i need more employment advice!

[Guest]

ok, sooo you guys know those online tests that some jobs require- the ones where you have to answer about 47 questions where your choices are strongly agree -> strongly disagree?

im terrible at them. i have no idea why, but any time i take one, i fail it. its happened several times with retail jobs. ive worked 6 years of retail, and im good at it. but i still cant take these tests!

today i went to urban outfitters, and the girl set me up to take one of these. i already failed UOs like 3 years ago (and it screwed me out of a good position), and i just really dont want to botch it again.

so if anyone has any advice they can give me on this, itd be very appreciated.

[nicole]

Think about the meaning of all answers of the questions. For example, if it says "I like to be a leader and take control of a situation." you would think Strongly Agree would be the best option as it shows your work ethic, but what if they want someone who can swallow their pride and take instruction? Think about the position you are applying for and answer carefully. I was recently presented with one that said "I need to know a lot about a product to sell it." I was applying to be a cashier and wasn't sure if they wanted me to say that even if something is not my specialty that I can still complete the sale, or that I wanted to be thoroughly educated in what I'm selling. If you don't know what the product is, does that mean you're just good at bullshitting? and is that a good or bad thing?

[Guest]

thats my problem. i have no idea if theyre looking for spineless or perfect.

[mattisr1984]

my lady works for a big box retailer that requires you take one of these tests in the application process. the secret to passing it is apparently always picking either strongly agree or strongly disagree - nothing in between. take it for what its worth - i cant say whether or not it applies to all of these.

ps. it would prob be also worth mentioning that she applied at a job about 6 months ago that required basically the same thing. she picked only strongly agree or strongly disagree. the interviewer told her she only got an interview because she did so well on the test. all that said, she didnt take the job because the guy was a dick.

[adamlikesmusic]

I hate those. When I was 16, I was going to apply at Toys R Us, but they had like 300 questions they wanted answered. I said fuck it, and found a way better job.

[Guest]

just finished it. one of my friends works at uo, and said their to just answer honestly.

im pretty sure i was coming off a shit job last time i took it, and i probably answered like a jackass.

ie... probably answering "slightly agree" to having trouble being on time in the past.

[harryq]

to just answer honestly.

my suggestion was going to be "just lie"

[justinfastbreak]

We had those and the manager said they just asked a lot of the same questions but were worded them differently and they wanted everything to match up. Basically, to make sure you can read and are taking it seriously.

[hankmurphy]

Peeing in the cup is the worst part about finding a job.

[mcm1610]

You can avoid that with a public job in most states. But this isn't the best time for that, public opinion-wise.

[punkrudeboy]

Yea as someone mentioned earlier they really just wanna see that you actually agree with yourself and aren't crazy. Just read them all carefully and make sure you comprehend what they're asking. As for how I answer i usually go one full side or vice versa never really sit in the middle.

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

i had to take two of these for my current job, it was about 100 questions, and they asked the same questions in different ways 3 or 4 different times to see if you keep a close response to the same idea. there is no "correct" way to take the test, you have to answer them the best way you feel towards each statement. one of my questions was "I like to drive cars extremely fast". i, of course, said Strongly Agree.

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

You can avoid that with a public job in most states. But this isn't the best time for that, public opinion-wise.

natalie applied for a teaching position at a local public school and had to take the Gallup TeacherInsight poll/test. now she has to wait to see if she "passed" before she can send her resume/reference/blahblahblah

[lonesomexloveus]

i've had a bunch of different jobs in different sectors and never had to take one of these tests. guess i was just lucky?

[jonnywreck]

Peeing in the cup is the worst part about finding a job.

right? as if what i do on my personal time will affect my job performance in any way/shape/form.

as for these tests, they're crummy, but easy as hell to pass. you just answer "strongly" to either/or. i was told by my manager that i was the only one she'd ever had that aced the test, and that this was the key. that, and to make sure you don't contradict yourself.

[Guest]

ive only gone for one job that required a drug test... but i botched my interview so i never even got that far.

but shit.. im unemployed. when is there a better time to smoke a bunch of weed?

and like you said- its my free time. its no different than drinking, and neither of those have ever had an impact on my job performance, because im not a jackass who shows up intoxicated to work.

[punkrudeboy]

Didn't you know thats the only real way to show up to work.

[harryq]

Peeing in the cup is the worst part about finding a job.

I thought peeing in the cup was a blast (pun not intended, but I liked it), and it was certainly more enjoyable than any part of the 2 months I worked at wal-mart. maybe it was because I knew all they'd find in my pee is a "golden crisp" smell (seriously, that stuff makes your pee smell) and I really had to pee... "a little in the cup, a little in the bowl, repeat"

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

if peeing in the cup is the worst part about finding a job, maybe you need to re-think your priorities

[mcm1610]

Ok, I need some advice.

Yesterday I learned my teaching position is cut, and my district's enrollment is down so it's not looking too promising in the near future. It may be a long time before they expand again. In the mean time, I was talking to my roommate from college who is an account manager for JB Hunt. He is in the process of moving and setting up a new account in Connecticut. He's been working like crazy the last couple weeks and his boss today agreed that he needs another manager to help him, and my buddy immediately thought of me and gave his boss my number. He's calling me tomorrow.

Now, it's certainly not a done deal or a real offer just yet, but I could take this job and make $45,000 salary and I'd be living with my best friend. That certainly beats working at the Town's ice rink for $10 an hour and being a day-to-day substitute teacher again.

On the other hand, I'd have to move from Buffalo to Connecticut. I'd be leaving teaching, which is really all I want to do. I'd be bailing on a travel hockey team that I coach. I'd be bailing on the high school hockey team I assistant coach, though at least there I haven't officially agreed to be on the bench yet like the travel team. I'd also be leaving a lacrosse team that I coach. The girl I'm seeing is in grad school here and has no intentions of moving afterwards anyway.

Is a well-paying job in a shitty economy worth dramatically shifting my life? I was starting to love my life here... a girl, job of my dreams, coaching.. but life would be financially tough for at least next year for me.

[harryq]

Ok, I need some advice.

Yesterday I learned my teaching position is cut, and my district's enrollment is down so it's not looking too promising in the near future. It may be a long time before they expand again. In the mean time, I was talking to my roommate from college who is an account manager for JB Hunt. He is in the process of moving and setting up a new account in Connecticut. He's been working like crazy the last couple weeks and his boss today agreed that he needs another manager to help him, and my buddy immediately thought of me and gave his boss my number. He's calling me tomorrow.

Now, it's certainly not a done deal or a real offer just yet, but I could take this job and make $45,000 salary and I'd be living with my best friend. That certainly beats working at the Town's ice rink for $10 an hour and being a day-to-day substitute teacher again.

On the other hand, I'd have to move from Buffalo to Connecticut. I'd be leaving teaching, which is really all I want to do. I'd be bailing on a travel hockey team that I coach. I'd be bailing on the high school hockey team I assistant coach, though at least there I haven't officially agreed to be on the bench yet like the travel team. I'd also be leaving a lacrosse team that I coach. The girl I'm seeing is in grad school here and has no intentions of moving afterwards anyway.

Is a well-paying job in a shitty economy worth dramatically shifting my life? I was starting to love my life here... a girl, job of my dreams, coaching.. but life would be financially tough for at least next year for me.

are there other schools in the area that may be hiring? maybe you could find something <1 hour away, though you'd probably lose out on the hockey stuff

also, would going back to school be an option? may open more doors while killing time until the economy gets better

[mcm1610]

No, the whole state is fucked educationally. There's no openings because everyone is cutting, and if one pops up, there's plenty of more senior/seasoned/experienced teachers ahead of me who are in the same situation.

And there's no fucking way I go back to school. I'm just finishing up my master's in a month and I can't wait to be done.. I HATE school now, which is ironic because I'm a teacher.

[harryq]

No, the whole state is fucked educationally. There's no openings because everyone is cutting, and if one pops up, there's plenty of more senior/seasoned/experienced teachers ahead of me who are in the same situation.

And there's no fucking way I go back to school. I'm just finishing up my master's in a month and I can't wait to be done.. I HATE school now, which is ironic because I'm a teacher.

every state is fucked educationally, right? how would you feel about being an instructor at a community college or something along those lines? I assume community colleges aren't doing too bad (relative to k-12 schools) what with everyone going back to school, so maybe that could be an option...

and are there no other options in buffalo other than the local ice rink?

[goraiders]

No, the whole state is fucked educationally. There's no openings because everyone is cutting, and if one pops up, there's plenty of more senior/seasoned/experienced teachers ahead of me who are in the same situation.

And there's no fucking way I go back to school. I'm just finishing up my master's in a month and I can't wait to be done.. I HATE school now, which is ironic because I'm a teacher.

I'm sure it'd suck to leave your GF, but the rest of the stuff can happen anywhere.

I've been infinitely less stressed and much happier since I stopped having to worry about money, even though almost everything else is going a little worse.

[circlingvultures]

No, the whole state is fucked educationally. There's no openings because everyone is cutting, and if one pops up, there's plenty of more senior/seasoned/experienced teachers ahead of me who are in the same situation.

And there's no fucking way I go back to school. I'm just finishing up my master's in a month and I can't wait to be done.. I HATE school now, which is ironic because I'm a teacher.

For what it's worth, the happiest you ever sound, is when you talk about your teams and coaching.