How To Use A Personality Quiz In Your Life

Note: Personality quizzes do not replace the advice of a mental health professional or doctor. If you are looking for a diagnosis, advice on a health condition, or medical advice, consult your doctor or therapist for support. 

Personality quizzes have become more popular as social media and internet usage grows worldwide. Entire websites dedicated to the genre offer hundreds of quizzes that cover topics from a sense of style to favorite movies to mental health. Personality quizzes can be a significant source of entertainment, but they can also provide direction when you're feeling stuck. 

How can you use a personality test to guide your career?

Some people may feel they've always known what career they were "destined" for. Others might want support in figuring out how to earn a living. People may choose their careers based on what interests them. For example, if you love animals, you might enjoy being a veterinarian, animal care worker, zoologist, marine biologist, or volunteer worker. However, if you don't perform well under stress or don't enjoy biology, a vet might not be the position for you. Below are a few ways to use a personality test to guide your career.  

Understanding your personality type 

Passion may be essential to finding a job, but your personality can also impact what you do. Your personality can involve what you experience daily and how you interact with others. Personality quizzes help you identify your likes and dislikes. Your preferences could offer enjoyment working in some environments and difficulty in others. You might avoid an office job if you find deadlines and routine frustrating. A hospital setting might be beneficial if you desire to help others and love a challenge.

Finding your strengths 

Personality quizzes may also identify your strengths to help you find a career you'd excel in. You might find more success and satisfaction in a career that can utilize your top skills. If you love socializing and have a competitive streak, you might find a career in sales gratifying. If you like to dig into the details and have a knack for problem-solving, you might enjoy being a computer systems analyst. 

Understanding your values 

A career personality test may also prompt you to consider your values in the workplace. For instance, feeling at home in a workplace that promotes opposite values and beliefs might be challenging. Remote work, for example, could be tough for someone who craves daily social interaction. A job that requires traveling might prove difficult for a person who values routine and structure. In addition, if you value your identity, working in a place where you must hide who you are might not be valuable to you in the long run. 

Applying for jobs 

Some people take a personality test as a part of the job application process. Employers may want to understand your role on the team and whether you're fit for the job. Some companies also administer personality tests to gauge and train new employees, as well as using scores to help inform where employees may best function in the workplace. Information about your strengths and preferences can prove helpful for human resource managers. Taking a personality quiz beforehand may also help you know what to expect.

Working with others 

Some companies use personality tests to help employees work as a team. Coworkers who recognize and learn to appreciate their differences can play to each other's strengths. Even if your workplace doesn't offer this service, you can use a personality quiz to improve your relationship with coworkers. You can identify your role in a group and how you can best contribute to your team's success. Knowing your limitations might also help you feel more comfortable letting someone else take the lead.

How can personality quizzes improve relationships?

Below are a few ways personality quizzes may improve your relationships. 

Understanding areas for growth 

While personality quizzes highlight your strengths, they can also point out areas for growth. You might have a quick temper or go out of your way to avoid conflict. Maybe you struggle to express your feelings. Becoming familiar with where you could grow may allow you to improve.

At times, the results of a personality quiz may not fit with how you see yourself. While no test may be 100% accurate, you might notice that some aspects of your results make you feel sad, angry, or annoyed. Awareness of your tendencies, including the parts you'd like to change, may help you better care for yourself and others.

Reducing people pleasing  

Caring for others can be a positive trait. However, some people may tend to try to please others to the point where they put others' needs above their own. It can be challenging to care for others when you're not practicing self-care. A personality quiz may tell you the best ways to practice self-care based on your personality traits. For example, if you like to stay home and are generally introverted, you might try reading a book on your windowsill or caring for plants to cope. 

Learning your motivations 

Personality quizzes might offer insight into your motivations. Motivations are what drive your behavior and compel you toward a meaningful life. Some people long for freedom and independence. Others seek out order and stability. The more you know about your wants and needs, the easier it may feel to communicate them to those around you. 

In addition to learning your personal motivations, it may help your partner to know you prefer gestures of love over gifts and trinkets or that your love language is words of affirmation. Quizzes like the five love languages quiz may offer more insight into how you show and like to receive love. For example, if acts of service is one of your primary love languages, you may enjoy doing things for others like making them a meal, doing their hair, or having those things done in turn for you. Those who identify more with quality time as a love language may prefer sitting down to have dinner and chat with loved ones, engage in mutually enjoyed activities, etcetera. If touch is your primary love language, things like meaningful hugs, lightly touching someone’s arm or shoulder to show affection, cuddling, or just being near those you love are likely to feel more impactful for you.

The value of personality quizzes for children and teens

Children can also take personality quizzes, and they may find them a fun way to learn more about personalities and interests. Some child quizzes might be focused on what superpower a kid should have or which princess they might be. Others talk about style and who someone is at school. 

Understanding interests 

However, some personality quizzes for kids go beyond uncovering a favorite color or character. Some may look at a child's hobbies, temperament, and interests to help them find out more about what they may enjoy. A child who enjoys puzzles might be better suited for a robotics team than a soccer team. Other quizzes can tell parents about a child's learning and communication styles. A child who isn't excited about reading might learn faster with a hands-on activity.

Garnering a sense of identity 

Quizzes may help children and teens develop a strong sense of identity. With a clear sense of who they are, kids can control their behavior and make better choices based on their likes and dislikes. Self-esteem is important too for kids to stand up to bullying and avoid bullying others. Personality quizzes also provide educational opportunities for kids to have fun while learning. A personality quiz can teach kids about musical instruments, outer space, and the sea, among other topics. Discovering their "type" can encourage kids to learn more about a subject.

Having fun 

Although insightful, quizzes are still fun for parties, car rides, and sleepovers, a personality quiz with friends or classmates can help kids understand and appreciate their differences. It may also encourage them to get to know one another and make new friends. Some kids' sports teams may use personality quizzes to help teammates learn to play well together.

Confidence and personality tests 

When a personality quiz is accurate, it can offer validation and a sense of solidarity. Even if you're unsurprised by the results, hearing it from an impartial source can send an important message. You may be different from others, but your unique traits don't make you better or worse – they make you who you are. Introversion, for example, is gaining respect as a strength.

The more you know about yourself, the more you might feel confident pursuing what you seek in your professional and personal life. You may also feel more likely to achieve success in these ventures. Employers often value confidence in job candidates.

Exploring personality with a professional 

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website, more than half of all US adults are diagnosed with a mental illness in their lifetime, not counting the people who go undiagnosed. Another CDC statistic found that one in five Americans experience mental illness yearly. Whether you are experiencing a mental health concern like depression or anxiety or want to explore your personality test results with a professional, talk therapy is one of the most successful forms of treatment. 

In addition to psychological evaluations, counselors often administer respected personality tests – like the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator or the Five-Factor Model of Personality ("Big Five") – when treating clients. Personality assessments can help therapists develop more effective treatment plans, which may accelerate treatment results. Personality testing can also help therapists and other health providers understand their clients better and offer better communication.

If you're interested in learning more about your personality type, need guidance in finding a career or relationship path, are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition, or want someone to talk to, you might not be looking for an in-person provider. In these cases, online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp may be beneficial. With online therapy, you can choose between phone, video, or live chat sessions and specify the type of therapy you want to try. 

In addition, studies have backed up the efficacy of online therapy. In one study, 71% of participants found online therapy more effective than in-person therapy, with 80% finding it more affordable and 100% finding it more convenient.