Traitify's data analyses indicate that Stetson University students who participate in the Discovery program display different personality characteristics than their academic counterparts who have selected their course of study. This suggests that students who enter the university with undecided majors tend to have particular traits which educators and counselors can discuss as part of educational programming, helping students in numerous ways. Overall, young participants can learn to identify how their indecision early in their undergraduate years is indicative of career personality characteristics that can be leveraged into later career strengths.
Traitify's Career Personality Blends are composed of seven core personalities that shape how the individual approaches daily life in the workplace, career development, and choice of professions. Our analyses found that Discovery students tended to have higher scores than students with a chosen major among three career personality types overall: Inventor, Mentor, and Naturalist, although these differences are small and not statistically significant so they should be taken only as indicators of emerging trends. A closer look at the sub-traits that compose each career personality type, however, revealed that there are two components in which the Discovery sample and the declared-majors sample have statistically significant differences. By isolating these significant sub-traits, we can begin to understand what may be influential characteristics among the Discovery sample.
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Let's consider the Mentor personality. Individuals who are career Mentors tend to thrive in team settings, be tuned into the needs and reactions of others, and excel in careers that include training, communicating with, or advocating for others. Discovery students had significantly higher scores than the declared students in the Mentor sub-trait of Sensitivity. This trait indicates a higher propensity to be tuned into and respond to their own and others' needs and emotions. This finding suggests that outreach to Discovery students could investigate whether their decision-making process is being impacted by concern for the opinions and needs of the individuals in a student's life, particularly their close family members. For growth and development, Discovery students may possess a well-developed ability to be aware of and responsive to the needs of those around them — a characteristic that can become an advantage on numerous career paths including therapeutic and academic counseling, education, and human resources.
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Recall that Discovery students had higher scores than declared students in the Inventor career personality as well. Inventors tend to have high creativity, take uncommon and innovative approaches to problems, and enjoy immersing themselves in a project. Again, a closer look reveals that a sub-trait within the Inventor personality may be the source of the difference between the Discovery students and the remaining Stetson cohort. Discovery students showed significantly higher scores in the sub-trait "Likes Novelty." This suggests that undeclared students may be hesitant to settle into one choice, preferring instead to engage regularly in new, exciting material. Programming for these students may therefore seek to emphasize the arrays of possibilities that exist within given courses of study, and explore how an individual holding a particular job title can pursue new tasks, expand their role, learn on the job, and envision changes in tasks, responsibilities, leadership roles, and challenges over time. This preference for novelty also points to a possible aptitude for careers that include varied workdays with diverse problem-solving opportunities and/or interactions with numerous role players. Students may wish to pursue business careers in sales, positions that involve fieldwork and/or travel, project-based careers in media production, or case management in social work — all positions that may involve more day to day variation and alternative daily settings.
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Now let's turn to four career personality types in which Discovery students had lower average scores than other students: Visionary, Planner, Analyzer, and Action-Taker. For all but Action-Taker, the difference in average scores between the Discovery and declared-majors samples was significant overall. For each of these traits with significant differences between the two groups, there were several sub-traits found to have significant differences as well. The largest gap existed for the Visionary career personality, where Discovery students had an average of 14% lower scores. Visionary personalities tend to have pioneering spirits, are known as trendsetters, take charge of situations, and are not averse to risk.
Discovery students were significantly lower than other students across several individual sub-traits of the Visionary personality. For example, these students provided responses indicating they are less competitive and aggressive than their peers with declared majors, but also less confident, daring, high-energy, and outgoing. They also endorsed themselves as leaders less often. This pattern of findings again points to factors outside of academics that may contribute to Discovery students' slower pace in identifying their course of study and career plan. They may perceive certain paths, or the act of finalizing a path, as requiring confidence and daring that they do not possess. Lower in confidence and with less interest in competition than others, they may be reluctant to "throw their hat in the ring" with other students. Outreach to Discovery students may therefore emphasize mastery, growth mindset, and practical routes to paid positions, thus modulating the fear of not being able to compete.
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Similarly, Discovery students produced significantly lower response scores than other students across several individual sub-traits of the Planner personality as well. Here, these students agreed more often with assessment items indicative of being less compulsive than did the other students, which is consistent with a slower decision-making process. Students can be helped to understand that this trait can be an asset in the workplace. Students also endorsed lower rates of being detail-oriented and meticulous, and, not surprisingly, were less decisive. Outreach that provides templates to guide decision-making and facilitates attending to important details may be beneficial. Interestingly, the Discovery students were also lower in the trait "conventional," suggesting that some students who have not selected a major may have an interest in learning about less commonly known career paths. Popular career selections, chosen by many students early on, may simply be of less interest to these students. Lastly, Discovery students endorsed components of being "alert" less often than did the other students, suggesting that these undecided individuals may pay less attention to personal matters, but may also be less prone to stress and anxiety associated with attention to information. These learners may simply feel less inclined to worry about delaying a choice of major — and that sense of contentment could be advantageous in certain careers requiring one to stay calm under pressure, such as management positions, customer service, teaching, and public relations.
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Finally, Discovery students were significantly lower in Analyzer personality scores overall than were students with declared majors. Analyzers are predisposed to asking questions and searching for answers, and they thrive on having more information. Discovery students' Analyzer scores were over 7% lower than other students' scores on average. When we again investigate comparative responses on the sub-traits of the Analyzer personality, we discover that Discovery students produced lower scores in four such traits: their scores showed them to be less deliberate, less intellectually-driven, and less rational. Indeed, these students may need scaffolding to turn their decision-making processes into more systematic and guided step by step plans. Advisors may seek to engage these students' intellectual curiosities with more effort than is required of other students, to ensure that they can identify topics that are of interest and to understand both academic and practical aspects of different courses of study. A further significant difference was found in ratings of being "serious", with Discovery students less likely to agree with indicators of seriousness. These students may be more lighthearted, which suggests they may resonate with career counseling that utilizes humor, unconventional methods, and pop culture references.
In conclusion, the Discovery students do tend to have different personality compositions than their peers. Their patterns of self-report indicate students who require supports to dive in and settle matters, but who have qualities of being tuned into others and accepting life's changes that can be leveraged into assets in their careers.
