No matter which test you may face, you can't really study for a personality test. The whole point of one is to figure out what your first and most natural reaction is in a given situation. But you can prepare. Don't let yourself be surprised at your next interview with a request to take the test. Search the company's Web site and recent articles about the company as part of your standard interview preparation and find out whether an assessment is frequently used. If so, read the book about the theory. In the case of StrengthsFinder, it's called Now, Discover Your Strengths. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator has whole shelves of books devoted to it at any bookstore.
Taking the time to understand the intent and the logic of personality tests will not only settle your nerves before you tackle them but will also make for a more dynamic conversation with your prospective employer. Even if the test you're asked to take is different from the one you read up on, many of the principles are consistent, as are the aims of the companies that use them as an evaluation tool.
Here at Fast Company, our top managers and editors were all recently asked to take the MBTI evaluation and submit their results to HR, resulting in more than a little anxiety. What would the results be used for? Who would get to see them? What if my type didn't match what the boss thought he wanted in a management-level person? Turns out that these are all questions every applicant should feel confident asking their managers or prospective managers administering a personality test. Try to understand why your manager is interested in personality theory. Remember that this process gives you as much insight into the corporate management philosophy as the test will give the company into your personal philosophy. "They can be useful learning tools," says Lara Kammrath, who teaches management at Columbia's Graduate School of Business, "but are worrying in other uses because of their very low ability to predict actual workplace behaviors."
And that's why it's silly to think of personality tests as "tests" at all. "Do not try to game the test," says Steffanie L. Wilk, a management professor at Wharton. "If they're well-designed they'll have lie scales built in that will show if you're answering in ways that aren't consistent." As you might imagine, showing up on the radar as trying to cheat won't endear you to your interviewer. And in a team-building scenario, it won't demonstrate much trust in your colleagues.
Instead, use the test as a learning opportunity. It may start a conversation with your boss about what really motivates you and why you're not feeling 100% engaged by your job right now. Or it may reveal that you'd be a complete black sheep in the division where you thought you really wanted a position. And just think: If you cheat "successfully" and land a job by presenting yourself as someone other than who you are, you'll probably be miserable the instant you set foot in the job. "You just don't want an environment that won't be amenable to your style," says Wilk. "You're choosing them as much as they're choosing you."
Email
Digg
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Buzz Up!
LinkedIn
