The ONet Interest Profiler (My Next Move, 2017) is a questionnaire that aims to suggest possible career options based on the respondent’s interest in particular tasks. The questionnaire consists of 60 statements describing certain actions and duties that are part of different jobs. There are five answer options for each question, which lets the student rate the statements from ‘strongly dislike’ to ‘strongly like.’
The main strength of this assessment tool is its shortness and the ease of use. Another benefit is that the profiler can be used by international students due to its simplicity. Furthermore, the concept of the tool is very appealing both to students and educators; the questionnaire links the student’s current interests to prospective careers, outlining the practical side of his or her hobbies. Lastly, there are some interesting job options that few students would consider initially, such as furniture constructors or environmental workers. Broadening the range of potential careers allows for more options that students can choose from, thus increasing the possibility of them finding something exciting.
The main weakness of the tool, however, is that it does not consider the easiness of finding a job for the listed professions. If the advisor relies on this tool only, the student may find it hard to find a job in the future, as the options are very specific. Also, the tool does not take into account the education level of the student. Certain jobs require more education and training than others, and some students may not be able to afford extended years of tuition.
Overall, I believe that this tool is a great starting point to assess the student’s interests and determine the overall direction of the prospective career. However, another tool may be required to produce detailed advice based on the questionnaire’s results.
Carl Jung’s theory of personality
Carl Jung’s theory of personality types suggests that all people can be divided into 16 personality types based on their characteristics. The Jung Typology Test (Humanmetrics Inc., 2017) assesses people’s preferences and attitudes based on four parameters: communication (extroverted vs. introverted), perception (sensory vs. intuitive), logic (thinking vs. feeling), and assessment (judging vs. perceiving). The test consists of 64 statements, where each one can be evaluated in terms of its applicability to the respondent. The statements concern the person’s casual behaviors, making it easier to answer correctly.
The main benefit of this type of analysis is that it is fairly accurate in evaluating the student’s behaviors and suggesting possible career paths. Another great advantage is that the student’s character traits are taken into account, which means that the suggested careers will suit the student’s abilities and will presumably be interesting. A significant drawback, however, is that the test is quite long and time-consuming, which makes it difficult to complete the assessment during the short session with a career advisor. Besides, responses to some questions are quite subjective. Thus, answers to statements evaluating the person’s communication with others will change depending on the current situation that the student experiences. For instance, if the student has recently moved to a new school and does not have any friends yet, he or she may prefer to spend more time alone, which would put the respondent on the introversive side of the spectrum, even though this may not be true for this person under different circumstances.
Overall, I would apply this test in my practice as a college counselor alongside other assessment tools. I believe that the best option for using this test in college settings would be to ask the student to complete the assessment at home and discuss the results during the session, where possible career options based on the results can be examined.
References
Humanmetrics Inc. (2017). Jung typology test. Web.
My Next Move. (2017).ONet interest profiler. Web.