Interest Inventories

Personality tests are often used to determine an individual\’s values, interests and skill levels. Career aptitude testing or job aptitude testing are used in order to determine an individual skill set and ability to work with others in order to best place them in a position in which they would excel. Interest inventories were developed to ascertain what we have learned depending upon our senses to bring us information. In some cases, these interest inventories are used to describe an individual\’s hobbies and interests that may match significantly with people who perform in a specific career. In other cases interest inventories are designed to help an individual understand what method of learning works best for them.

There are three different methods of learning which individuals may find helpful. The first is an auditory learner in which an individual gains more knowledge from information that they hear rather than see or touch. The second type of learning is visual learning, in which an individual acquires more information through sight rather than sound or touch. And the third type of learning is tactile in which an individual gains more information through touch rather than sight or hearing. Interestingly, you will probably recognize the correlation between the type of learning which is best for you and the type of stimulation which most irritates you.

For instance, individuals who are best at auditory learning, or understand and take in more information when it is presented for them to hear, will be most distracted by noise in their environment.

Interest inventories are often given in the elementary and middle school years for students who are considering career choices. With the increasing academic focus allowed to students in their high school years, it is often in their best interest to begin taking classes in their chosen field of interest. This helps them to better determine where their future lies.

The difference between interest inventories and job aptitude testing is often based in the way in which the information is presented to the individual. For instance, career testing will provide an indication of jobs that match your personality type and thus the test is designed to get at the root of that information. These questions are not often forthright but rather ask an individual to rate how they would experience a specific situation or react under a specific set of circumstances.

Interest inventories are usually presented as a series of checklists that an individual uses to identify specific factors to which they relate. Each factor measures your interest and matches them with other people were employed in certain occupations. One of the most common interest inventories is the Strong Interest Inventory, which provides a summary of your interest areas in occupations that match those interests.

The Strong Interest Inventory was developed in 1927 by a psychologist who was trying to help individuals who were exiting the military find jobs which were suitable to their interests and skill set. The modern version is based on work done by psychologist John Holland and the newly revised inventory has 291 different items which ask you to indicate your preference from three different responses.

The Strong Interest Inventory can usually take about 25 minutes, after which the test is scored by a computer. At this point the test is used to show how certain interests that an individual has will compare with the interests of people who were successfully employed in specific occupations.

It is important to differentiate any interest inventory with the skills inventory. A skills inventory will measure the types of skills that you currently hold but not necessarily the interests that may define your career choice. Interest inventories will help show people where they can start their search or focus their efforts in order to choose a professional line of work that will best suit their abilities and in which they will gain the most satisfaction.

Some people use interest inventories to help them eliminate choices. Instead of using the test to show them different opportunities which they may not have already considered, they may use it to eliminate choices when they have too many alternatives or to learn to see a pattern in their interests.

For the most part, access to a database of interests and interpretation of an interest inventory requires a fee. However, because of the incredible knowledge and opportunities that it opens up for the individual is often well worth the charge of accessing a database and receiving an interpretive report.