Many times, I hear someone say “I want the test that will tell me what I should do with my life” or “I just want the test”. This is a misconception that anything that you fill out will automatically tell you the path that you need to follow for the rest of your life for success and happiness. We’ve all seen items online that tell you which Harry Potter character or type of cookie you most resemble. That might be great, but what do you do with that then?
First, a test is something that you get right or wrong. It measures how close you come to the ideal of the test designer (which may or may not be appropriate anyway). An assessment, which is what we really use, instead measures where you are situated in a wide landscape of possibilities, where there is no wrong answer.
Career professionals use assessments to help give insight to you and them about what’s important, your natural strengths, how you view the world, etc. No matter your result on any assessment, that doesn’t put you in a box with everyone else that also got results. You are much more than the result of one assessment (which is one reason for so many of them; they all measure different things).
I am certified in two main psychological assessments:
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ® or MBTI ®
The Strong Interest Inventory ®
While not certified, I also have training and experience in using many other assessments that many people put greater or lesser value in, but are all grounded in archetype theory:
Any of these standard assessments (and some of my own exploration activities) are helpful when you’re looking for clarity on any number of issues. Taking an assessment is one thing, but having someone help you make sense of what it means in your life is the value that I bring.