Not everyone likes to take tests. Some people find them
boring, others are intimidated, and even a few just don't
see the point.
When it comes to work-related tests, people can get even
more uncomfortable. Who wants their employer to see more
deeply inside their head?
But work-related tests are becoming a fact of business
life. First of all, more and more employers now require
them for current employees - even for executives. Second,
most job candidates must take skill, personality, and/or
behavioral tests as part of the hiring process. And most of
these tests use language your potential employer may be
using (and thus, looking for in your resume).
But last and most importantly, if you want to position
yourself properly for a company, a recruiter, a headhunter,
or any other hiring professional, taking a work-related
personality test helps you define your skills in the most
authentic and powerful way possible.
If you're going to take one, you might as well start with
JASPER, Monster's Job Assets & Strengths Profiler. Here's
how they describe it:
"The JASPER test is the new standard in career testing and
assessment. Based on over 60 years of research, this fun
and enlightening test will uncover your job strengths and
preferences and help you use them to your advantage."
You get the standard "agree/disagree" kinds of questions,
but you also get:
* Ranking options from most preferred to least preferred
* Sliding scales between two opposing concepts
* Picture preference identification options
* Hypothetical scenarios
* Clicking on a series of words flying across your screen
(you'll understand it when you try it)
In other words, it's designed not to be boring.
The test results in a very huge report, which they give you
for free - they don't even ask for contact information in
exchange.
And in case you need a second opinion about how taking a
test affects your resume, here's what the Monster people
say:
"Now that you know what sets you apart, take a fresh look
at your resume. Promoting your strengths will help you land
the right job."
That's the whole point: Getting an objective view of your
strengths - the kind of objective view that a potential
employer will have - can help you position yourself better
and increase your odds of landing the job you're after.
And in an ultra-competitive job market, any advantage you
can get is worth its weight in gold.
So what are you waiting for? Go to Monster.com, search for
"JASPER" in the Career Advice take the test (about 15-20
minutes), and take something from the results to put into
action today!
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Allen Voivod is the Chief Blogger for ResumeMachine.com,
the leading resume distribution resource for managers,
executives, and professionals looking to accelerate their
job search results. Get the attention of thousands of
hiring agents with the largest and most frequently updated
recruiter database on the web, and dive into a wealth of
immediately useful career articles and blog posts - all at
http://www.ResumeMachine.com !
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