Self-Assessment Aids MBA Applicants

From professional exams to simply putting pen on paper, an honest self-assessment can help an MBA applicant target career choices and business school goals

by Francesca Di Meglio

Who am I? That's the existential question that faces many college undergrads for sure. But MBA applicants are likely to be asking that question for a whole different purpose, which is career direction. And the answer, in many cases, lies with self-assessment tests.

MBA students hear a lot about self-assessment tests as they begin the recruiting process in the fall of their first year. But there's a case to be made for aspiring MBAs to begin this process when they first start applying to graduate business schools (BusinessWeek.com, 9/23/2007) and to continue it throughout their careers.

"With the admissions process, the more you know yourself and the career track you're heading on, the better you'll be at answering the [application essay] questions," says Graham Richmond, co-founder and CEO of Clear Admit (BusinessWeek.com, 10/18/2007), an MBA admissions consultant based in Philadelphia. He adds that knowing oneself will not only make you a better applicant, but also a better student who will be able to take advantage of all the MBA program has to offer from the very start.

A Range of Tests

But just how does an MBA applicant get started on the road to self discovery? There are many tools available—from personality and self-assessment tests to sessions with a professional career adviser or admissions counselor. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Keirsey Temperament Sorter-II are among the personality tests you can consider. And CareerLeader (BusinessWeek.com, 9/28/2004) has a common self-assessment test for entering MBA students to take.

You can purchase some of these tests online and take them from the comfort of your home. Prices vary, depending on the test and how involved you'd like to get. For example, the cost will increase if a professional walks you through the results. The Keirsey Temperment Sorter (KTS-II) is free to take at www.keirsey.com. After you take the test, you receive a no-cost summary of your results. You can then purchase more in-depth reports on your specific temperament, which range in price from $4.95 to $19.95. To take the MBTI online, you can go to mbticomplete.com, where the full assessment with written reports costs $60.

Many of the self-assessments are multiple choice and ask for your opinion or approach to a particular problem or situation. The results usually offer detailed information about your personality and the types of work environments that would best suit you. Some of these tests offer suggestions about specific careers in which you might do well.

The only way for these tools to work, however, is if you forget about what you think your answers should be and instead respond honestly. "A self-assessment tool will only provide results based on what you provide as input," says Edward J. Kim, vice-president of Enterprise Services for Keirsey.com in Irvine, Calif., in an e-mail. "So it is imperative that you represent yourself as you are in order to find results that can be helpful."

Professional Advice

Many of the tests tell you a bit about who you are and offer suggestions on the types of work at which you would excel. Kim also advises people who take these personality and self-assessment tests to speak to a trained professional about the results, so that you truly understand what they mean and how you can use the information to create a career plan.