Interesting Test

Via Mitch, Monster offers a free “JASPER" test, which I took and will cite here without benefit of it being a standard bloggy quiz with code supplied.  The results are long and detailed.

I came out overall as Type 1: Thinker.  The short description and extension of that is:

unique strengths:
empowering
rousing
communication
questioning

What you want out of work:
To quietly do your work in a thoughtful way without rocking the boat too much.

Your colleagues think of you as:
Introspective, somewhat reserved but easy to get along with.

What you have to offer:
A steady worker who thinks things through before acting.

There are eight other types.

Another part describes your career stage, which is one of three possibilities.

Your current Career Stage is Committed

You feel secure in your job and are interested in staying where you are. You probably feel that you are making a contribution to your field or organization and have no plans to leave. While this doesn’t necessarily mean you are completely satisfied with your current job, you definitely feel settled, stable, and aren’t planning to change jobs or careers right now.

As someone committed to your job, you are likely making efforts to keep your skills and knowledge fresh, and you are probably involving yourself in activities that solidify your place in your industry. Such activities could include advanced training, joining trade associations, and/or showcasing your work. You have an interest in furthering your current career or, at the least, staying put and improving on what you currently do.

The other two are seeking and exploring.

The four items listed in the first part are the results of each of four strengths sections: Leadership Style, Work Personality, Universal Skills, Work Style.

Leadership Style

You are Empowering in your Leadership Style

You are encouraging and motivating, which often means that you’re helping others reach their goals and dreams. You see the value in giving your team members the opportunity to achieve, and you try to provide a work environment that will allow them to excel on their own. You are also likely perceived to be a great mentor as a result of your commendable patience and your talent for being instructive.

While you shine most in your ability to be an Empowering leader, you may still exhibit qualities of other leadership styles. The section below points out the areas in which you also show promise and that you may want to concentrate on developing. What’s important to remember is that leadership style is a multi-faceted trait and one that may change and evolve as you advance in your career.

Other leadership styles that you show promise in
Innovative

An above-average score in this leadership style indicates that you tend to be innovative in creating new approaches to tasks. If tasked with leading, you bring a sense of confidence to most things you do, which can often motivate others. You are also not afraid to take some risks if it means finding a new and better way.
Diplomatic

An above-average score in this leadership style indicates that you are patient and poised, exuding a sense of calm. As a leader, you have a relaxed disposition that can make others feel assured and safe in your presence. You have the ability to be tactful in your interactions with your team members and take time to listen to their concerns and ideas. These are qualities that can be quite beneficial in many different facets of work.

The three other styles are Traditional, Courageous, and Assertive.

Work Personality

This was described in one word as “rousing” because that’s the closest I came to any item on each of four continuums, but really it’s a full description of where I fell on each…

Introspective

You are more Introspective than Expressive when it comes to your interpersonal style. This means that you have a quiet calm about you, something that others may perceive as being reserved or shy. However, this trait can be quite advantageous in that you are able to think things through before deciding to speak. You tend to be thoughtful and measured in what you say and it is likely you feel most comfortable working alone.

Spontaneous

You are more Spontaneous than Deliberate when it comes to how you work toward your goals. This means you tend to push the envelope or suggest new ways of doing things, rather than following the rules every time you do something. While occasionally impulsive, you have fresh ideas and are able to break out of the mold, which is valuable for helping others think of new approaches.

Rousing

You are more Rousing than Agreeable when it comes to how you interact with others at work. This means that you challenge the status quo, not only in coming up with new ideas but in also calling upon your colleagues to think outside the box. Although you are known to push the envelope, you do so in a manner that is thought-provoking and beneficial to the company. Your animated personality can make those around you feel energized.

Composed

You are more Composed than Passionate when it comes to your emotional style and how you respond to stress. This means you have a calm temperament and function in a relaxed manner. You are not one to become highly emotional about bothersome work issues but instead remain composed and collected. People can usually rely on you to bring a calming presence to even very tense situations.

The trouble with that last one is that when I lose it, watch out.

Universal Skills

These are general skills transferable to any job, as opposed to specific skills like a programming language.

Based on your answers, you are strongest in Communication Skills

You are likely an articulate person and have received positive feedback from others on your writing ability or your skill speaking to groups. Even if you aren’t regularly called on to present ideas to others, you have confidence in your ability to convey thoughts and ideas in a clear and eloquent way. You are not one to get overly nervous when speaking to those in positions of authority. Instead, you get excited and energized when given an opportunity to display your skills.

The other two are multitasking and organizational skills.

Work Style

Again, in the short form it specified questioning, but I actually fell way out in the questioning/independent quadrant, midway between the two.  Both are covered below.

Overall, you show strength in your ability to be an Independent worker and in your Questioning style of interacting with your colleagues.

Your Independent Work Style

While you can be quite effective working on a team, you feel much more productive when you have the freedom to do things independently. You enjoy working automomously and feel that you are more effective and productive as an individual than as a team member. You are likely confident in your ability to come up with ideas without the help of others and trust in the quality of your work without feeling the need to have someone else review it.

Even though you prefer autonomous work, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are an introvert or one who likes to be alone. In fact, it may be quite the contrary. What is important to note is that your independent style is reflective of the fact that you believe you do your best work when you have the freedom to work on your own.

Your Questioning Work Style

While you trust the decisions of your superiors, you feel better when you understand the reasons behind certain decisions. You aren’t comfortable simply accepting things at face value; rather, you prefer to critically assess others’ decisions and offer your own opinions.

Even though you see the value in questioning the rationale behind organizational decisions, that doesn’t necessarily mean you question everything. Instead, you are tactful and speak up only when you believe there could be real benefit from such a challenge. As such, your colleagues and superiors likely appreciate your willingness to put yourself out there on behalf of the organization.

Another section of results covers preferences in values, environment and tasks.

Values

Personal growth was my highest, at 8, with all the others listed after with their scores parenthetical.

Personal Growth

For you, work is one of the main ways you identify yourself and experience new and exciting challenges. More than just a job, you believe that work should provide you with the freedom to utilize your talents and be innovative. You seek challenge and responsibility, are not afraid to take some risks, and hold on to the notion that your work will cultivate meaning, as well as define you as a person.

Even if you haven’t yet obtained the sense of personal growth that you’re looking for, you continue to make work decisions based on your desire to reach this goal. You hope that you will ultimately feel spiritually, mentally, and emotionally fulfilled by your work.

Security ( 6 )

Your score indicates that Security is of moderate importance to you. While you no doubt prefer to know that your job is safe, you don’t necessarily make career decisions based on it. Instead, you simply enjoy the consistency and stability of a secure environment, and like few unknowns to pop up along the way.

Financial Success ( 5 )

Your score indicates that monetary rewards are moderately important to you and somewhat motivating. While you aren’t entirely driven by the prospect of financial success, you nonetheless want to be paid adequately and ultimately hope to gain some financial security from your work.

Helping Others ( 5 )

Your score indicates that Helping Others is of moderate importance for you. While you ideally would like your work to benefit society in some way, you recognize the limitations of such an altruistic work objective. Instead, you do what you can to help others within your job, even if that doesn’t necessarily mean directly making the world a better place.

Achievement ( 4 )

Your score indicates that Achievement is of moderate importance to you. While you may be determined to achieve as much as you can in whatever you do, it is probably not too important for you to reach a level of expert-status or be considered a pioneer in your field. Instead, you are driven to achieve simply for its intrinsic rewards and not necessarily for the external acclaim.

Balance ( 3 )

Your score indicates that Balance is not an important value for you. You are very dedicated to your career and are willing to sacrifice some of your personal life for your job. You recognize that long hours and stress are sometimes par for the course, so it is not too important to you to have a job that affords you time to pursue outside interests and personal relationships.

Environment

Again, highest to lowest.

Flexibility ( 9 )

Because of your adaptability, you favor a workplace that fosters a sense of fairness and affability, a place that understands and is willing to accommodate you. This environment is relaxed, feels safe, and most likely exists in a less traditional workplace.

Supportive Atmosphere ( 8 )

You want your workplace to be one that is compassionate, fair, and accommodating of people’s personal needs. While you don’t expect your employer to cater to every whim, you desire a feeling of safety and support. It is your hope that your workplace will foster open communication and a sense of intimacy.

Fast-Paced Atmosphere ( 6 )

As someone who favors an ever-changing work routine, you like the surprise and excitement of a fast and furious work environment. While this setting may require additional work hours, a degree of uncertainty, and a competitive feel, you derive enjoyment and energy from it.

Professional atmosphere ( 1 )

While you may not be opposed to a traditional office environment that requires a certain degree of professional dress and manner, this type of setting simply isn’t a top priority for you.

Consistency ( 1 )

As someone who doesn’t need to have the same routine each day, you don’t place much importance on the consistency and stability more traditional work environments usually offer. Instead, you may prefer a more spontaneous and unpredictable environment.

And finally…

Tasks

The three are ideas, data, and objects.  It doesn’t rank them or say how close I came to scoring differently, but I’d guess it had to be close between the three, based one what I answered during the test.

You most prefer working with Ideas

You take great pleasure in brainstorming creative ideas and having discussions about abstract concepts, which are activities that often involve collaborating with your colleagues. Not overly concrete, you’d rather be the one who comes up with the ideas than the one to figure out how to implement them. With a preference for creativity and theory, you probably have little desire to work with numbers or data.

Although you may not currently be in an occupation that involves working with ideas, being good at thinking creatively and channeling different theories and concepts into actionable ideas will help you excel in this area. You may want to explore Idea-heavy occupations such as an advertising copywriter, architect, a software developer, or a writer.


So there you go, something completely different regarding how I tick, rather than a typical goofy quiz.
Posted by on 12/10 at 10:11 PM

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