Would You Accept a Job if an IQ and Personality Test Were Part of the Interview Process?

this is a terrific post that i found on a website that has interesting content-

Would you apply for a job having to take a personality and I.Q. test as part of the interview process?

Some companies are requiring job applicants to take personality and intelligence tests as part of the interview.  I had to take a test as a pre-requisite to employment.  I passed the test and was given the job.  However, the results of the test were not revealed to me.  I wonder just how many companies are requiring their job applicants to take these types of tests.

For some people, having to take a personality test or an intelligence test might seem like an invasion of privacy or a violation of civil rights.  However, what can these people do if they are facing another month of unpaid rent and utility bills?

A problem is, how is the test information being kept, is it being sold to companies that do research and marketing in the areas of personality research and intelligence?  I do know that call centers that take customer satisfaction surveys of people over the phone are paid several hundred dollars for each completed survey. How much would a personality and intelligence test result be worth a company that is in that sort of business?

read the rest of the post at this website-http://online-iq-test-resources.blogspot.com/

Writing A Resume That Gets You Noticed

Which word is more scarier to you? If someone yelled "fire!" or if someone whispered, "resume"? To most people, hearing the word "resume" induces panic attacks and beads of sweat across the forehead.


Writing a resume is hard work. You must write your resume correctly; it must be perfect! Any blunders in your resume could cost you the job. The entire resume-writing process can be confusing. We've all asked ourselves these questions: "Which information goes in?" "Which stays out?" "How exactly should I format my resume?"

If you jumped into a pile of books and articles on how to write the perfect resume, you'd drown in words, sentences and advice that all sound the same. So what in the world will make your resume leap out of the pile and scream out, "Grab me! I am the person you want to hire!"

Writing a resume is an art and a science. We need to know a successful formula of words, sentences and phrases to convey our selling points. The following tips are shortcuts to write a stellar resume for whatever sort of job you desire.

FORMAT WITH CAUTION

Your professional history will strongly dictate your resume format. We must choose one of three basic resume types: chronological, functional or combination.

THE CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME - This is the most common type of resume, the one that comes to mind when the word is mentioned. A chronological resume is appropriate if you've had steady work experience with little to no breaks, have kept each of your jobs for long periods of time, or have industry-related experience that shows your working toward a specific goal. The Chronological Resume is comprised of:

Objective (which we'll discuss in a few paragraphs)

Employment history (starting from your most recent job)

Education

Optional section (for things such as military experience or any special skills/interests
that may pertain to the job at hand)

References

THE FUNCTIONAL RESUME - A variation of the chronological resume, a functional resume intends to highlight skills found outside of work experience; it's useful if you're in the process of changing careers, have little to no work experience or have held several, seemingly unrelated jobs. This sort of resume is comprised of:

Qualifications summary (a bulleted list of achievements or interests that qualify you
for the job for which you're applying).
Employment history
Education
Optional section
References

THE COMBINATION RESUME - A combination resume is what it sounds like: a combination of the chronological and functional formats. It tends to be slightly more useful than the functional resume, as that format sometimes makes an employer suspicious that you're hiding something (such as a lack of experience). The combination resume is comprised of:

Qualifications summary
Education (especially if it's a particularly strong area for you)
Employment history (in reverse order as the chronological resume)
Optional section
References

RETHINK YOUR OBJECTIVE

Many books and articles extol the virtues of an objective; it is, after all, a great way to position yourself within a job and show an employer what you want and how willing you are to get it. A lot of job-seekers have been ditching the objective in favor of a qualifications summary, and employers seem to be responding well. The reason for this is simple: objectives are, by nature, focused heavily on you and not the employer. Your potential employer, while certainly interested in what you want, is far more concerned with your qualifications and what you can do for the company.

The idea isn't all bad, though. It just needs a little tweaking. Instead of an objective, try creating a positioning statement.; it functions on the same way as an objective but puts the focus on you. Take a look at these examples:

Objective: To become an associate editor of children's books at a major publishing house.

Positioning Statement: Children's book editor with 10 years of experience in publishing.

These are loose examples, of course, but you get the idea; put the focus on you and the employer will take notice.

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL

Be specific about what exactly you've done. Your former job responsibilities and achievements are excellent selling points in your resume. Avoid being vague, unless you want your resume to read like everyone else's. Think about your previous jobs: what exactly did you do and how does that qualify you for a new position? For instance, don't write that you "assisted the senior editor with a number of editorial duties." Instead, write "contributed to editorial copy and content editing, cover design and overall concept of several major projects." Detailing your specific job duties and accomplishments show the employer what you're capable of and what he or she can expect from you as an employee.

SHOW THEM WHAT YOU CAN DO

It's tempting to outline your responsibilities to save some space and not appear overly conceited, but remember -- you're here to sell to yourself. You have one shot to make an impression. Chances are good that the employer will already know a bit about the duties of your last job (especially if it's linked to this job), so they need to read about what you've accomplished as opposed to what you did. Anyone could go through the motions of a nine-to-five day, but what did you actually achieve? What were the results of your work? Don't be modest with this; if a book you edited hit the best-seller list, then by all means, let the employer know. Never withhold important information about your achievements.

WORD IT WELL

The words you use in your resume are just as important as the results you've achieved or the jobs you've held. Make sure you use lively, engaging words and always avoid the passive voice; it reads in a boring, trite manner. Always write in active voice so you sound more formal and direct. Stay concise -- are you using more words that necessary? Would a great action verb effectively replace a whole sentence? Are there any obvious clichés, like "great customer service skills"? Strive to say things in the most interesting manner possible, and make sure you spell all words correctly. There's nothing worse than a typo on a resume, as it leaves the impression that "if this person doesn't care enough to spellcheck their resume," the employer thinks, "then how in the world will they care enough to do this job well?"

PERFECT THE PRESENTATION

Resume presentation is another crucial aspect to the resume-writing process. How your resume looks will serve as the employer's first impression of you; if it looks bad, or amateurish, your resume may not get a second glance. Make sure the visual formatting is correct (consult a resume guide book for samples of formatting) and always leave lots of white space; this makes it easier for an employer to skim through your resume and find the information they need. Use an easily readable font, such as Arial or Times New Roman; print it on high-quality white stock (no photocopies!); and send it in a white or manila envelope with a printed mailing label. And always, always, always remember to include your contact information, even your email address; it'll be hard to land that new position if the employer can't even get in touch with you.

So You Got the Interview

If you resume is impressive enough and you can make it past the vetting, you may get a job interview.

Remember that there are approximately 10 people for each job available today. You want to make certain that everything you can do to make your interview successful is being done.

This article I wrote for Hub Pages is the key to success. Unlike many other articles that advise what you should do, I am advising what should not be done during your interview.....

8 things not to do during your job interview

Going for an Interview with an Attitude to Get a Job

Although this blog is concerning resumes, occasionally I will add other things surrounding employment. This article is interviewing information. Comments and questions are appreciated.

Getting an interview in this current employment climate is important and critical. If you do get an interview, you are among the lucky and the few. When you receive the interview you want to do everything possible to be the one to obtain the job. This article can supply you with information to make that possible.

Your attitude says a lot about you. Unspoken language many times is just as important as spoken language. When you present yourself to the human resource manager or interviewer, have a great attitude. Leave arrogance or anything else negative at home and don’t bring them to the interview or work with you. If you want the position, don’t have the attitude that they need you. If they needed you, you would be the one behind the desk conducting the interview instead of the other way around.

During the interview, even if asked, avoid any negative commentary about any previous employment positions you have had. Your negative comments should be held back in general or specific incidents or terms. If asked why you left your employment, use general or non-specific terms that relate to advancing yourself or position in your niche. Truly if something was very negative with previous employers you would want to leave to advance yourself or find a better position, correct?

Leave your cell phone on off during the interview. This is distracting to you and the interviewer and frankly considered rude. Currently, the most important thing over the next 20 or so minutes is the interview at hand. If you answer your phone during the interview this can say a couple of things about you that may or may not be true.

• 1.       Easily distracted from the task at hand
• 2.       Will you use your cell phone instead of doing your job while at work

Use your listening skills well during your interview time. By asking the interviewer to repeat themselves you may relay the intent that you cannot follow directions well or don’t pay the best attention to detail. Listen well and take your time answering. Make sure you answer in full sentences and refrain from using industry jargon or slang.

Take time to research the company you will be interviewing with. Educate yourself on a little background and history. Most companies have websites that will make this fairly easy and simple to do. Therefore, if any general questions are asked about the company, you can answer. In addition, if asked where you would like to see yourself within the company in a year or two, you can honestly answer. You can also ask an honest question about the company if you have one.

After the interview, make certain you thank them for their time and the opportunity to be a part of the team. In addition, ask when they may make the final decision for the position. Knowing when their decision will be made can allow you to know when you can expect an answer and you won’t make a mistake of calling them back early before they are ready to make their final decision. This also saves you anxiety over when and how they will contact you.