HOW PERSONALITY TESTS CAN HELP YOUR CAREER

We love that people are digging personality tests these days. Figuring out your strengths, weaknesses, what makes you feel satisfied or unmotivated, is beneficial in your journey to authenticity. You can learn ways you feel loved, ways you communicate, and things that have the tendency to stress you out.

More and more often, employers are requiring interviewees to take a variety of personality tests. Businesses are now beginning to care both about career skills AND what makes you tick.

To get a step ahead, figure out what you score on personality tests and learn to use it to your advantage. Since there are TONS of personality tests out there, we’ve compiled a list of what they are, how they are useful, and a link to each test.

Enneagram

If you don’t know what it is, we’re guessing that you’ve probably at least heard of it. The Enneagram has quite the fan club-- there are books, podcasts, instagram pages, and even music to go with this personality test.

So what is it? The Enneagram is a test based on 9 numbers ranging from 1-9. Each number has a core weakness, a childhood wound, a basic personality type, directions of growth and stress, and your sub-personality type (called a “wing”).

How do I figure out my number? To figure out your number, there are numerous tests that you can take--while you take these tests, it is extremely important that you be honest, and that you do not have someone taking the test with you. However, die-hard enneagram lovers will tell you that the enneagram isn’t about “taking a test”, but about reading, listening, and figuring out which number most speaks to you. 

1- The Reformer: principled, purposeful, self-controlled, and perfectionist.

2- The Helper: generous, demonstrative, people-pleasing, and possessive.

3- The Achiever: adaptable, excelling, driven, and image-conscious.

4- The Individualist: expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed, and temperamental. 

5- The Investigator: perceptive, innovative, secretive, and isolated.

6- The Loyalist: engaging, responsible, anxious, and suspicious.

7- The Enthusiast: spontaneous, versatile, scattered, and acquisitive.

8- The Challenger: self-confident, willful, decisive, and confrontational.

9- The Peacemaker: receptive, reassuring, complacent, and resigned.

How is it useful? The enneagram is very holistic in the sense that it not only covers your basic personality, but it predicts the things that have hurt you as a child, what gives you energy, and what causes you stress. There is no bad number and no bad combination of numbers; merely, the enneagram helps you understand when you are in a healthy or unhealthy state. Be careful that you do not take it ALL on as true for you. It is not uncommon to mistype yourself or people you love. Use it as a guide and keep reading about the different types. The enneagram can help you be introspective and realize why you act the way you do.

SheFactor Silhouettes

Finding your silhouette is our favorite thing to do around SheFactor. Why? The silhouette is a big reason why our fearless founder, Heidi Ganahl, found the courage and strength to build the kind of life she loves and encourage other girls to do the same.

So what is it? This personality test is based on seven silhouettes: conqueror, queen, director, storyteller, guardian, dreamer, and explorer. These can help you figure out how you’re wired, what makes you tick, and how you relate to those around you.

How do I figure out my silhouette? You can figure out your silhouette by downloading the SheFactor app and taking the quiz. For a sneak peak, read through each personality type below and see what resonates with you!

Director: Spontaneous, innovative, and artistic. A bit rebellious, and always ready for an adventure, don’t box them in. They love their projects and LOVE to create—businesses, environments, buildings, paintings, and ideas. Day-to-day life can be a bit of a bore and can drive them to jump from one grand idea to the next. Don’t expect them to follow a schedule or routine, and expect some swings from brooding and serious to the life of the party. 

Storyteller: Lighthearted, fun to be around, great communicator. Storytellers are natural performers; they love applause and sharing their love of life with as many people as they can. Their spoken words are everything. They are expressive, charming, intuitive, dynamic, and rarely boring. They can tap into their inner wisdom in a heartbeat. They enjoy playing to the audience and can be very persuasive to an individual or a big audience. They can also be “drama queens” and a bit demanding when it comes to the attention of those around them, but they are just plain fun. 

Guardian: Healer, caretaker, devoted to others. They typically live a somewhat simple life and are not as driven to make lots of money. They like to control the situation, especially if they are in charge of how others’ needs are met. Guardians don’t mind routine tasks, and they like to work behind the scenes. They’ll work long hours with a smile on their face and are not flashy in their dress or look. It’s important to praise the Guardians in our life as they need to be appreciated and told their work is worthy. 

Dreamer: Inspirational, uplifting, and a motivator. The Dreamer challenges people to be the best they can be. They think BIG! Big ideas, big approaches, and big expectations of those around them. Dreamers are always on a mission—late to bed and early to rise. They rarely let a day go by without finding a way to improve themselves or the people around them. They usually follow their own advice and get credit for their drive to improve the world.

Conqueror: Strategist, defender, and a doer. The Conqueror likes to create and enforce challenges, rules, and plans. They are determined, very organized, and love a challenge. Conquerors are fearless soldiers who will go right to the front line in any battle yet harbor a nurturing soft side that’s protective of their loved ones. They can be emotional and a bit hot-tempered, but they are always there for those around them. 

Queen: Born leader, commanding presence, and driven. The Queen is a leader no matter what her role is. Queens see the big picture, know how to delegate, and can quickly assess a situation and lead people to action. They expect loyalty and are demanding on those around them. They are skilled at solving tough problems and stick with it until the job is done. Queens are charismatic, and their take charge energy is almost palpable. 

Explorer: Teachers, information gatherers, and philosophers. Explorers love knowledge above all and like to experiment. Explorers absorb knowledge and share it with others, often found surrounded by books, podcasts, and TED talks—though they aren’t fond of public affection or conflict. They are curious, intellectual, and very logical. Explorers are also pretty easy-going and more reserved than the other Silhouettes. They don’t really like conflict, but they are reliable.

How is it useful? This test is helpful in figuring out where your passions lie and what’s important to you. Heidi explains why knowing her silhouette helped her in her book:

“Knowing more about my Silhouette and the people around me, I can approach situations with better perspective. I can set up my teams in a different way. I can walk into projects that are outside of my strengths in a different way. If I’m going into a data-intensive project, I can pick an Explorer to work with me on it. If I need some big-vision effort, I’ll find another Dreamer, and we’ll tackle it together.”

StrengthsFinder

StrengthsFinder is one of the most common tests that employers use in the interview process. This test is different because instead of looking at the person as a whole, it only focuses on the strengths that you bring to the table.

So what is it? StrenghsFinder operates off of the belief that a person’s potential is based on their strengths. Knowing your strengths, they believe, helps you maximize your potential. There are four domains of strength, and 34 total strengths spread throughout each domain. The four domains are: 

Executing- Putting ideas into action is their strength. They are hard working, and tend to get things done with speed, accuracy, and precision.

Influencing- Their strength is the ability to sell big ideas or visions. They are able to take charge, speak up, and be heard.

Relationship building- The ability to look at how individuals fit into the big picture and create pathways to make them thrive is their strength. They have the capability of binding people together for a cause, idea, or each other.

Strategic thinking- They are great at planning + problem solving. They can take a thought or idea and figure out how to move forward with it.

How do I figure out my strengths? To take the actual test, it’s going to cost you money. However, you can take this similar test to get an idea of what StrengthsFinder is all about.

How is it useful? If you are on the job hunt, StrengthsFinder is most likely the kind of test you may have to take during the interview process. Knowing your strengths ahead of time can help you focus in on the kind of jobs that you should apply for. Detail oriented? Look for administrative jobs. Competitive and persistent? A start up may be able to use you. Motivated by meaning? Look into nonprofit work. Knowing your strengths can help you streamline your job prospects.

Meyers Briggs

This personality test is probably the most scientific as it’s most commonly used by psychologists. This helps you understand your different psychological preferences, how you perceive the world around you, and what affects your decision-making process. 

So what is it? This personality assessment is based on your 4-type letters. These letters are:

I: Introverted, ideas + information, OR, E: Extroverted, people + things

S: Sensing, facts + reality, OR, N: Intuition, possibilities + potential

T: Thinking, logic + truth, OR, F: Feeling, values + relationships 

J: Judgement, a lifestyle that is well-structured, OR, P: Perception, one that goes with the flow

How do I figure out my letters? There are TONS of free assessments out there to help you figure out what you are! Try this one, or this one or even this one. Also, check out this amazing website to help you learn more about what each type means.

How is it useful? Meyers Briggs is useful in helping you discover what kind of careers fit for you, understand your communication style, figure out what personalities you mesh with and what you struggle with, and see compatibility in a long term romantic partner. 

What’s your favorite personality assessment? And what type are you?