For many years, personality tests have been used to help people understand the types of jobs that may be a good fit for them.
These tests can be somewhat polarizing — some people swear by them, and others think they don’t serve a useful purpose. The truth is that not all personality tests are created equal, and the most useful, accurate ones are those that are based on real scientific data.
Now, recent advancements in areas like AI have helped to make the tests even better predictors of success. Career-oriented personality tests (particularly work style assessments) are a great way to help align your strengths with a fulfilling career where you can utilize them.
Types of personality tests
First, it’s helpful to understand the different types of personality tests that are available. Different tests offer different information, so understanding what each type of test offers will help you organize and apply your results more meaningfully.
Vocational/aptitude tests
These usually gauge your skills, knowledge, and abilities in a particular field. For example, someone who’s applying for a job as an engineer may be asked to complete a mechanical reasoning test.
These tests may be helpful if you’re trying to determine your strengths and weaknesses in terms of skills and knowledge, but they don’t tell you anything about your personality or work style. They can be useful in combination with other tests that focus more on who you are and less on what you know.
4-quadrant tests
4-quadrant tests are one of the most commonly used personality tests. DiSC Assessments, for example, measure a candidate’s “states” (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness).
States are highly variable, and often change from situation to situation. Therefore, these tests need to be taken at frequent intervals to produce accurate results. They’re also very easy to “game” — consciously or unconsciously, you may find yourself selecting answers you think employers would prefer, rather than your own, truthful answers.
Work style assessments
Rather than focusing on states, work style assessments look for more reliable traits, which can predict success in a job over time. In order words, these assessments look at the bigger picture of your workplace personality rather than how you may be feeling at the moment.
For example, you may be craving stability right now, but your big-picture, long-term workplace personality may be one that tends towards innovation and variety. Work style assessments ask you to answer a series of multiple choice questions and try to determine your work style based on your responses. They can be more telling than other simple assessments, but without any element of AI they can also reflect more aspirational answers than realistic ones.
AI innovations
Artificial intelligence (AI) is now a significant driver in the process of matching personality test outcomes with potential career paths. And that’s good news for job candidates.
With the help of AI, personality tests (especially work style assessments) are getting more and more accurate. AI helps to correct for people trying to “game” the tests, and can also supplement the test data with data from other sources, like social media and even eye movement. In doing so, they help deliver results that reflect who we truly are as opposed to who we think of ourselves as. The disconnect between those two things has led to a lot of unhappy work experiences.
How can a free career personality test help you choose a career?
Experts agree that personality tests (especially when they’re based on scientific data, and taken in conjunction with one another) can help candidates get a deeper understanding of themselves — and that’s the first step toward choosing a new career path.
If you’re looking for comprehensive information about your work style, you’ll want to choose a career-oriented assessment with science behind it, and the PATH Assessment fits the bill.
Based on 30 years of data science and behavioral studies, it assesses personality based on career traits and behaviors, including your unique Purpose, Approach, Thinking, and Habits, so you can better understand yourself and which career path would work best for you.
Taking a free career personality test is a quick and fun way to understand more about yourself. And when you take a work style assessment that is based on scientific data, like the PATH Assessment, you can gain a deeper understanding of what kind of career you’d thrive in.
Ready to learn more about your work style?
Take the free PATH Assessment!
