Praise, Whine, and failing a personality test!

[Laura Zone 5]

So I am enrolled at my local community college.
My 'major' was a 'nursing interest'.

My L5 disc says that I cannot lift more than 15 lbs at a time or stand more than 4 hours at a time.
My heart is really drawn towards 13-22 year old kids that are considered "throw away kids".
I love to serve. I love kids in this age group. Especially the ones 'society' says are no good......

SO I took some 'personality' tests. Assessment tests. Testing skills, knowledge, personality, etc.

Got the results from the Career counselor yesterday.
I could feel my heart sink, I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes....the lump in my throat.
How can a person "flunk" a personality test?

All my answers said I am a __________
So we look up the _______ and it gives a description of the person.
Well about 80% of those descriptions were right on.
But the _____ type of person described above it was more like me.
But those didn't match my scores.

So she prints off the 'most likely' chosen fields of study by my 'type'.........
It's broken into 3 parts
Top part is the 70-100% chance that I will chose these careers.
Middle is the 40%-70% chance I will chose these careers
Bottom is 0-40% chance I will chose these.......

This is where I almost cried.
The top and middle part are NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING I would ever choose.
1/2 of the middle and 90% of the bottom I would choose.
The one career that I had a 5% chance of choosing? Chef/bartender/server.
OMGosh....seriously. I have been doing JUST THAT for 30 years AND LOVE IT.

So I told her to bring up results for exactly THE OPPOSITE of what my test scores showed.
the print out of 'career choices' was almost the same.

THEN SHE TELLS ME; Maybe when you took the test, you were 'answering outside of yourself'. I said what does that mean.........
She says "well if someone is under a lot, I mean extreme stress, or has had a traumatic incident in their lives recently, they will answer 'outside of themselves'.

OMG seriously. I really just can't get away from it.

So I took my papers, said thank you and left.
I fought tears for the first 30 min of my drive.
I called my BSF leader to tell her what happened.

I came to a couple of conclusions:
I need to pray more about direction, because CLEARLY taking these kinds of tests are NOT the way to figure ANYTHING out. So I am thankful for that revelation.
I don't need to change my major right now, as I will be taking pre-recs for the first 2 semesters.

It's so frustrating.

[Oggie]

These sorts of tests are sometimes far from accurate.

If you have a dream or a goal that's different from what the test might indicate, go for it.

[Terri]

With your interests, background, and physical limitations, you might consider psych nursing.

[Ana Bluebird]

Guess you found out that those "tests" (actually surveys) are like political polls, not worth the paper they are printed on. When faced with a major decision, I like to make lists: things I like, things I don't, things to consider, things that just won't be, etc. Lists help me to focus. AND they are a lot more accurate, don't you think??

[CaliannG]

In one of my psychology classes in college, we had a "personality test" section. The assignment was to take one of the three major personality tests, and write up a paper on what you thought about the accuracy.

Being the overachiever that I am, and also terribly curious, I took all three personality tests, one in the evening, right after I had had a disagreement with my husband, and one first thing in the morning, the day after. Then I wrote up a paper on the accuracy of each, and how they each differed from the evening/morning testing.

The one most accurate was the Myers-Brigg, it was only one letter off between the two tests I took. Notice I said "the most accurate". NONE of them showed much similarities between the evening and the morning; the Myers-Brigg was just the one with the least fluctuations.

I decided then that personality tests could not be relied upon to judge anything but the person's current mood when they took the test, and I stated as much in my conclusion in that paper.

BTW, I got an A+ on that paper, and my professor was NOT an easy grader.

[frogmammy]

Or counseling.

I took one of those tests when first in college. Took it again about 7 years later, thinking that time and education might have changed things. Scored the same BOTH times! Highest career choices both times: naval officer, army officer, air force officer, coast guard officer.

Ummmm...nope!

The test is a GUIDE, nothing more (Thank God!).

I will say, my BMF of 30 some odd years scored exactly the same.

Mon

[fordy]

..................How comfortable are you with the analytical side of your science prequisite courses ? If you excel at the physics\math\chemistry type courses then your intellect can do all the 'heavy lifting' vs the physical aspect of nursing . You will still beable to help those in need untangle the issues that trouble their their daily lives . , fordy

[Laura Zone 5]

Originally Posted by CaliannG

The one most accurate was the Myers-Brigg, it was only one letter off between the two tests I took. Notice I said "the most accurate". NONE of them showed much similarities between the evening and the morning; the Myers-Brigg was just the one with the least fluctuations.

Myers-Brigg was the 'big one' I took....

[KimTN]

You get beat up in psych nursing. Not a good idea if you can't protect yourself or have prior injuries.

Don't believe in those silly psych tests. Most psychologists need to be locked in their own mental hospitals. I took several of those tests in college as a volunteer thing for the psych department. I was told that I would be considered schizophrenic, according to the tests, but they knew I wasn't because I was a highly artistic individual. So your talents may have messed up your test.

[Laura Zone 5]

Originally Posted by fordy

..................How comfortable are you with the analytical side of your science prequisite courses ? If you excel at the physics\math\chemistry type courses then your intellect can do all the 'heavy lifting' vs the physical aspect of nursing . You will still beable to help those in need untangle the issues that trouble their their daily lives . , fordy

Awww fordy......my oldest child's strengths are physics, math, chem, etc.
She is in culinary school.

I am not a mental giant like my baby.
I have to take 2 math courses, for no credit, and pass them before I can take a 3rd math course, for credit....

[Grandmotherbear]

There is no way to flunk a personality test.
The tests are STATISTICALLY correct for large groups of people.
There are always a few individuals outside the "norm" at any bell curve.
Are you an individual, or are you a group?
Why are you ceding so much power over your future to a test that was devised by fallible men and which banks so much on stereotypes??
I would be more concerned about physical limitations. My hospice job description requires us to e able to lift 50 lbs and carry it 100 feet, abd climb 3 flights of stairs, and push 350 lbs 50 feet in a wheelchair.
You DO believe in the power of prayer, right? Pray for His will to be made known to you. Maybe He wants you to go for it, maybe not. Be open to the possibility that the answer to some prayers is "no".
But a personality test is not the TRUTH revealed from On High!
Hoping you feel better soon.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Those tests and the results are not God. They are not YOU. They are not hard science, either.

Do what YOUR heart calls you to do.

I remember that the test I took in junior high school said I should either be a forest ranger or a beautician. :P

[Laura Zone 5]

Originally Posted by KimTN

You get beat up in psych nursing. Not a good idea if you can't protect yourself or have prior injuries.

Don't believe in those silly psych tests. Most psychologists need to be locked in their own mental hospitals. I took several of those tests in college as a volunteer thing for the psych department. I was told that I would be considered schizophrenic, according to the tests, but they knew I wasn't because I was a highly artistic individual. So your talents may have messed up your test.

Based upon my Spirituals gifts (strengths if you will) the psych test I took was dead wrong.
What it said "I would be good at" is SO FAR from the truth.....
And what it said I would NOT be good at? I have done all my life and / or are interested in doing.

I was hoping it would give me some direction......but it made things about as clear as mud.

[CaliannG]

If it doesn't give you the direction you want, then disregard it and think no more of it.

Personality tests are like psychics...the only thing they are really good for it to make clear to you what you already know.

MY personality tests said that I would excel in management and corporate culture. Did that. Hated it. Was absolutely horrible at it. My test also said that my weak points were in emotionally connecting and empathizing with my employees, but once on the job, my greatest weakness was empathizing and sympathizing TOO MUCH with my employees. My employees walked all over me.

Don't put faith in those things. The personality test my company gave me was an all-comprehensive, EXPENSIVE thing that covered multiple bases. Out of all of the sections, etc., I took, the only thing it got RIGHT was that I would suck at sales. Yeah, I do suck at sales. Everything else was dead wrong, as we all found out in practice.

[Ambereyes]

Go with what you feel!!

I took the Briggs-Meyers test recently and was shocked at what it said, job types listed were: technology, R&D, corporate law and financial. I have been in my career for over 20 years and love it, it is so far removed from what the tests say I should be as to be laughable.

IMHO do what is in your heart.

[Haven]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. When I took entrance tests for college the top career was a funeral director or mortician. LITERALLY, THE LAST field I would ever work in. You could not pay me to work with death and dead people, no way. That was followed up closely with a Lumberjack or something ridiculous.

Go with your passion.

You know, just an observation from someone who has observated an awful lot, but, if a personality test made you cry, maybe you might consider taking another test to see if, possibly, you get emotionally distraught too easily.

[Kazahleenah]

Why do you care so much what a stupid test says?
If you want to do it, then buck up and do it. Simple as that.
Although, the field you are choosing is a very HIGH stress career, you may want to start with basic classes and decide if you can cope with that type of stress on a daily basis before jumping into the course head first.

[Darren]

The results of the last test I took were interpreted as meaning I should be a Catholic priest. Needless to say that was about as 180 out as it can get.

By now you should know the tests are rough guidelines bordering on BS. Only you can do your own affirmations. You've had faith in yourself so far with the classes. Keep on keeping on.

You have to make a start and keep moving. You've already done that. It's like the guy praying and praying for a winning lottery ticket. Finally God gets aggravated and yells down. "You've got to buy a ticket!"

[Oggie]

There are so many variables that come into play when it comes to psychological testing that not much weight should be placed on any one particular test session.

According to one psychologist, I didn’t do so well on one of those Horshack tests.

He showed me a black blob and said, “What do you think this looks like?”

“I’m pretty sure it’s an ink blot,” I said.

“Well yeah,” he said. “But what else?”

“Perhaps if it were a little darker, it could be a coffee stain,” I said.

“No! No! No!” he said. “I mean if it weren’t an ink blot or a coffee stain, what do you think it looks like?”

“I suppose, if spilled fruit juice aged and oxidized long enough it might get dark enough to sort of look like that,” I said.

“No! You just don’t seem to understand! You’re not supposed to tell me that it looks like a stain or a blot. You’re supposed to see something else in it!” he exclaimed.

“And how does that make you feel?” I asked.

“Well,” he said. “It makes me feel kind of frustra . . . Hey! Wait a minute! This isn’t how it’s supposed to work!”

Eventually, he started making those sort of laughing, sort of wheezing, noises just like that kid on “Welcome Back Kotter” and I knew that I probably wasn’t going to pass that test.