psychometric

 

After all of the hard work and rigor of getting your degree, Masters or PhD, there is a special kind of irony in facing even more testing in order to get a job. Increasingly employers are deploying psychometric testing as an integral part of their hiring process; graduates and post-graduates are reasonably concerned.

So what are psychometrics and why are they used? Psychometrics use tests or questionnaires to assess and compare, relative to a normative group, your abilities or preferred behaviours under likely conditions. Think of them as employer compatibility tests. While they do give your potential employer an idea of how suited you are to the position and the company’s culture, they also work in your favour. Psychometrics also help you weed out the less desirable positions, those you will most likely grow to hate, and those organisations that will frustrate you to no end.

Interestingly, when you look in the mirror who do you see? Psychometrics can help you better understand how others see you. Or more eloquently put by Robert Burns, “O would some power the giftie gie us to see ourselves as others see us”. This by itself is invaluable to you.

You can continue reading this article in Gradjobs (Autumn 2016)

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Written by Dr Ambroz Neil and Dr George Sik