When I took Praendex's personality survey, I thought the results would be somewhat broad and predictable, like a tarot card or palm reading. The results would show that as an employee, I am productive, trustworthy, a team-player, yada, yada, yada. Who wouldn't want to say nice things about oneself?

What I was surprised to learn was how a few words on a survey conveyed my complete personality so accurately and unflinchingly to someone who had never met me, right down to the dirty details. After talking to Dinah Daniels I was convinced that employers really could hire people and put them into the right jobs based on personality assessments as well as the skills on their resumes.

Daniels is president of Praendex, a personality testing and employer consulting firm, has never read Realty Times or Agent News. She doesn't know me, or what I do for a living. But she knows one thing - after analyzing my personality results, she would never let me prepare her mortgage application, income taxes, or anything else that requires attention to detail.

Okay, so accounting isn't my strong suit. But what is?

Before I interviewed Daniels, she asked me to fill out a Predictive Index® so that she could do an analysis on me to help me better understand the relevance of personality testing for employers.

The Predictive Index is a personality test that offers two identical lists of words, one for how others see you and one for how you see yourself. The words you check off reveal your natural behavior, the behavior you adjust to fit into the work environment, and the synthesis of your natural and adjusted behavior.

According to Daniels, job suitability is largely due to how naturally a person can behave in a given work environment, as adjusting outside of one's natural inclinations causes a lot of effort and stress. The less personal adjusting one has to do, the more likely it is that s/he is in the right job.

The official PI report says, "Blanche is an engaging, stimulating communicator, poised and has a competitive drive to get things done, which emphasis on working with and through people in the process. She understands people well and uses that understanding effectively in influencing and persuading others to act.

"Impatient for results and particularly impatient with details and routines, Blanche is a confident and venturesome 'doer' and decision-maker who will delegate details and can also be skillful at training and developing others. She applies pressure for results, but in doing so, her style is more 'selling' than 'telling.'

"At ease and self-assured with groups or in making new contacts, Blanche is gregarious and extroverted, has an invigorating impact on people, and is always 'selling' in a general sense. She learns and reacts quickly and works at a faster-than-average pace. Able to adapt quickly to change and variety in her work, she will become impatient and less effective if required to work primarily with repetitive routines and details.

"In general terms, Blanche is an ambitious and driving person who is motivated by opportunity for advancement to levels of responsibility where she can use her skills as a team builder, motivator and mover."

To my managers, Daniels suggests,"Consider providing Blanche with opportunities for involvement and interaction with people; some independence and flexibility in her activities; freedom from repetitive routine and details in work which provides variety and change of pace; opportunities to learn and advance at a fairly fast pace; recognition and reward for communications and leadership skills demonstrated; and, social and status recognition as rewards for achievement."

In other words, leave Blanche alone, let her be herself, and keep those raises coming. Hey, works for me.

Daniels then turned to her personal evaluation of my profile.

"What is clear from your profile is that you are comfortable and motivated behaving in your natural style. It could be that you own the company, or because you are successful and not feeling a need to change your behavior. Change uses energy and a person who is working to behave differently from their natural style is using energy.

"You have a high capacity to work and to do what you need to do. You are very confident and free to make decisions and make them well. You're a Big Picture person who can start a job on your own. You're very enthusiastic and exude warmth and friendliness. You sell people on believing in you and your projects. You're hard-driving, competitive, and venturesome. You are a very good closer. You're flexible, but determined. You are happy if you have opportunities to have interaction with people. That's important to how you do your work. You have to operate with other people, and you are not happy doing things on your own. You like a lot of variety, and you don't want to be bored, so it is essential that you do a variety of things every day. You have to have outlets for your drives. You need independence and room to stretch to be creative. You would not be productive if you were held closely under the thumb of an organization or if you were not allowed to give input. You don't like details, but see the need for details. It's just better for you if you can delegate the details to someone else. You have a strong intuitive sense, you know a lot going into the door, you have a lot of empathy, and when you meet new people you have the intuitive ability to understand their needs. You have a great persuasive management pattern, as you can persuade others, so you are a motivator and a morale builder. People want to work with you, and you are a great mentor.

"How am I doing?"

I was slack-jawed. It was dead-on accurate. To my ears, I was the perfect employee.

"But there's nothing there that sounds negative," I ventured modestly.

"It's never about being negative. It depends on what job you are seeking. These same traits wouldn't be desirable in some situations," she replied. "If Realty Times were looking for an accountant, you wouldn't be the right choice. And I know I would never want you to be my personal assistant."

Oooh, I cringed, thinking of my out-of-balance checkbook. And, the only job I was ever fired from was that of secretary back when they still called personal assistants secretaries. She nailed me. I guess I'm not so perfect after all.

Then she had a parting suggestion.

"You have a great personality for someone who likes to call their own shots...have you ever considered selling real estate?"