Does anyone know what to do with their life at 21?

Yeah, me neither. But don’t worry friends! Guidance comes from all sorts of places, especially at USG! That’s why I’m here to tell you about the Strong Interest Inventory and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

The Strong Interest Inventory determines the top 3 types of careers you would like based on a series of questions about the work you like to do. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) measures your personality through a series of similar questions, then categorizes you into where you focus your attention, how you process information, how you make decisions, and how you deal with those decisions. You can take both tests for free through the Center for Counseling and Consultation at USG! Just make a virtual appointment.

Here’s what to expect:

The first meeting is about introducing yourself. Who are you? What’s your major? Are you satisfied with your life so far? Is there anything on your mind? Next, you’ll receive the test through email. No pressure! You can take it at your leisure. Each test takes about half an hour to forty-five minutes. When you get your results, your counselor will automatically see them. The test is interpreted by Counseling Center director Dr. Jonathan Kandell. (He’s really nice, I promise.) He takes a few days to analyze the results, then he will email you when he’s finished. You make one more appointment, go over the results together, and ta-da!

There are no essays on these tests! The Strong Interest questions are about what type of work you like to do, both generally and more specifically. For example, do you like to work alone or in groups? How do you feel about filing papers or building an engine? You rank your preference on a scale of This-is-the-greatest to I-never-want-to-do-this-again. (Okay, I’m paraphrasing.) The MBTI questions are similar, though more general; the MBTI won’t ask you about building an engine but may ask about working in teams.

The Strong Interest Inventory is great for people who have some idea of what they want to do for a living but struggle to come up with specifics. It’s not a mandated thing, but it helps to clarify what type of work you find the most satisfying. The MBTI is more useful to understand your personality better, but it can help you understand your career trajectory, too.

For what it’s worth, I got EAC on the Strong Interest Inventory and my MBTI type is ISFJ. In short, EAC means that I like to work in leadership roles with an artistic side, and I am very detail-oriented. ISFJ means that I’m an introvert, prefer straightforward information, and make decisions based on personal values and empathy. I take my responsibilities very seriously and expect the same of those I work with. Both tests indicate that I’d make a very good librarian.

What about you? Would you be a good librarian too? Please let me know your results in the comments, and best of luck!