Personality refers to an individual’s way of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Personality has certain traits that remain stable, but external factors such as culture, career, family, and the environment can influence it.
It has been indicated that an individual’s personality significantly affects their performance in any job role. Therefore, personality assessments are included in the process of career counselling. Most career counsellors use models such as the Big 5, Four Temperaments, and MBTI for personality assessments, and include interest profiling in the counselling process as well.
The personality tests aim to measure those characteristics that are unique to the individual, such as their patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. They help in narrowing down careers based on the skills that come naturally and do not come naturally to the individual.
When Personality Assessment Helps:
Using personality assessments can help an individual at certain critical moments in their career path, such as when-
- Choosing the subject combinations and/or stream after 10th
- Choosing the course to pursue after 12th
- Choosing the postgraduate course to be pursued to reach a career goal
Moreover, being aware of one’s personality will help the individual outline a more effective resume and cover letter. However, it should be kept in mind that these tests are not definitive and do not indicate a single best career option. They only aid in guiding the individual in making the best use of his/her innate abilities simultaneously, ensuring appropriate person-job fit.
Why do we need to take Personality Assessment?
When an individual takes up a personality test, it provides information that will impact work-related factors such as work engagement, job satisfaction, job performance, work adaptability, etc. Further, personality assessments also highlight certain other aspects including-
- Careers that are best suited to the strengths and weakness based on one’s personality
- Activities or tasks that one tends to enjoy or avoid
- One’s ability and style while working in a group
- Suggestions to improve on one’s strengths and identify one’s weaknesses
Importance of Personality Assessment in Career Counselling :
There are specific ways in which using personality assessments can aid in the process of career counselling.
- To customize the process of career counselling
Personality tests are self-assessments that outline the characteristics, emotional makeup, and the stability of the individual. They also enable the person to reconstruct their personality more realistically. Further, it also indicates the individual’s approach to learning, confidence in performing tasks, self-esteem, vocational interests, course and/or career choices, as well as interaction during career counselling. This information then helps the career counsellor to customize the process of career counselling based on the requirements of that individual.
- To narrow down the possible course/career choices
These tests provide a list of careers that fit an individual’s personality. It is based on the idea that having certain personality traits makes it easier for one to work in some specific areas rather than others. Also, certain occupations and workplaces may require certain personality traits. Therefore, personality assessments help narrow down the list of possible career choices. This will enable the student to narrow down the list of subjects or courses to pursue in order to reach their career goal.
- To build on one’s strengths
Personality tests enable the individual to become aware of his/her strengths and weaknesses. These indications help the individual to focus on career choices that utilize their strengths. When these individuals start their careers in the chosen field, it will also ensure that they are more capable of achieving their goals, managing their jobs, and experiencing enhanced life satisfaction.
- To be successful and happy in one’s career
It is easy to pick careers that pay well or are related to one’s area of expertise. However, an essential factor to consider is how happy a person will be in a particular career. Personality tests ensure a better person–job fit based on how an individual prefers to work. It also shows what kind of tasks will help the individual achieve job satisfaction, happiness, and success in their career. Furthermore, it outlines the work environment in which the individual will work most efficiently, such as interpersonal relationships at work.
On the whole, personality assessments point the individual towards those careers that will make the best use of their potential, provide fulfilment, and align with their values.
–Carol Marina Dsouza
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