Computer-Based Career Assessment Systems

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Table of Contents

Occupational Information Network Critique
MBTI System Critique
References

The U.S. government-sponsored O*NET, or Occupational Information Network, is a free online database that provides definitions for a large number of jobs available in the country. The O*NET database can be used for education and training, career counseling, employment counseling, and writing job descriptions by outlining the duties to be carried out and the educational levels that must be attained (Gordon, 2021). It was established in the 1990s through a grant from the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor to the North Carolina Employment Security Commission (Gordon, 2021). O *NET offers a thorough database of worker traits and job requirements.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a self-reported questionnaire used to determine personality profiles. The exam uses four distinct dichotomies to assist people in evaluating their personalities: extraversion vs. introversion, sensing vs. intuition, thinking vs. emotion, and judging vs. perceiving (Simkus, 2022). The test sorts people into one of 16 four-letter personality types based on their preferences. Based on psychologist Carl Jung’s notion of psychological types, Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother, Katharine Cook Briggs, created the MBTI in the 1940s. Certified MBTI organizations can purchase the test, which lasts only 45 minutes (Simkus, 2022). It is typically an online exam program owned by the MBTI Foundation and administered by Consulting Psychologists Press (CPP). It is one of the most popular personality tests as over two million people take the exam annually as a requirement by human resource managers, learning institutions, and government agencies.

Occupational Information Network Critique

The main critique of the occupational information network regards whether the work sample is representative in terms of fundamental demographics like education, gender, race, and ethnicity. The cognitive cost of the survey may generate an overrepresentation of more educated workers, which would bias estimates of upward skill demands (Chauhan, 2019). However, this theory is only an assumption without the requisite data and analysis. The second criticism entails specific under-represented topics, like technology and employee involvement strategies, while other content is duplicated (Crisostomo & Chauhan, 2018). The lack of coordination in developing a long array of components across many instruments is the cause of this redundancy instead of conceptual design. The third criticism entails the level scales overlap in four primary occupational information network surveys; correlations between these scores within items are often 0.90 or higher (Chauhan, 2019). By deleting the Important component from these items, the respondent burden might be decreased, and significant content on technology and workplace practices could be produced.

The fourth criticism entails the frequent violation of the equal interval assumption by the seven-point level scales’ anchors as it is difficult to apply the framework’s information to other occupations. In addition, the model assigns level six extreme anchors, consistently discouraging respondents from using the upper end of the occupational information network’s selected scale range. The fifth criticism regards the ambiguity, use of technical terminology, and complication in various model elements (Chauhan, 2019). In moving the duty for completing the abilities and skills surveys from incumbents to job analysts, who get textual information on the jobs they grade but do not visit workplace sites. Students unfamiliar with an occupation’s technical terms can find these concepts confusing. Students will either need to be knowledgeable about the topic or look for additional sources of information to help them grasp these phrases.

The sixth criticism regards the complexity of the information processing tasks involved, as it is likely that respondents will often respond to questions in a pragmatistic and intuitive manner, basing their decisions on their broad interpretations of the apparent meanings of the questions and scales instead of the precise, meaning of the items and anchoring instances. Lastly, O*NET is ambiguous when looking for information on particular occupations. Information on these specialized roles, such as that of an executive coach or social media strategist, is not readily available. As a result, assignments may be less relevant and successful for students who are looking for particularly particular kinds of jobs. Redundancy happens when job descriptions across pertinent occupations with similar KSAs.

There are various benefits of the O*NET framework as it excels in several areas, including content validation and accessibility with no associated costs. The O*NET has been analyzed regarding its content for both internal and external validity by numerous scholars. Teachers can confidently use it in their classes without worrying about giving their students outdated material based on the resource’s empirical support, DOL sponsorship, and frequently updated database. O*NET interface is user-friendly and accessible with a fast Google search. Visitors can easily access the O*NET website and a list of related occupations, arranged from most to least relevant, by searching their desired occupation in the top right corner of the search bar.

MBTI System Critique

Psychologists’ primary issue with the MBTI assessment system is its lack of scientific evidence to prove its theories. There are discrepancies between research results as the ideas were not conceived in a controlled study. The MBTI originated from theories proposed before psychology was categorized as a field of empirical study; thus, the theories were not tested before the tool was commercialized (Owens, 2019). Contemporary psychologists insist that a personality test must meet specific requirements before it can be trusted. Carl Jung’s research was based on anecdotal information as he developed these theories from his experiences and stories from friends. In addition, Katherine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers had no formal training in psychology to develop a psychological test, thus raising concerns about the test’s entire premise.

Lack of bimodal distribution

The decisions made by the MBTI system are based on rational calculus or feelings, which create dichotomies. The MBTI system is thus faulty as it forces a choice where a test subject is placed at the end of four spectrums. The test attitude, taker’s circumstance, priorities, and other factors at the time of the test significantly influence the results. Only 30% of test-takers fall into one of these extreme categories, while the rest are spread on the spectrum (Owens, 2019). This indicates that the model neglect most of the population and is too inflexible to characterize a nuanced personality. The lack of bimodal distribution highlights the inherent issues within the model as they are no pure personalities. These issues affect all four Myers-Briggs categories, and psychologists claim they make it difficult to discern between various personality types.

Poor Test-Retest Reliability

The MBTI evaluation system’s poor test-retest reliability further criticizes its efficacy. This indicates that it’s likely that someone who takes the MBTI test twice will receive different results each time. Retested individuals who scored close to the average on a specific scale could easily land on the opposite side of the dichotomy. This phenomenon is evident as the traits the MBTI model aims to measure are not the ones that are consistently different among people. Most people display different characteristics depending on one’s mood, thus leading to bias regarding personality type. Studies show that 50% of the people classified into a personality type have different results when the retest interval is five weeks (Owens, 2019). The model thus fails to meet standards of test-retest reliability since the time between two tests is insignificant to accomplish a different personality.

Poor Predictive Value

Additionally, the MBTI’s poor predictive value is often cited by detractors of its validity. A psychometric test is typically regarded as valid if it can forecast actual. The MBTI is frequently criticized for its inability to predict work performance. Studies have revealed that the test is ineffective at predicting a person’s success in various jobs. There is no positive correlation between MBTI personality types and level of success within an occupation. The lack of predictive value is due to its initial application, as the MBTI assessment tool was not created to predict job performance. The MBTI test’s creators explicitly stated that any type could be successful in any career. The model users anticipate that MBTI results will be correlated with either job satisfaction or career choice. This shows that the model does not have a predictive value based on the factors it is programmed to predict.

Career Counselling

An occupational information network provides a platform on which career assessment and guidance programs can be built from the individual to global levels as it gathers occupational data and resources in one place. Individual practitioners and academics can use occupational information network tools and data to operate as a resource for clients or students with a range of interests, desired levels of education, work styles, values, and prior experience (Hanna et al., 2019). A wide range of occupations can be matched to a person’s qualities that help individuals adapt their employment search. Additionally, O*NET offers valuable materials for anyone interested in a specific career. These comprise information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on salaries and employment trends and information on the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for the job, the activities involved, the work environment, and related occupations (Crisostomo & Chauhan, 2018). This information helps one filter careers to find the right fit.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

One can determine a career choice by taking a Myers-Briggs personality test as it considers workplace behaviors, how people make vital decisions and how one interacts in the workplace. The MBTI assessment criteria can help in the career choice process by studying one’s personality type to help narrow the field and uncover the best work environments suitable for one’s personality (Labrie, 2017). Determining what one wants to do professionally is one of the most challenging decisions someone will ever have to make. Clients may have a better notion of the type of job that would suit them best if they are aware of factors such as which personality types find it easier to network, which types prefer to work alone, or which personality types prefer to delegate duties.

The MBTI assessment can assist your client in choosing a job by identifying the various settings and locations in which they might thrive. Depending on the overall workplace climate, certain personality types will succeed in their roles better. For instance, introverts often like calmer settings, while extroverts typically favor collaborative projects where they can orally express their views and interact with others. Clients will be better able to locate a setting that will enable them to produce their finest work if they are aware of their personality preferences. The more one understands themselves, the better their chance of finding a suitable career.

References

Chauhan, R. S. (2019). Occupation exploration: Using O* NET in the management classroom. Management Teaching Review, 4(1), 79-88. Web.

Crisostomo, M. E., & Chauhan, R. S. (2018). Using the occupational information network (O*NET) to demonstrate the importance of understanding statistics for undergraduate students. Teaching Statistics, 41(3), 89–93. Web.

Gordon, J. (2021). O*NET (occupational information network) explained. The Business Professor, LLC. Web.

Hanna, A., Gregory, C., Lewis, P. M., & Rounds, J. (2019). International career assessment using the occupational information network (O* Net). In J. Athanasou & H. Perera (Eds.), International handbook of career guidance (pp. 581-612). Springer.

Labrie, C. (2017). Using the MBTI to help with career exploration. Psychometrics Canada. Web.

Owens, M. (2019). Validity of the Myers-Briggs type indicator®: Is the MBTI® scientific?Truity. Web.

Simkus, J. (2022). Myers-Briggs type indicator: The 16 personality types. www.simplypsychology.org. Web.

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