Personality tests for career guidance

In an era where an engineering major can become a producer, the path to finding your career might not be so clear-cut. That might be why personality tests are so popular – they give an insight into one’s psyche. But beyond just figuring out your disposition, such tests can also help determine what career path you should take.

1. DISC Personality Test – Increase teamwork productivity

If you love your job, but have trouble connecting with colleagues, we suggest taking the DISC Personality Testing for your personal growth. 

Screenshot from: Disc Personality Testing

In only 12 questions, the free test can determine your primary and secondary personality traits: dominance, influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness. Everyone is a combination of 2, and knowing yours and even your coworker’s type can help mitigate disagreements from escalating into full-out arguments.

This test also gives tips and guidance on how to better put points across to improve your teamwork skills, as well as increase your productivity at work.

Take the DISC Personality Test.

2. Career Personality Profiler – Find a career based on likes & dislikes

Looking for a career that suits your natural talents and interests can be a lot easier once you do the 94 questions in the Career Personality Profiler test.

Screenshot from: Truity

Sounds serious, but don’t sweat it, though. The Career Personality Profiler test consists of no-brainer questions that can dig out your work preferences, abilities, and overall personality. All you have to do is rate how much you like to do something like “painting a portrait”.

For those who are considering a career shift or making plans for a long-term career path, this test could be a reliable source to get an idea of what your work preferences really are. Answer and get results in roughly 15 minutes.

Take the Career Personality Profiler test.

3. Keirsey Temperament Test – Discover your communication style

Image credit: @aubreezy via Instagram

If you’re still on the fence about which career path you should take, take up the Keirsey Temperament Test. It will identify a job that fits your strengths, interests, and values. The test even identifies your communication style and will give suggestions on how to improve your interpersonal skills.

As its name implies, the test categorises personality into 4 different temperaments – measured by communication habits and action patterns: Artisan, Guardian, Rational, and Idealist. This makes it different from MBTI, which groups people according to cognitive functions like thinking and feeling.

Take the Keirsey Temperament Test.

4. CareerExplorer by Sokanu – Matches career to your job experience

Image credit: CareerExplorer by Sokanu

The CareerExplorer by Sokanu takes into account 4 different attributes to match you to your most ideal career: personality, interests, job experience, and workplace environment.

It is comprehensive in that it questions you about a wide range of categories, from job functions to education history. CareerExplorer by Sokanu systematically eliminates jobs or degree matches until you’re left with the one that best suits you.  

Take the CareerExplorer by Sokanu test.

5. Interpersonal Skills Self-Assessment – Shows your skills to improve

Taking the Interpersonal Skills Self-Assessment test is one of the ways to help you spot gaps in how you communicate. You’ll be assessed through 4 different areas: listening skills, verbal communication, emotional intelligence, and working in groups and teams.

Image credit: Skills You Need

Unlike the other tests in this article, this test doesn’t give you a list of recommended jobs after you’re done. Instead, it’ll score you based on soft skills like group communication and emotional intelligence – areas that are usually blind spots to us.

Take the Interpersonal Skills Self-Assessment.

6. MAPP Career Test – Take to see if you need a career switch

Before you sit in your new office thinking, “I don’t know if this job’s for me”, take the Motivational Appraisal Personal Potential (MAPP) career assessment. It’s a tool to help you pinpoint the type of working environment and type of work you love doing based on several factors for your professional fulfillment in the long run.

The MAPP test shows you an overall idea of your career motivations, such as tasks you rather perform and how you interact with people. 

After that, it’ll list the top 10 vocational areas for you, like training, entertainment, and legal.

The test has 71 questions, and for each one, all you gotta do is choose whether you agree or disagree. 

Take the MAPP test.

7. Pymetrics – Uses games to assess soft skills & abilities

Image credit: Pymetrics

A step up from the usual “check-the-one-that-applies-to-you” forms, Pymetrics uses a series of simple mind games, like memory tests and tapping, to measure different cognitive and social traits from your risk aversion level to attention span. 

The 12 games assess more than 90 cognitive, social, and behavioural aspects with the use of complex AI algorithms to track your behaviour during the test. 

Upon completion, you’ll get a trait report and a list of potential careers that best suit your unique blend of soft skills, emotional intelligence, and cognitive abilities.

Take the Pymetrics test.

8. Enneagram Test – Discover how you react to the world around you

Image credit: Dewi Nurjuwita

The Enneagram Test is a self-awareness tool that may help you figure out how you approach and react to the world around you. The 180 questions in the test help to determine your motivations for certain behaviours, and even show you how your personality type overcomes obstacles.

No, you won’t have to summon Satan.
Image credit: Pinterest 

Despite the intimidating diagram, the Enneagram test is pretty straightforward. But what makes this system special is that it also tells us our underlying personality trait – the wing – which indicates other aspects of our personality that complement the dominant type. Knowing your Enneagram type can also help slot you into industries you might thrive. For example, Type 5s can look into careers that have a large research component, while Type 1s would do well in legal roles that require particular attention to detail.

Take the Enneagram test.

Discover your goals with career tests

 Personality tests are just step 1 in the race to find your calling in life. What’s important is having a clear goal in mind so that you’ll at least know where you’re running towards. Once you’ve reached the end goal, having found your place in the world, don’t forget to pass on these personality tests to any other confused millennials you see out there!

Embark on your career path with Startup Talent Factory

Note: The following initiative is no longer available.

If you’re looking to go beyond just taking personality tests, having some time to master new skills in various industries might just help you figure things out. If you’re raring to go, check out Startup Talent Factory – an initiative that lets polytechnic grads experience what it’s like to work in a startup for a year while studying and picking up skills such as Digital Marketing, User Experience Design or Business Development. 

A breath of fresh air from traditional companies,  the dynamic nature of startups lets employees try various roles without being restricted by their academic background. Candidates can look forward to gaining XP points from companies such as ShopBack and e27, for 9-12 months.

What’s great about this programme is that you will receive a recommended $2,500/month salary, and the company you’re assigned to will pay for your course fees so you can focus on gaining dem skillz without worrying about any debt looming over your head.

Find out more about Startup Talent Factory here!

This post was brought to you by Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
Cover image adapted from: Smart Recruiters
Originally published on 26th March 2018. Last updated by Haizreen Natasha on 20th October 2023.