The Big Five Personality Test, also known as the Five-Factor Model (FFM) or the OCEAN model, represents a comprehensive understanding of an individual’s personality based on five major traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (OCEAN) [3,6]. By better understanding these traits, individuals can make significant strides in their careers. Here are the top ten ways to leverage your Big Five personality test results to boost your career instantly.
- Identify Your Strengths: The Big Five Personality Test is based on decades of psychological research, identifying five fundamental traits of personality [7]. By understanding your primary traits, you can identify your strengths and use them to your advantage in the workplace.
- Select the Right Career: Your personality type can guide you towards careers that suit your nature [4]. For example, extroverted individuals might thrive in people-centric roles, while those high in conscientiousness could excel in positions requiring organization and responsibility.
- Optimize Workplace Performance: Understanding your personality traits can help you perform better in the workplace. For instance, if you’re high in agreeableness, you might excel in teamwork and collaborative projects [5].
- Improve Communication: Knowing your personality traits can help you communicate more effectively. For example, extroverted individuals might be more comfortable with public speaking, while introverted individuals may prefer written or one-on-one communication.
- Manage Stress and Conflict: Understanding your levels of neuroticism can help you handle stress and conflict better. If you’re high in neuroticism, you might need to focus on stress management techniques to maintain peak performance [6].
- Develop Leadership Skills: Conscientious individuals often possess strong leadership skills due to their tendency to be organized, dependable, and diligent. Understanding this trait can help you nurture and leverage it to climb the career ladder [2].
- Embrace Change and Innovation: High levels of openness are associated with creativity, curiosity, and a willingness to embrace new ideas. This can be leveraged in roles that require innovation and adaptability [10].
- Build Stronger Professional Relationships: By understanding your personality traits, you can build better relationships with colleagues, managers, and clients. For example, those high in agreeableness tend to be cooperative and considerate, traits that can foster positive professional relationships.
- Align Personal and Professional Growth: By aligning your personality traits with your career goals, you can ensure that your professional growth doesn’t come at the cost of personal happiness and satisfaction [5].
- Improve Decision Making: Understanding your personality can help improve decision-making skills. For example, those with high openness might be more comfortable taking calculated risks, while those with high conscientiousness might prefer making well-structured and thoroughly considered decisions.
Using the Big Five Personality Test to understand your traits and leveraging them effectively can instantly accelerate your career. However, it’s important to remember that these traits are just one aspect of your personality and should be considered as part of a broader understanding of your self, including your experiences, values, and skills [8].
References
[1] Mind Tools. The Big Five Personality Traits Model and Test. Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/a2utf1j/the-big-five-personality-traits-model-and-test
[2] B. Arthur, Michael. (2020, February 15). How Taking A ‘Big Five’ Personality Test Can Help Or Harm Your Career. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelbarthur/2020/02/15/how-taking-a-big-five-personality-test-can-help-or-harm-your-career/
[3] MyCareersFuture. Personality Types | Big 5 Personality Traits | Personality Test For Career. Retrieved from https://content.mycareersfuture.gov.sg/navigating-career-progress-according-personality-traits/
[4] Indeed. The Big 5 Personality Traits (And Jobs That Suit Yours). Retrieved from https://au.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/big-5-personality-traits
[5] TestGorilla. How to interpret the results of a Big 5 (OCEAN) assessment. Retrieved from https://www.testgorilla.com/blog/how-to-interpret-the-results-of-a-big-5-ocean-assessment/
[6] Healthline. What the Big Five Personality Traits Can Tell You. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/big-five-personality-traits
[7] Truity. The Big Five Personality Test. Retrieved from https://www.truity.com/test/big-five-personality-test
[8] MakiPeople. Big 5 Personality Test: Interpret Your Candidates’ Results. Retrieved from https://www.makipeople.com/resources/big-5-personality-test-interpret-your-candidates-results
[9] Millennial Grind. Top 10 Big Five Personality Tests (With Free Options). Retrieved from https://millennial-grind.com/top-10-big-five-personality-tests/
[10] Verywell Mind. Big 5 Personality Traits: The 5-Factor Model of Personality. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/the-big-five-personality-dimensions-2795422