Understanding Your Preferences
The personality assessment model, which is based on research from Carl Jung, suggests that people develop consistent patterns in how they direct their energy, take in information, make decisions, and organize their lives. Understanding these patterns can be a useful starting point for self-reflection and career exploration, though they represent just one lens among many for understanding yourself.
How does it work?
Identify your tendency within each of four preference pairs.
Discover your four-letter preference pattern. Explore what these preferences might mean for you. No type is better than another, and you are more than any four-letter code.
Everyone uses both sides of each preference pair at different times. Your type reflects which side you tend to gravitate toward more naturally. These preferences can evolve, especially during your college years.
The 4 Preference Pairs
Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I)
Extraversion: People who prefer Extraversion tend to direct their energy outward. They often enjoy engaging with people and the external world and may feel energized by social interaction.
Introversion: People who prefer Introversion tend to direct their energy inward. They often prefer reflecting on ideas and experiences internally and may need time alone to recharge.
Sensing (S) or Intuition (N)
Sensing: People who prefer Sensing tend to focus on concrete, present-moment information gathered through direct experience. They often value practical, real-world evidence.
Intuition: People who prefer Intuition tend to focus on patterns, possibilities, and the bigger picture. They may enjoy working with abstract concepts and imagining future outcomes.
Thinking (T) or Feeling (F)
Thinking: People who prefer Thinking tend to make decisions by analyzing logical consequences and seeking consistency. This does not mean they lack emotions.
Feeling: People who prefer Feeling tend to make decisions by weighing personal values and considering how outcomes will affect others. This does not make them irrational.
Judging (J) or Perceiving (P)
Judging: People who prefer Judging tend to appreciate structure, planning, and having things decided. They often feel more comfortable with clear timelines.
Perceiving: People who prefer Perceiving tend to stay open to new information and options. They often feel more comfortable with flexibility and adapting to change.
Evidence & Limitations
Appropriate use: Self-reflection, personal development, and career exploration.
Inappropriate use: Hiring decisions, admissions screening, performance evaluation, or any high-stakes selection process.
What the science says:
Personality exists on a spectrum, not in neat either/or categories.
Your type can shift over time, especially during formative years like college.
This framework is not meant to predict job performance.
No single assessment captures the full complexity of who you are.
Bottom line: Think of your type as a starting point for reflection, not a final answer.
How to Use This Report Responsibly
Read with curiosity, not certainty. Notice what resonates and what does not.
Use it as a conversation starter with an advisor, mentor, or friend.
Explore careers broadly. Do not eliminate any path based solely on your type. Use the Steppingblocks Digital Career Counselor.
Revisit over time. Your preferences may evolve as you gain new experiences.
Respect others' types. No type is better or worse.