Tactics employers use to weed out the average job seeker: Part 1-Assessments

Whew! You finally complete a long job application, you are just about to grab a glass of wine and then you see those dreaded words- “Thank you for your application, the next step is to complete an assessment.”

NO!!!! Why?! As if the application process wasn’t long enough! Now I have to jump through yet another hoop? Our first instinct is to say forget it, and sometimes we do. Other times, we take a step back and remember how bad we want this position. We remember how much we need a job and how our stack of bills are staring at us from across the room like this.

Assessments measure everything from your Excel knowledge, Microsoft Word proficiency, industry skills, personality, and more.

For a recent position I applied for I took 4 assessments! YES! 4!

Microsoft Word Assessment

Microsoft Excel Assessment

Personality Assessment

Human Resources Assessment

After my second interview which was today, the recruiter said that I would need to take a writing assessment! Damn, I thought, am I interviewing for the President of the United States? Considering who is in office now I would surely get the job!

I have some quick tips to mentally get you prepared to take pre-employment assessments and get your mind right so that you don’t give up after you see the word assessment.

1) Yes, assessments are annoying. Some would argue that they are not a good measure depending on what you are asked and how they are constructed, but if you don’t complete them, I can guarantee you WILL NOT get the job.

2) Don’t just jump in all willy nilly. Click on the links below to brush up on your Word and Excel. These are the most common two assessments used by companies (depending on the position you are applying to). You may think you are an expert, but there will be questions they ask of actions rarely performed in WORD/Excel. These links can help. https://youtu.be/cn39B4fbs1g https://youtu.be/0sSMq_cH1H8

3) Be honest! On personality assessments don’t answer the assessment on how you THINK you should answer. These assessments have a bs meter (not the actual name) to sort out the truth. For instance, for a situational question about conflict let’s say you answered that when faced with a conflict with a coworker that you go straight to the supervisor. You may see this as a great answer when what it shows the employer is that you don’t try and handle issues yourself before bothering a manager with it.

Lastly, the world is slowly opening to 100% with some serious safety precautions and measures. Job seekers, I encourage you to hang in there! Update your resume or hire ShareTheRich, brush up your LinkedIn and interview skills or hire ShareTheRich, and utilize FREE resources like my FREE 45-minute career coaching call. We can plan your job search strategy and navigate these uncertain times together.

Also s/o to my amazing photographer and soror Quenest Harrington of Quture Media http://quturemedia.com/. During our headshot photography session, she captured this candid yet crazy looking shot of me! I thought it was perfect to demonstrate the disdain I have for assessments.

Stay safe and wash those hands!

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Love, Dr. Share