Career Tests:
Matching Who You Are
With What You Do

Career tests are methodologies that evolved from psychometrics, the study of the theory and technique of educational and psychological measurement. Psychometrics measures things like knowledge, aptitude, personality traits, attitudes and beliefs.

It has become a common practice for employers to use career tests to assess whether an individual has the right qualities for a job.

For instance, if you are applying for a job, the employer might ask you to complete a personality test in the form of a questionnaire. From your answers, the employer has a better idea of how well you would fit into the organization.

Examples of personality tests are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Career Key and the Holland Codes.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

The MBTI is the most frequently used personality test. In 2000, it was taken by an estimated two million people. It is based on Carl Jung's theory of personality types, of which there are four type preferences and two dichotomies:

• extraversion (E) vs. introversion (I)
• sensing (S) vs. intuition (N)
• thinking (T) vs. feeling (F)
• judging (J) vs. perceiving (P)

This produces 16 different personality types, which are referred to by the initials of the four type preferences. So your personality type might be an INFJ or an ESTP, for instance.

It is important to note that the terms used in MBTI language may have different meanings from their everyday use. For example, you may prefer judging over perceiving, but that does not mean you are judgmental. Another useful point to remember is that the MBTI measures your preference for one attitude over another, not your aptitude.

The Career Key and the Holland Codes

The Career Key is a career test developed by Dr Lawrence K. Jones. It measures the six Holland Codes created by psychologist John L. Holland.

Holland is the creator of the Self-Directed Search, a career interest inventory which matches your competencies (skills) and preferred activities against occupations that fall within six job environments.

The result is a three-letter Holland Code.

The Self-Directed Search is useful for identifying your two or three dominant types and the jobs that are most likely to satisfy you.

• R: Realistic (practical, hands-on)
• I: Investigative (analytical, scientific)
• A: Artistic (creative, independent)
• S: Social (helping, nurturing)
• E: Enterprising (competitive, leadership)
• C: Conventional (organizing, detail-oriented)

My own Holland Code is A-S-E, which means I lean towards work that lets me fulfill my artistic, social and entrepreneurial ambitions.

How Effective Are Career Assessments?

Psychometric tests (of which the career aptitude test and career personality test are subsets) are a useful tool for gaining insight into the unique qualities that make up YOU and for finding a career or job that would be a good fit for you.

However, no test is perfect and you are encouraged to cultivate a healthy skepticism for the results. Use them for your personal development and to help in your career development, but don't let yourself be enslaved by numbers and interpretations.

More On Free Online Career Tests

If you want to try out psychometric tests, there are many resources available on the Internet.

Go to your preferred career search engines and type in "career tests" and "psychometric tests" for a list of relevant pages.

For a more advanced search, use Search It! to find content, blogs, videos and other specialized tools on the subject of career assessments.

A qualified career counselor is your go-to person if you need help to identify the assessment resources that are most appropriate to your situation, and to interpret and analyze the results of career tests that you choose to take.

For additional resources and links to develop your career, be sure to check out our Career Help page.



Return from Career Tests to Career Counseling

Return from Career Tests to Career Change Confidence