Career
Profiler
Identify · Differentiate · Start
University of St. Gallen · Talentwerk · Dr. Benjamin Berghaus
>15,000
Participants
>25
Universities
>300
Employers
3
Dimensions
Career planning starts
with the right question
Which job suits me? Which working model fits my needs? Which industry matches my goals — and which company my values? These questions are asked by students worldwide. The supply of answers is large; the supply of methods is often thin.
The Career Profiler provides a solid foundation: on the basis of an online questionnaire, personal interest, competency, and value profiles are surveyed, made visible, and reflected upon in comparison with peers. The survey takes around 20 minutes; the results are deepened in a personal advisory conversation at the Career & Corporate Services (CSC) of the University of St. Gallen.
The Career Profiler is a joint project of the University of St. Gallen, Talentwerk, and Dr. Benjamin Berghaus. Berghaus developed the conceptual and methodological framework of the tool: the selection of suitable scientific models, their operationalisation for the everyday world of students, and the didactic concept that turns data into orientation.
Project data
Joint project
University of St. Gallen (Career & Corporate Services)
Talentwerk
Dr. Benjamin Berghaus
Role
Concept development, method selection,
operationalisation, didactic design
Origin
Swiss Student Value Survey, HSG 2012
developed jointly with Dr. Venera Batt,
University of Basel
Tool
hsgcareerprofiler.ch
«The first question of a self-assessment should always be: What do you enjoy?»
— Benjamin Berghaus in an interview
Three Dimensions. One Profile.
Career decisions depend on more than abilities. The Profiler surveys values, interests, and competencies with equal weight — on the basis of proven scientific models.
Six principles that carry the tool
A career tool is only as good as its methodological foundation. These principles are not coincidental — they are the result of a deliberate engagement with what career counselling can and should accomplish.
Established concepts
All three survey models are established in the scientific literature and empirically well-evidenced. No proprietary concept — but a deliberate selection of proven instruments.
Balanced profiles
Values, interests, and competencies are surveyed with equal weight. No aspect dominates. The result is a profile that makes all three dimensions of a career decision visible simultaneously.
Own operationalisation
The survey methods were adapted to fit the everyday world of students — linguistically, substantively, and methodologically. Questions must remain answerable without being manipulable.
Non-evaluative
The Profiler knows no good or bad results. It makes visible what is there — and invites you to reflect on it, question it, and actively shape it.
Peer comparison
Your own results are compared with students who are interested in similar industries or functional areas. This comparison sharpens self-perception and broadens the horizon.
Driver's Seat
The goal is self-empowerment, not external classification. Students should recognise, explore, and use their own career opportunities — as active shapers of their path.
Benjamin Berghaus in an interview about the Career Profiler
University of St. Gallen
How the project came about
The starting point was the Swiss Student Value Survey, first conducted at HSG in 2012 — developed by Benjamin Berghaus together with Dr. Venera Batt from the University of Basel. At the time, we wanted to encourage students to think more about their work-related values in career planning.
After several rounds, the concept was extended to include the topics of competencies and interests and developed into the Career Profiler. Today the tool forms the basis for career-related advisory conversations at the CSC — with over 1,400 individual consultations per year.
Extensions also emerged: the HSG Talent Profiler and a connection to employer data enabling peer comparison across industries.
Interested in similar instruments — for universities, career services, or companies? Or questions about the concept and methodology of the Career Profiler?
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