about yourself.
Life is busy, and often, you don’t have the energy or time to practice introspection and self-evaluation. However, you can discover details you weren’t aware of by taking a personality test. It sounds funny to say there are things you don’t know about yourself, but with most people’s schedules set to “go, go, go,” your authentic self is sometimes a bit lost in translation.
But what does this mean for the job hunter? Well, whatever your experience, you might find you know yourself a bit better and discover hidden talents and skills you may not have given much credence to in the past. You may benefit most from uncovering details about yourself you weren’t aware of if you’re a job hunter looking to change your career. Because you may have spent so much time and energy fostering the skills you needed for your past career track, you might not have considered investing in these other unknown skills.
An example? Maybe you’re an ENFJ who’s been letting your Judging preference rule your career in education or another structured environment. So far, you’ve enjoyed it, but you’re looking for something different. If you’re searching for a new career, you may not have spent the time to get to know your creative iNtuitive side, which could make more creative jobs like photography, writing, floral design, or interior design appealing and fulfilling. You never thought about pursuing these, but once you begin thinking about the artistic process, you already feel excited to apply, take courses, or enroll in a trade program.
5. You may discover why your previous career didn’t suit you.
It sounds like an easy task to understand why a particular career isn’t for you, but it may be hard to grasp why a job you thought you’d flourish in didn’t bring you happiness. The thing about life is, you can plan your path, but the ideal you had in mind for yourself isn’t always what suits you.
What sort of jobs give you fulfillment will vary depending on your personality type, and your likes and dislikes could surprise you. For example, if you’re an INFJ, you might assume you wouldn’t enjoy a more social career. However, since they have Extraverted Feeling as their auxiliary function, INFJs spend a lot of time getting to know others’ needs and wants. That Fe auxiliary means socializing can be quite enjoyable for them when they feel useful, so careers in hospitality or counseling can be a rewarding choice.
Summing It Up
Personality testing provides many benefits for job hunters, especially if you’ve never taken any tests before. It doesn’t matter if you’re changing careers, fresh out of college, new to the workforce, or searching for a better job. By taking time to reflect on who you are and what makes you feel fulfilled, you’ll likely find a position better suited to your needs because you’ll know which jobs to rule out. You may also feel a renewed sense of confidence when preparing for an interview after you’ve spent time reflecting on your strengths and assets. And, if you're still not sure what career path is right for you, you can also take a career aptitude test.
