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How to Use the Big 5 Personality Test for Growth

  • rightpeople234
  • 11 hours ago
  • 4 min read

Remember that situation where your manager wanted you to "network more," and you wanted to dive under that desk just to hide? Remember being called "too intense" in a team meeting? Yeah, all of us have been there.


Those are not character flaws. These are just clues to who you are on the inside. Once you grasp that notion, you can work with your personality rather than against it.


Welcome to the Big 5 personality test, which is kind of like having an honest conversation with yourself, just with science behind it.


What's This Big Five Thing Anyway?

Think of personality as a recipe. The Big Five measures the major ingredients:

How open are you to weird stuff?

How organised do you get?

Are you a people person?

Do you want everyone to get along?

And how often do you just hit the panic button?


Scientists call it OCEAN: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. Such fancy names to describe really basic human stuff.


The coolest part: there is no perfect score. Being high on extraversion is not better than being low on extraversion. It is just different. Just like one's preference for coffee over tea, both do the job.


Don't Fall for Dodgy Online Tests

We need to talk about those "Which Disney Princess Are You?" style personality quizzes. They're fun, but they're not going to help you grow.


Real personality testing takes effort. You want something created by actual psychologists, not someone's weekend coding project. Look for tests that ask detailed questions about real situations you've faced.


Professional assessment companies dig deeper. They don't just tell you you're "mostly introverted." They explain what that means for your work style, relationships, and stress levels.

Skip the five-minute quizzes. Growth deserves better than that.


Making Sense of Your Results

So you've got your scores back. Now what? Don't panic if you're not thrilled with every number.

Let's say you scored low on the conscientiousness scale. Your first thought might be, "Great, I'm lazy." Wrong. You might just be more flexible and spontaneous than methodical. That's pretty valuable in creative or fast-changing environments.


High neuroticism? You're not broken. You probably notice problems others miss. You care deeply about outcomes. Channel that energy right, and you're incredibly valuable.


Your results show your default settings, not your destiny. Think of them as your personality's home base - the place you naturally return to, but not the only place you can visit.


Finding Your Growth Edges

Growth happens in the stretch zone. Look at your lowest scores – those are your adventure areas.

If you're naturally introverted but work requires presenting, that's a growth edge. Start with small groups. Practice with friendly faces. Build up gradually. You're not trying to become an extrovert – you're expanding your toolkit.


Low on openness? Try saying yes to one new experience this month. It could be a different lunch spot or a weekend workshop. Small steps count.


Remember, you're not fixing yourself. You're adding skills.


Real Strategies That Actually Work


Building New Habits:

  • Pick one trait to work on: don't try to renovate your entire personality at once

  • Practice new behaviours when stakes are low (family dinner, not board presentation)

  • Track what happens when you stretch, what worked, and what felt terrible

  • Find an accountability buddy who gets what you're trying to do

  • Celebrate small wins because this stuff is genuinely hard


At Work Applications:

  • Share your working style with your team - it prevents so many misunderstandings

  • Volunteer for projects that push your growth edges

  • Ask for specific feedback on the skills you're developing

  • Learn to spot different personality types and adapt your approach

  • Use your natural strengths while building complementary skills


Try this: next time you're in a tricky situation, ask yourself, "How would someone with the opposite personality handle this?" Role-play it in your head. Sometimes the best insights come from imagining yourself as someone completely different.


Tracking Your Progress Without Going Crazy


Growth isn't linear. Some days, you'll nail that networking event. On other days, you'll hide in the bathroom scrolling your phone. Both are normal.

Set monthly check-ins with yourself. What situations pushed your boundaries? What felt easier than before? What still makes you want to run away screaming?

Ask people you trust for feedback. They'll often notice changes before you do. "You seemed more relaxed during that presentation" is gold-level feedback.

Consider retaking the assessment annually. Core personality stays pretty stable, but you might see small shifts that reflect real growth.


Time to Get Started

Are you finally ready to stop fighting against your personality and work alongside it? The trick is that qualified individuals must conduct the assessment.

RightPeople's specialty is helping Australian professionals come to grips with their personality via scientifically tested methods. With its OCEAN Occupational Personality Assessment, it is more than a scoring method, as it shows how your personality traits manifest at work. Moreover, since these local gentlemen know about the Australian working culture, they can ensure that the insights can apply in a manner that makes sense locally.

Your personality is not your prison-they're just a starting point. Do get to see where it can take you.


 
 
 

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