Why do we recommend a free interest profiler quiz to new and incoming immigrants?
The short and simple answer: Because we want to help you find the right career path that will be enjoyable for you.
The decidion to migrate is a big leap of faith in and of itself. As new immigrants, you will be bombarded with a lot of starts and re-starts. The least you could do is begin something that you do not like or want.
By the end of this post, you will see why it is important to know what you like and what you love and why the difference of this two matters in finding the best job fit.
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THE POST BELOW IS ABOUT THE FREE INTEREST PROFILER QUIZ TO HELP NEW IMMIGRANTS FIND THE BEST JOB FIT.
WHAT IS AN “INTEREST”?
An interest can be anything – an activity, an event, a topic, an idea, or a tangible thing – that you are curious about.
An interest is anything that fascinates and attracts you to the point that you pursue it and/or indulge in it.
You can be interested in multiple related activities like cooking, baking and inventing new recipes.
Or you can be interested in totally unrelated things like solving Sudoku and scuba diving.
An interest profiler test is helpful in determining the many other things that you do not know that may be of interest to you.
WHAT IS “INTENSITY OF INTEREST”?
If you like something or you are intrigued by it, you either pursue it for a bit of time or you can delve into it to the point of being an expert in it.
These varying degrees of interest are called INTENSITY.
The intensity of interest can be scaled by an interest profiler test: How passionate can you be?
For example, you LIKE cooking, but you LOVE doing Sudoku more than chopping onions in the kitchen. It can be translated as, you have an interest in cooking but you have more interest in that game of numbers.
Knowing what your interests are AND the degree of intensity in each one will give you a better understanding of WHY YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO.
WHY KNOWING THE INTENSITY OF AN INTEREST IS IMPORTANT?
The degrees of intensity of your interests are important because they could translate into habitual actions in daily life.
How intense is your desire for that idea/event/thing can directly influence your behavior and your life in general.
Your thoughts, time (schedule), resources and effort can be directed towards the things you are interested in.
As in the example above, when you have an interest in cooking, but you have more interest in that Sudoku, it is a safe assumption that, if given the choice, you will be more likely to be ordering takeout rather than be bothered when you are engrossed in your game of numbers.
HOW CAN THE "INTENSITY" OF AN INTEREST AFFECT EMPLOYMENT?
How do these varying degrees of intensity translate when applying for a job?
For example, you are good at numbers, a Math Whiz of sorts. And the job offer is in the payroll department. It should be OK, right?
However, it requires that you will be confined inside a cubicle alone for most of your working hours.
You dread the 8-hour workday of being alone in front of your computer, crunching numbers. You would gladly consider a customer care position at the front desk.
While you are INTERESTED in numbers, you are MORE INTERESTED and a lot happier when interacting with people.
At least three things may happen:
- Either you will decline the job offer
- Accept the job offer and be miserable
- Accept the job offer but plan to transfer departments
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WHY DO HIRING OFFICERS ASK ABOUT YOUR INTERESTS?
“What are your interests?” is a staple interview question but do not be misled by its simplicity. It is more than a conversation starter.
In fact, your answer to the question “What are your interests?” will reveal a mountain of information that hiring officers can mine about you.
Job recruiters ask this question to understand how your lifestyle, your hobbies and your values connect to the requirements of the job you are applying for.
Your answers can give an estimation if you are a good fit for the position and the culture of the company.
If you are the Math-Whiz-Applying-for-the-Payroll-Department (but unhappy in a lonely cubicle), you may want to state your case: That you are more interested in being around people instead of being alone in a cubicle.
A great hiring officer may be able to match you with another position in the company. It could be a job that requires you to face customers who have problems that involve numbers, like issues with their billing statements or refund calculations.
It will be a win-win situation:
- You are happier because you get to be around people.
- The company benefits from your math skills and analytical thinking to solve customers’ problems.
If you find a job that interests you, you are one happy employee. This enthusiasm will help you to stay on the job for long term. More importantly, it gives way to a GROWTH MINDSET.
Growth mindset is the one that fuels your eagerness to pursue your interest to the point of mastery.
For example, if you are the Math-Whiz-from-Payroll-but-now-in-Customer-Service, you are a happy employee because you are in a job that you like. Of course, you want to be better at it.
Because you like your job, you will be looking for ways and means to solve customers’ issues faster and more efficiently. You will try to partner with co-workers who can help you solve problems.
So, the next time someone asks you, What are your interests?” , it pays to be truthful. But to be truthful, you must know first what really interests you.
HOW CAN THE INTEREST PROFILER HELP YOU?
An Interest Profiler Test can help you in a job hunt. More importantly, it can also help you to hold on to that job.
SCENARIO: You already took the free interest profiler. You now know what interests you, and the varying degrees of intensity of each one.
Knowing where your passions lie benefits you because you will:
AVOID A JOB YOU WILL HATE
As new immigrants, time and resources are valuable to you. Do not waste time and commit to a job just because you needed one.
- Will the job description fit your interests?
- Will your passions fit into the culture of the company?
- In the long run, will you still find joy in the job, beyond the aspect of money and salary?
If you don’t fit into the job or the culture, you will soon find yourself stressed and unhappy. As new immigrants, time and resources are valuable to you. You do not have time jump from one job to another.
Save yourself the trouble and keep looking for the job that best fits you.
AVOID BEING THE INCOMPETENT ONE
You are “fresh off the boat”. Be ready for people who will try to discount your capabilities just because you are a new immigrant.
Therefore, do not accept a job or task that you are not interested in. If you do and you fail, you will just be confirming the impression of these people.
The interest profiler results can reveal your interests and the degree of intensity. As you have learned above, INTEREST can propel the GROWTH MINDSET. The more interested you are, the more you pursue the subject to the point of mastery.
Therefore, start with applying for a job that is in line with your passions so that you will be excited to learn more.
When you learn and apply what you learn, your company, customers and co-workers also benefit from it.
AVOID GETTING FIRED
Let’s say you are skilled, capable, and equipped for a particular task. But the problem is, you do not enjoy doing it.
It would be a mistake to make it a JOB or be the basis of a CAREER. Sooner or later, you will find yourself unhappy.
If you are unhappy at your job, you would not care for efficiency and the quality of work. You will end up with errors and mishaps.
You will be sparring with your co-workers and your superiors because of the poor quality of your work.
You will be wasting valuable company resources. Worse, the management will see you as a mediocre and a bad hire, and they will fire you.
Therefore, either you force yourself to be interested in the job at hand or look for another job that really interests you.
MAXIMIZE YOUR ADVANTAGE
The best part of the interest profiler is providing you with a direction for your career and life decisions.
Knowing what your inclinations are, you can map out your success path based on the ideas and activities that you love.
If you love what you do, for example at work, it will show in your results. Promotion and/or success is not far behind.
WHY DO NEW IMMIGRANTS NEED TO KNOW THEIR "INTEREST PROFILE"?
You may be fortunate to indulge in hobbies and leisure activities. It may come as a surprise to you but there are many who are not as fortunate as you are.
Examples are the following:
IMMIGRANTS FROM HIERARCHICAL SOCIAL STRUCTURE
There are still cultural societies around the world that continue to adhere to defined hierarchies, where people of some social classes are deemed lower than others.
People of “lower class” – and those who are born of them – are limited to certain levels of education (if any), have lowly and menial jobs and get very few opportunities for self-realization and improvement.
They may not have the opportunity to explore their interests because of the limitations that were set on them by society.
IMMIGRANTS FROM PATRIARCHAL SOCIAL STRUCTURE
In a strictly patriarchal society, members of the female gender are not considered equal to the males.
Women in this type of societies are limited to gender defined roles like being mere wives, mothers, and housebound daughters by virtue of social, civic, cultural, and marital rules.
Many of these women have not been entrusted with decision-making and any big project. They have been relegated to doing chores around the house, childbearing, child-rearing and being obedient subjects.
Needless to say, it is MEN who define (and enforces) these gender roles.
COMBINATION OF THESE SOCIAL STRUCTURES
Furthermore, in some societies, both hierarchical and patriarchal social structures exist side by side.
In them, women are the most oppressed class AND gender.
It may appear that the new immigrants from countries with this types of social structures may not be applicable to many of the jobs in the United States – like office jobs or tech jobs.
But only at first. It does not mean they cannot be equipped to work on these fields in the future.
In the spirit of equality, all the more that an Interest Profiler, in addition to a Skills Assessment Test, is highly recommended for all immigrants.
It is necessary to help level the playing field for them to be able to participate in the national (and familial) economy.
OTHER PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Similar to SKILLS ASSESSMENT, there are other practical applications for the results of the INTEREST PROFILER aside from job search purposes.
Here are other practical applications of the results of an INTEREST PROFILER:
IN PURSUIT OF BUSINESS ENDEAVORS
Not all new immigrants are keen on being employed.
It is possible that you have had a business before (in the old country) and may want to do the same here.
Or you want to strike it on your own for the first time.
In any case, knowing what your strongest interests are will eliminate all other nonessentials that may cost you time and money.
Knowing your passions will also help you network with like-minded businesspeople.
IN PURSUIT OF PERSONAL ENDEAVORS
Nowadays, there are many hobbies and activities to choose from. But the problem is the amount of time to participate in each one is still limited.
Focus is the key, which activities to pour your precious time and money into.
Again, as in business pursuits, knowing what your interests are will eliminate all other nonessentials that may cost you precious resources.
Furthermore, that same knowledge will link you with people who are into the same interests as yours.
CHOOSING COLLEGE COURSES AND MAJORS
If you are new immigrant high school student or an incoming college student (or someone in your family is) you are encouraged to take interest profiler tests to help identify careers that harmonize with your passions. The results of these profiles will aid in providing clarity of the future you want.
As a new immigrant parent or student, you are doing your best to be prudent with your hard-earned money. You do not want to waste money on a college degree that will be left unused, or unfinished.
Knowing what areas you are most interested in will save money, time, and effort for everyone involved.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND MAJOR LIFE DECISIONS
You may be one of the many new immigrants who come to the United States in their 50s and 60s. As such, there is no time to waste on jobs and activities that no longer excite and bring joy.
Maybe you are one of the many new immigrants who came over in your 30s and 40s. You are still too young to stop working but too poor to retire early.
Whatever stage of life you are at, the passing of time has brought milestones and circumstances in your life that may have changed your perspective.
Some interests may have been sharpened and some have waned by the passing of time. Some may be more intense than the others.
A new set of profiles may surprise you and may lead you to a more exciting chapter of your life!
DEDICATION
Immigrant or not, taking an INTEREST PROFILER TEST is for everyone, and it is highly recommended to those who want to know and measure the levels of their passion.
This article is dedicated to ALL of you new immigrants of ALL GENDERS and ALL SOCIAL CLASS who want to discover your potential – whether it is a better career fit, a perfect college course, a fulfilling pastime or forging a path to reach the many stars that are available in this rich new land.
CONCLUSION
Regardless of what age, chapter, and situation in life you are, an interest profiler test can be taken, for the fun of it and for the knowledge it reveals.
Like all new immigrants, you came over to the United States of America with hopes and dreams for a better life for yourself and your loved one. You are in the process of establishing yourself once again. You do not have the luxury of time and familiar surroundings to make half-baked choices.
When you are armed with the knowledge of identifying your interests and the awareness of the depth of your passion for each one, you may be able to find a better future and a better version of yourself.
WHERE TO ACCESS A FREE INTEREST PROFILER?
There are many profiler quizzes available online. You can do a search and avail yourself of the free ones.
Here is a starter test for you with 60 questions.
This website is highly recommended because:
- It is from a site that is sponsored by the US Dept. of Labor
- It is a partner of AmericanJobCenter network.
- You can check for the occupations that match your strongest interests on another site within the network after the quiz.
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We hope that you will find time to do a profile of your interests and recommend it to others, too.
Please share this article to a fellow immigrant.
Maria is just a chatterbox (on a mission.😋)
NO ONE AUTHORIZED her to spew all this MOMSENSE, but she is a complicated cat and so she feels that she must. Be advised and take a spoonful of salt for every opinionated post you read here. And please, please consult a professional for individualized advice on life-altering decisions.
Maria is just a chatterbox (on a mission.😋) NO ONE AUTHORIZED her to spew all this MOMSENSE, but she is a complicated cat and so she feels that she must. Be advised and take a spoonful of salt for every opinionated post you read here. And please, please consult a professional for individualized advice on life-altering decisions.
THE POST ABOVE IS ABOUT THE FREE INTEREST PROFILER QUIZ TO HELP NEW IMMIGRANTS FIND THE BEST JOB FIT.
