What’s assessment?

It comes from two root words ass and essment. Ass because it’s going to make you feel like one. And essment for, ok, let’s get real…

From Wikipedia:

Assessment is the process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs.

Assessment is important because it’s what the job search process is all about.

Employers will assess you. You will assess employers. And hopefully, you will assess yourself. (And if we’re really lucky, maybe employers will assess themselves too.) Assessment happens at all stages of the job search process and it will continue once you’ve been hired. There’s no escaping being assessed, so you might as well embrace it.

The problem with assessment is that most people think that they are good at assessing others and themselves, but they aren’t. Jason Seiden does assessment for a living. He helps companies assess potential hires and employees, and he also helps executive assess themselves. Unlike most people, when he makes an assessment, he actually knows what he’s talking about.

Since Jason is a pro, I’ve asked him to come up with a short assessment to help you adjust your approach to job search.

A 4 Question Assessment of Your Approach to Job Search

I know that many of you are facing exams right now and another test is the last thing that you’re looking for, but a 4 question True or False quiz should be pretty easy compared to what you’ve been facing.

1. True or False? The pressure of the job search sometimes impacts your behavior. (For instance, maybe your temper is a bit shorter.)

2. True or False? You feel guilty having fun while also looking for a job.

3. True or False? The biggest obstacle you face right now is the economy.

4. True or False? You find it presumptuous – possibly rude – that two guys who have never met you think that they can tell you something about what’s going on inside your head.

Did you expect us to just give you the answers at the bottom of the quiz? That’d make our little assessment a joke. We want to give you some time to seriously consider these questions and how we can help you regardless of how you’ve answered them. Sign up below to get the answers and to find out more about the job search training course that Jason and I are developing.

Edit: No need to sign up for our mailing list any more. You can find out all the details about our job search training course at FoundYourCareer.com.

Jobs Near You

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2 responses to “True or False: Assessment Will Help You Find a Job?”

1. Waffles says:

   December 12, 2008 at 12:26 am

   Where do I sign up for the job search training course? I’ve heard you mention it quite a few times and I’ve looked for it quite a bit but haven’t found it.

   Reply
2. Sandy says:

   June 23, 2009 at 12:13 pm

   So the beginning of this article made me laugh. In the past, when I have taken assessment tests that were given by the company or a PEO I definately felt like the “ass” of assessment because some places wouldn’t call back, which made me believe either there were a lot more candidates than I thought, or I just wasn’t who they were looking for. In the short assessment above I usually don’t get short tempered, I wouldn’t say I have fun looking for jobs, but I don’t hate it. The economy is a huge impact on my job search, and I’m not sure how I feel about the last question. I guess it would depend on what they are telling me. =)

   Reply