I applied for a job as an engineer. I passed the skills tests. I aced the interviews. Next came the personality test. I had taken a similar test in college and had all the best answers explained. Halfway through the test I became disgusted. On the multiple choice test I decided to answer each question absolutely correctly in extreme perversion of the real meaning of the question.
I rebelled against the “honesty” questions. They asked things like, “Would you ever lie to a client if it would hurt the client?” I answered, “Yes.” I figured if a terrorist had my family hostage and I had to lie to a client to save them, I would. I could fix it later.
My rebellion cost me a job. If I had answered their reasonable questions in a reasonable way I would have gotten a very good job. I was an idiot. I rebelled.
The best way to beat a personality test is to be real and honest. Getting disgusted like I did never helped anyone. It just proved my immaturity.
Read the questions for what they really are. Answer them openly. As I said in my last blog, companies really do try to hire the right person. Personality tests are scientifically validated. The trouble is that sometimes companies are looking for the wrong person. You’ll never know what traits they really prize. The best you can do is to give them an honest evaluation of your personality.
Beating personality tests is easy. Be yourself.
Something to do today
If you didn’t do it last week, go out and find a few free personality tests. Take them honestly and trying to skew them. See if you can turn yourself into someone you are not.
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Coming up
How the job world really is
Give a monkey a gun
Salary toy
Working for the Fortune 50
Scrabble and muck and get ahead
When to give up and go elsewhere