I cover career exploration quite often in written blog posts, presentations to students, and directly with my clients. Your career is going to be a significant part of your life, so choosing it should command a lot of your attention! Assuming a 40-hour work week, you’ll spend about 25% of your time each week working. As a College & Career Coach, I am focused on helping my clients pursue a career path that is the best fit for their personality.

One way I narrow down the thousands of career options is to have my clients take a personality assessment. I previously wrote about how knowing your personality helps you navigate life in general, and how personality awareness helps you relate to other people. Personality also plays a vital role in choosing a fulfilling career.

If you have ever been in a work situation, whether your part-time job or in a volunteering role, that made you absolutely miserable and drained all of your energy, you were probably doing something that was a poor fit for your personality. On the other hand, when you’re involved in something that just seems frictionless and natural, you are probably operating within your personality type.

How Does a Personality Test Help Me Decide What Job to Get?

There are a ton of personality tests available, and you’ll probably take several of them over the course of your lifetime. I am partial to the NERIS Type Explorer®, which is available on 16 Personalities. This test uses the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® as a basis to give individuals a comprehensive assessment on their personality type.

The 5 attributes being evaluated in the test are as follows:

• Introverted or Extroverted

• Intuitive or Observant

• Thinking or Feeling

• Judging or Prospecting

• Assertive or Turbulent

Based on your combination of all of these aspects, the test will give you a personality label with a description of your preferences, strengths and weaknesses, relationship tendencies, and potential career choices.

Indeed expanded on personality-based career exploration with customized job search suggestions. This is a great way to dig right into the skills and education expectations for a career that matches your personality type. Perhaps within the job search process, you’ll be able to weed out certain professions that are out of line with your values, culture, or other preferences.

Consider Lifestyle Needs in Your Career Search

Exploring careers based on your personality type will point you in the direction of professions that could be very fulfilling. Beyond the job, though, it’s important to also look at the type of lifestyle your future career might entail.

Certain industries are concentrated within a limited geographic area. Some jobs will require a lot of travel, while others are entirely work from home. The position may require you to work with a lot of people, or maybe to spend most of your time alone. There are some careers that call for a specific style of dress or uniform. Your personality dictates how comfortable you will be while living the lifestyle that comes with your profession. In some industries, these factors will be fairly common across every employer, while others will have a lot of variety. Be careful to not just think about the job you want to do, but also the life you want to live while doing it.

If you’re getting thoughtful about the career possibilities that are the best fit for you, set up a free strategy session with me. I have helped many young adults drill down on their personality type and the ideal career fields for them. During our call, we’ll clarify your strengths, interests, and preferences so that you can find the best career for you.