Everyone loves those weird online quizzes with titles like “Would You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse?” or “Which Disney Princess Are You?” (Ariel, in case you were curious). Those quizzes are always fun, but obviously they don’t have a lot of merit - unless it is your dream to be an actual Disney princess. Also popular are the ones about careers, but once again those quizzes can be pretty superficial. In order to take tests that actually guide you to a possible career path, you usually have to pay good money just to get your results! But as a UMBC student, you have access to several in-depth, personalized career exploration tools to help you realize your full potential! Whether you have absolutely no idea what you want to do with your life (me), or you just want to explore options you might not have previously known existed, there is a plethora of information to be gained from these tools.
If you still really love those fast online quizzes, you will not be disappointed: The Traitify is a super quick and easy quiz that you can even do on your phone. It simply shows you several images and you either choose “me” or “not me”. The results show you how well you fit into categories like inventor, analyser, or action-taker. It also gives you a list of careers that match your results!
If you are looking for something more in-depth that asks you real questions and gives you much more comprehensive results, the FOCUS2 is right for you! This assessment takes about 30 minutes, but it is totally worth it. You complete five inventories - work interest, values, personality, skills, and leisure. After each inventory it provides you with a list of careers that match your results, and after completing all five it combines all of the tests together to show you which careers are the best fit for who you are overall. It also has exploration tools like “What can I do with my major?” or “Compare two occupations side by side”.
Many of you may have already heard of the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (or MBTI) because it is the most widely used personality test in the world. It’s very possible that you’ve taken an abridged or simplified version of the test, but the one provided by the career center is the real deal. Your results come in the form of four letters, each telling you important information about where your energy comes from, how you perceive information, how you make decisions, and what kind of environment you work best in.
If you are still very unsure about your career goals, the Career Center has tons of resources for you. After completing any of these three assessments, you can make an appointment with a career specialist to talk about and interpret your results rather than just reading them on a screen. Our website has a whole page of Career and Major Exploration tools to help you along. Lastly, we have an upcoming Keys to Success workshop all about career and personality assessments! On October 30th at noon in Commons 331, you can learn more about these tests and what they can mean for your future, or even how you work in any of your current positions. Leave a comment below telling your story, whether you are still figuring these things out, or if you’ve taken these tests and have opinions, or just want to share your results!
