Applying the VPI and the 16PF in a Case of Mismatched Occupations

Career counsellors have long known that occupational interests are often linked with abilities. We also know that if one has the ability, but not the interest, that ability will not be used. What happens, however, when one has an interest but not the right temperament or personality?

I recently had the pleasure of seeing someone for career counselling who fell in this latter category. This individual (let us call her Ms S) came to my rooms with one burning question on her lips: “What's wrong with me? Why can't I keep a job? I was in my past job for 4 weeks and the one before that for 3 weeks. How do I hang on to a job?” Ms S had a secretarial background. She had been fired from her previous positions and was concerned whether she had the capacity to continue working in this field or whether she had somehow become too slow.

After obtaining some background information, I asked Ms S to complete a battery of career counselling tests. Of special interest to this case was the results from both the Vocational Preference Indicator (VPI) and the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF), which I shall discuss below.