Personality Test

by K
(Knoxville, TN)

After working for myself in the real estate field for 10+ years, I moved to another state and city to care for my aging parents. I have been trying to enter the work field in either sales or some type of office work but I flunk the personality test.

I’m not a dishonest person. I try hard to answer as truthfully as possible, but as soon as I finish it usually tells me I’m not a candidate or I’m not qualified.

In the one interview I’ve had so far, she kept talking about how structured their work environment was and that I had too much experience working on my own. While I am very good at working on my own, I can be very much a team player.

What am I doing wrong? Starting another business right now just impossible. I’m a punctual, disciplined, and component person.

Answer:

Hi K,

Actually, I doubt that you are doing anything wrong. It is wise to be completely honest on a personality test.

These tests are designed to determine whether the job is a good fit for you and whether you are a good fit for the job. If the job is not a good fit, there is no benefit for the employer, and more importantly, there is no benefit for you.

When you are not selected for a job, your time is better spent networking and applying for jobs, than pondering over why you did not get that job.

Similar to sales, rejection is part of the job search. You will get a "no" numerous times before you get to the "yes." Don't get discouraged. This is normal. Keep networking, searching, and applying.

Just because someone told you that you have too much experience working on your own, does not mean that every employer will tell you that. It may not even be true. Move on to the next prospect until you find the one who believes in your abilities.

The difference between your expertise in sales and your experience in your job search, is that you are selling your job services instead of a product.

Just as you talk to a customer about how the product you are selling can benefit them, talk to a recruiter or hiring manager about how your skills and qualifications can benefit their company.

Believe in yourself and continue in your job search, regardless of what people say.

Please use the comments section to let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Victoria E.