A One-Stop Center for Guidance, Strategies, Tips and Tricks on All Things Job Search
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The Job Search Classroom
A One-Stop Center for Guidance, Strategies, Tips and Tricks on All Things Job Search
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** Employment Testing **
You may encounter employers that use testing as part of their pre-hire evaluation process. Such tests
range from general aptitude tests, usually encountered in certain entry-level training programs, to
specific skills testing where particular technical skills are core to the position.
Examples where technical skills testing is used may be frequently encountered in administrative positions
where office technology skills such as proficiency in Microsoft products (e.g. MS Word, Excel or Powerpoint)
are expected. Sometimes certification of completion of certain courses may be sufficient as proof of
a particular competency.
Here are a few examples of firms that provide testing services to hiring organizations:
Although oriented from an IT perspective, core general points are also discussed here.
In any case, its important to know of the possibility of testing when one searches for and then begins to harvest particular job opportunities so you will not be caught off guard if this step comes up, and you can shore up skills or get certifications ahead of time to enhance your harvesting opportunities.
To get guidance on any other particular skills, or on broader career aptitude and personality testing -
Because of its prevalence in the office, guidance on Microsoft Office technology skills testing and learning provided below.
The links below are generally to short quizzes to give you a sense of what level of knowledge you possess for each of the areas. They are not meant to be comprehensive nor publicly recognized measures. One link is included for each application that is a certification site, where a small fee is required to be certified. As there are likely many different certifications used by different employers, asking friends, acquaintences and/or staffing agencies as to what tests they may have had to take is recommended to ensure you invest your time efficiently in preparing for a potential opportunity you are pursuing.