Employment Testing: What Not to do on an Assessment

Employment Testing: A few portraits of what not to do on the Employee Assessment Test.

Example 1: You are a new graduate seeking your first full time job in the real world. You send out hundreds of resumes, and you finally get a call back from an employer. Things are going well, but then they ask you to take an employee assessment test (employment testing) and you agree too.

Example 2: You are in the middle of your career and you are completely bored with what you are doing. You thought this job would be filled with adventure, excitement, or at least good pay, and you haven’t gotten close to any of those. Your friends talk about how much they enjoy their jobs, and you want to feel that way, so you start looking for new jobs. You aren’t really sure what career path you should take. You seek out a career counselor to take an employee assessment test.

Example 3: You are in college, and majoring in Art is what you would love to do, but you are afraid that career choice will not sustain you down the road. You are unsure of what to do. All of you friends have a driven career path, but you are unsure of which way to go. You seek out employment testing.

In all three cases, these are great reasons to seek out employment testing. But what happens when you fill out the tests?

Don’t lie. This sounds so simple, but in reality, when you are taking the assessment test, it is extremely easy to lie. We tend to think that we have more skills than we do. When asked if we are great leaders, have organizational abilities, or can handle disputes well, generally, we rank ourselves high because we may have a) (leader) led our friends on a great excursion to Vegas, b) (organizational skills) organized our contacts on our iPhone, or c) (disputes) calmed a dispute between our younger siblings (and these are all great qualities!), but make sure you answer these questions as they relate to the work force.

For example, who wouldn’t know the “correct” way to answer test questions like, “How thorough are you?” or “Are you persistent, or do you give up easily?” Why would you ever admit to not being thorough in your work?.

The last thing you want to do is get a job that you thought you wanted and then not like it. If you answer the questions honestly, you may or may not get the job or career you “thought” you wanted, but you will get the career that fits you! And finding a job that you enjoy, can bring you more happiness than finding a job you thought you could enjoy.

Answering the test honestly will help you and your employer from making a terrible hiring decision. Just because you don’t get the job doesn’t mean you weren’t a great candidate – it just means that there is something that you are better equipped to do!

Don’t answer the questions based on the impression you receive from others. Sometimes we are easily influenced by our friends and family members. Your friends may tell you that you would make an excellent lawyer, doctor, or marketing professional, but if you do not want to do those, then don’t answer the questions like you are.

When asked a question on the employment assessments, it is easy to think, “Well, my friends tell me I could be great at that.” And then you answer accordingly. Only answer based on yourself. Years down the road – you will be in this career and your friends won’t. Answer the questions based on what will make you happy!

Finally, Don’t answer the questions based on who you want to be, but who you are now. Most professionals will change careers 5 times in their professional life. It’s hard to know what you want to do in 5 years, let alone what you want to eat for dinner tonight. When taking the employment test, answer the questions based on who you are now. It is easy to think, “Well, I could be good at that!” And you probably could! but answer the questions based on you now.

Now what? If you are looking for career counseling or employment testing, Thriveworks offers career counseling and employment testing to help you excel in your career. To schedule an appointment, or simply to acquire more information, contact us.

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