How Tests and Inventories Can Help Jobseekers

A common mistake jobseekers make when describing themselves in a professional context is to launch into a list of their current and past jobs and experiences.

You may think that a hastily-sketched map of your accomplishments is all you need, but trust me, that won’t cut it. You need to create a full-color map that reflects the geography of the real you – with all the color and richness that only you can provide.

Often, aptitude, personality and psychometric tests and inventories are used as a stepping stone at this point of the journey.

Many of us have taken tests like Myers-Briggs Type indicator and StrengthsFinder 2.0, and they can provide language that helps describes preferences, tendencies and values. But how do you use the output to direct your job or career choices? Here are some suggestions:

• Incorporate descriptive terms from the test into your personal branding statement.  If the inventory says you are intuitive or that you see the big picture and are a strategic thinker – and you believe it is true – use that descriptor in your resume, elevator pitch and job interviews.
• Don’t take recommendations for specific roles or functions literally. When test results indicate you would be good at marketing or engineering, use that to validate what you are already thinking about, or to explore something that you have a strong interest in.
• Compare and contrast test results. Like a pair of shoes, try on different assessments. No single one tells you all you need to know.
• Don’t try to “game” the system. There is no benefit in trying to give the “right” answer: there usually isn’t one. Your first answer is usually your best answer when responding to assessment questions.