Ideal Graduate profile

Why are Personality Tests Important in your Professional Appraisal?

Personality tests are a type of assessment method used by most companies as part of the job selection
process. Most job assessments, such as the interview, examine overt behavior. In contrast, personality tests
reach deeper and aim to reveal personal characteristics that are less obvious. The information provided by
these tests, as well as by the interview and the aptitude tests, helps an evaluator put the pieces together to
get an overall impression of the applicant. One of the main reasons personality tests are used is that they
provide insight often lacking in the interview process.

Because these tests measure deep insight, mystery and confidentiality surround them, causing many test
takers to feel increased pressure and stress. You cannot let this stress take over you and affect your responses
during the test, you must remember that the aim of the test is to determine if your personality matches
with a specific position.

Personality Tests Reflect the Fit to your Desired Position

Each position requires different features. Some people may perform a job better than others because they
are more suited for that specific job. Employers use personality tests to ascertain if a candidate has the
characteristics the role requires. To successfully pass your personality test, your responses must be
compatible with the role for which you are applying. Before you take the test, you should think about the
demands of a person serving in this position, try to imagine what a work day looks like, which activities and
tasks you will perform, and which personality features will enable you to do your job successfully. These
features are probably the exact same ones the employer is searching for in an applicant.

Taking the time to perform this thinking exercise can help you not only receive the job you want, but also
help you decide if a certain position is really right for you. If, after doing so, you decide you're a perfect fit
for the job, it is time to show the employer that you are the one s/he wants. To do so, your test should
indicate that you are the right fit the job, and therefore you need to emphasize the traits which are important
for this specific role.

For example, if you're applying for a position where you're likely to spend most of your time working alone
(e.g., technical positions, IT, industry professionals and senior managers), you don't want to come across as

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a person who really needs to be around other people. At the same time, you also don't want to present
yourself as someone who is extremely solitary because this might mean you have trouble working with other
people. Try to aim for an average score on this trait.

For team-based jobs, such as sales and service-oriented positions like social workers, doctors, hospitality
workers and customer support staff, scoring high on companionability is definitely an advantage. You don't
want a low score if you are applying for a position in these fields, as it may indicate potential difficulties in
dealing with people.

The popularity of personality tests is on the rise. While the amount of advice available in books and online
for interview, CV, and aptitude test preparation is overwhelming, it is quite puzzling and surprising to see
how little advice there is on preparing for personality tests. Preparing for this fundamental part of the
recruitment process will increase your chances of success on your next job application. In this section, you
will find crucial information to help you answer the personality test in a knowledgeable manner. This
information includes:

1 A summary of the nature of the profession.

2 A list of desirable and undesirable traits.

3 A table of traits with recommended scores for your profession.

What is the Ideal Graduate Profile?

A college graduate enters into the workforce without experience and often without proper knowledge, so
his/her personality plays an important role in the hiring process.

Although personality traits are not usually related to knowledge, there are characteristics considered more
effective when they are backed by knowledge and experience. These include: Decisiveness and Autonomy.
Because you do not have extensive knowledge or experience at this point in your career, it is advisable to
get an average or below average score on these characteristics.

Your first job is also major learning experience, so you should emphasize characteristics that portray you as
open to learning. These include: Motivation to Learn, Participativeness and Resilience.

Because the workplace is not familiar to you, you should demonstrate you are able to enter a new
environment and feel comfortable in it. You should therefore get a high score on the Flexibility trait.

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Most of the tasks of your first job will probably be routine and boring. To show you can handle this type of
routine, you should receive a relatively a low score on the Need for Change trait. However, it is also advisable
to show you have additional capabilities you can use later in your career, such as Creativity.

Lack of work experience can be an advantage as well; you are not jaded, and therefore may be more
motivated to succeed and progress. You should emphasize traits like Achievement Striving and Endurance
& Energy.

Summary – Desirable Graduate Personality Traits

Optimal range
Too low/high

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

As can be seen, the optimal range is not always an extreme score. For instance, coming across as too
autonomous may hinder your chances, despite autonomy being a desirable trait.

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A Complete Breakdown – The Ideal Graduate Profile
On the following table, you will find a list of traits that are measured on our test.

The middle column contains The right column contains a

The left column contains the
the recommended range of brief explanation about the trait
trait name and its definition
scores for your profession with regard to your profession

Dominance It may sometimes be good to take

initiative. However, when you start a
position, you are expected to study
Suboptimal Optimal Suboptimal and perform it as required, without
range (low) range range (high) taking too much initiative.

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All traits can be divided into five parent groups:

Interpersonal competency
• features related to interaction and communication with others.

Cognitive Functions
• features related to perceiving and judging.

Motivation & Drive

• features related to one's impetus for acting.

Conscientiousness
• features related to carefulness and acting according to one's conscience.

Emotion
• features related to emotional balance.

This division is designed to make it easier for you to read and understand the table. Each group represents a
common theme for the personality traits contained within.

Some of the traits on the table, like Empathy and General Reasoning Ability, are composites of different sub
traits. For example, the Empathy trait is a composite of two additional compound traits – Cognitive and
Emotional Empathy. Perspective Taking and Analytical Insight are the sub traits of Cognitive Empathy, while
Empathic Involvement and Active Consideration are the sub traits of Emotional Empathy (see diagram
below). Each of the sub traits gets a score, while the compound trait receives a weighted grade calculated
from the traits that comprise it.

Perspective
Taking
Cognitive
Empathy
Analytical
Insight
Empathy
Empathic
Involvement
Emotional
Empathy
Active
Consideration

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We recommend that you read the ideal table below together with your test results, so you can
make a comparison between the two. Of course, it is important to remember that the match does
not have to be full, and won’t be in most cases. However, it is desirable to have some sort of
resemblance to the important traits required of the role; these are outlined in the table.

Important: The Ideal Profile Shouldn’t Be Extreme

It is true that the ideal profile notes that either the top or bottom scores for many of the personality scales are
still found in the ideal range. Therefore, the scores you achieved on these scales are not problematic for any of
the specific traits. Nonetheless, if your score in too many traits was at the ends of the scale, our algorithm will
identify a pattern of extreme scores. This means your answers often lean in one direction, which may imply a non-
flexible personality profile.

So how can this contradiction be resolved? By finding a middle ground. The ideal profile presents a scope of
possible scores for each personality trait that are still considered "ideal". If you simply tone down some of your
scores, you will achieve an ideal profile that won't raise the "extreme scores" alert.

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 I. Interpersonal competency

1. Empathy
A. Cognitive Empathy
A.I. Perspective This is an important
taking interpersonal characteristic
that can make up for your lack
of experience.
A.II. Analytical Understanding human
Insight behavior is very beneficial in
the workplace. It can be
particularly useful for a recent
graduate, as the workplace is
a completely new world for
him/her.
B. Emotional Empathy
B.I. Empathic This feature depends on the
Involvement profession, but you generally
want to stay away from the
extremes of the scale.
B.II. Active You should highlight these
Consideration interpersonal skills, which can
help make up for your lack of
experience.
2. Comfort with Attention For very specific positions,
you will need to speak before
an audience. However, it is
not generally required at this
point in your career, so there
is usually no need to get a
high score on this feature.
3. Control You do not need to show you
have the ability to take charge
of others, as you are not yet in
a managerial position.
4. Social Confidence You need to learn as much
from other employees as you
can. Thus, you should show
you are not frightened of new
social interactions.
5. Persuasiveness Even if your job is not in sales,
the skills of influence and
negotiation are both
necessary and essential at
work.

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6. Diplomacy & Tact
A. Deliberation You must show you are able
to use discretion, without
those concerns paralyzing
your work.
B. Tolerance & Civility There is a good chance you
will receive assignments that
do not match your will, so it is
very important to be
restrained and tolerant.
C. Directness Since you are at the bottom of
the organizational hierarchy,
it is best to be less direct until
you advance to a higher
position.
D. Participativeness Your employer knows you do
not have a lot of experience,
and therefore expects you to
consult with him/her when
necessary.
E. Modesty Pride is a barrier to learning,
so you must show you are a
humble person.
7. Dominance It may sometimes be good to
take initiative. However, when
you start a position, you are
expected to study and
perform it as required,
without taking too much
initiative.
8. Assertiveness As an inexperienced graduate,
you should be more attentive
to others and less insistent on
your own methods. This will
allow you to learn more.
9. Friendliness You will most likely not work
alone at your first job, so it is
advisable for you to show you
enjoy being in the company of
others.
10. Sociability There are some employers
who seek sociable people, and
others who have no
preference.

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11. Trust
A. Interpersonal Trust & Because you might not have
Integrity values enough experience and
knowledge to make decisions
on your own, you must rely on
the knowledge of others. At
the same time, you cannot be
too naïve.
B. Skepticism You should always examine
the information you receive,
while still also trusting the
source of that information.

II. Cognitive Functions

12. General Reasoning Ability

A. Analytical Skills It is not advisable to make
decisions quickly because you
do not have enough
experience to rely on. You
may want to demonstrate
that you look for as much
information as possible in
order to reach an informed
decision.
B. Motivation to learn This is probably one of the
most important qualities for a
person with no experience.
You must show that you have
the desire to progress and
develop.
C. Forward Thinking Demonstrating the ability of
forward thinking can help you
down the road. It may also
point out the potential in you.
D. Conceptual Understanding theories and
Elaboration abstract concepts can show
you have the desire and
ability to learn new things.
13. Flexibility The employer knows the job is
a new experience for you, so
it is advisable that you show
him/her you can adapt quickly
to a new environment.

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14. Creativity
A. Generate Ideas Although there is a
reasonable chance the tasks
of your first job will be mostly
conservative, creativity is
highly valued in the eyes of
employers.
B. Unconventionality Your first tasks will likely be
more conventional than
innovative. However, you
should also show that you can
think outside the box.
C. Rich Fantasy Imagination is related to
creativity, but also to
dreaminess.
D. Aesthetic Sense This feature is associated with
certain professions that
demand an aesthetic sense.

III. Motivation & Drive

15. Service Orientation In professions that involve
direct encounters with clients,
this is a most important
feature.
16. Competitiveness This feature depends on the
workplace.
17. Need for Recognition Not every job will give you the
recognition you deserve.
18. Proactivity Being proactive can indicate
your motivation to act and
change things for the better.
19. Need for Company This feature is also very
dependent on the profession.
However, your first job will
most likely not be a
completely independent
position, so it is advisable to
show you enjoy being in the
company of others.
20. Team Player Most first jobs are performed
as part of a team. Therefore,
it is very important to be able
to work effectively with a
team.
21. Achievement Striving You haven’t yet proven
yourself, so you must show

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 you have a strong desire to
succeed.

IV. Conscientiousness
22. Space & Time Management
A. Good Organization Order and organization are
essential tools for any job.
B. Planning The ability to manage your
time and prioritize
assignments is very
important.
23. Conformity/Integrity Since you do not have
extensive experience, you are
expected to learn on-the-job
and to follow protocols.
24. Self-Control & Stability Entering a new environment
can be extremely stressful, so
it is very useful to show
emotional stability.
25. Perseverance This feature shows you can be
counted on to accomplish the
goal at hand. This is a very
necessary attribute for the job
market, especially if you have
no recommendations from
other workplaces.
26. Endurance & Energy You can greatly benefit from
showing you are willing to
invest a lot of time and effort
into the position.
27. Boredom Intolerance
A. Need for Change Although it depends on the
position, for many companies
your first job will include
many routine operations.
B. Excitement Seeking Your first job will likely include
many routine tasks. However,
you must show you are ready
for new adventures, especially
as you are entering into a new
professional world. Accepting
challenges is important
because it is through them
that you will progress.

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28. Risk Taking It is not recommended to take
risks when you first enter the
professional world.
29. Autonomy Since you are still in the
learning stages, you cannot
perform your job the way you
may personally want. Instead,
you must adhere to the job
description.
30. Thoroughness You should demonstrate that
even though you lack
experience, you still exercise
discretion and thoroughness.
31. Decisiveness It is not desirable for you to
be too decisive, as you do not
yet know all the factors
related to the position.

V. Emotion
32. Anxiety Fear can stop you from trying
new things, and your work
may be hurt as a result.
33. Optimism & Well-Being Optimism is a good thing, as it
can positively affect your
work.
34. Resilience You will likely make many
mistakes when you enter the
workforce, so be prepared to
receive a lot of criticism. You
should do your best to learn
from it.
35. Self-Confidence Self-confidence is a good
thing. However, you must
remember that because you
lack experience, there are
probably more options that
the ones you've thought of.

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Summary – Ace your Personality Test
To successfully pass a personality test, your profile must be compatible with the position for which you are
applying. Before you take the test, you should think about the demands of a person serving in this position,
try to imagine what a work day looks like, which activities and tasks you will perform, and which personality
features will enable you to do your job successfully. These features are probably the exact same ones the
employer is searching for in an applicant. We hope you found this part of your preparation process instructive
and helpful. We advise you to compare your personality practice test results to the table above and to see
which traits are compatible with our ideal profile.

In addition, we invite you to review our personality test theory guide for further reading and insights on how
to prepare more efficiently for personality tests.

The JobTestPrep team wishes you all the best. Good luck!

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