I had an enquiry from someone who had taken the MBTI and received the career report. She was feeling really down by the results – she had hoped that they would help her decide on what she could do for a new career but was focused on what she couldn’t do.

She hadn’t taken advantage of the included discussion but when I read what was written on their web site it didn’t sound like a proper feedback session but a chance to ask questions.

It’s important to have a feedback session with the MBTI, to enable you to really understand the assessment and what it means for you. There is a difference between the reported type – what is identified via the assessment and the verified type which is what is the one you identify through an in-depth feedback discussion. You then choose the best fit type.

Without a discussion people can misunderstand what an assessment is about, and that’s why people are trained to administer and interpret assessments.

Assessments can be really helpful for personal development and to help make career choices, that’s why I regularly use them with my career coaching clients but I do make sure that I discuss them properly.