MAKING A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION
Tip!
Personality tests
Don’t try to second-guess what you think the employer wants to see! Personality questionnaires assess consistency in responses, so just be honest. If you’re right for the job and the employer’s right for you, you’ll do fine. However, if the job and employer aren’t looking for people with your personality, think about it this way – you may have just made a lucky escape!
What are these?
Personality tests assess your typical behaviour when presented with different situations, as well as your preferred way of handling things. They examine how likely you are to fit into your role and the broader company culture. Recruiters want to know if you have the characteristics they need for a particular job. For example, for a sales role, they may want someone who’s very forward, sociable and persuasive.
Practise, practise, practise! The best way to approach psychometric tests are to practise until you become familiar with the typical formats they come in, and the way questions are asked. It’ll also help you to improve on speed and accuracy, and identify areas in your ability tests that need work. But don’t get over-confident! While practice tests can improve your performance to some degree, remember that each employer’s tests will probably be slightly different. These are where you can find practice tests: • Simply do a quick Google search along the lines of “free psychometric practice tests” • Drop by your school’s career services and ask if they have some available. They may even have a better idea of the kinds of tests specific employers use
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