Katherine Briggs and Isabel Myers, daughter of Katherine Briggs, developed the Myers Briggs Type Indicator during World War II based on the typological theories of Carl Gustav Jung that he published in 1921 in his book, ‘Psychological Types’. The two ladies created the MBTI mainly to help women joining the industrial workforce during the Second World War in selecting the most suitable jobs for them. Later, they expanded their first questionnaire and published a detailed MBTI instrument in 1962 as a
career assessment test. The focus of the MBTI test is on normal populations. The emphasis of the MBTI is on the value of differences that occur naturally. The MBTI assumes that all human beings have individual preferences in construing their experiences and such preferences alone underlie their interests, values, needs, and motivation.
Another tool helpful for career exploration is the Strong Interest Inventory (SII). A psychologist, E.K. Strong, developed the Strong Interest Inventory in 1927. Later, Campbell and Hansen revised it. However, the present version of the Strong Interest Inventory widely in practice is based on Holland Codes, a typology that another psychologist, Holland, propagated in 2004. The present Strong Interest Inventory version contains 291 questions on areas such as occupations, subject areas, activities, leisure activities, people, and individual characteristics. The examinee selects from options of ‘strongly like’, ‘like’, ‘indifferent’, dislike’, and ‘strongly dislike’ for the first 282 items. For the last 9 personal items, he selects the same options with the addition of ‘me’ for each one, such as ‘strongly like me’, etc.
Another instrument quite popular in career exploration was created by William Schutz. This instrument is the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior (Firo B). Even though Schutz did not emphasize any specific typology, the present Firo B test is based on the theory of five temperaments. The major areas that cover the needs of people when they form a group are Affection (sometimes listed as Openness), Control, and Inclusion. The Firo B has also been found to be highly useful in training.
However, the emergence of the MBTI reduced the popularity of the FIRO B. Still, the majority of recruiters and career consultants use the MBTI, FIRO B, and Strong Interest Inventory as an effective career assessment test combination to help career aspirants select the right jobs for them. These three tools are also highly helpful for students to choose the right courses in college.