Prospective employees undergo close scrutiny, especially when it comes to well-known, international companies. A career test that includes various types of questions, ranging from general knowledge and aptitude to psychological screening, is often administered to determine which candidate best qualifies for the position offered. While these questions may seem trivial, they can reveal a lot about an employee’s personality and work ethics. So, what can a candidate do to prepare himself for a test and what should he expect?
• Practice, Practice, Practice: There are several different types of tests available on the Internet, and many of them are provided by highly reliable sources. However, career assessments vary widely depending on each company’s focus, so the actual test a candidate takes may be completely different than the ones he found online. The real point of practicing is to become familiar with the process of testing, and not the test format itself.
• Common Sense Counts: Some questions assess measurable qualities, while others attempt to reveal the candidate’s hidden traits and potential. As far as the second category is concerned, common sense is essential. For example, if a candidate applies for a position that requires regular contact with customers, answers that reveal introversion or difficulties in social interactions will probably not earn him the job.
• Skill Tests are Expected: Tests that assess both theoretical and practical knowledge related to the job description are too common to ignore. These tests are quick ways for the employers to determine whether a candidate has the technical skills required for the position. Qualifications mentioned on the candidate’s resume are also up for assessment, so prospective employees should polish up any rusty knowledge they choose to include in their CV.
• Liars Will Get Caught: Lying during a career assessment may not be a crime, but employees who get hired based on the results of a falsified test are not likely to hold on to the job. Their lies will eventually catch up on them, and their inability to respond to the job requirements will shine through their efforts to cope. After all, one can only pretend for so long, and the employee will soon get tired of the constant struggle.
• Tests Are Not Black-and-White: There are no right or wrong answers, especially when it comes to psychometric and aptitude evaluations. The employer simply chooses a set of characteristics that he wishes his employee to possess and, based on the analysis of test results, he picks the candidate that demonstrates these traits to the largest extent. This does not mean that an applicant who gets rejected lacks the relevant skills or is unsuitable for this job.
Job applicants should not dread career tests. Apart from being a necessary evil, they are also great opportunities for feedback and self-assessment. Prospective employees can find out a lot about themselves, and whether specific careers match their personality. They can also learn what skills or qualities they need to improve in order to make a successful career in their desired field. Therefore, these assessments can be seen as prompts for professional self-development.