Sitting for a written test as part of job application could be a nervous and challenging process. Still, we can excel on that aspect. Here I share some of my tips based on personal experience and reflections:
- Preparation counts: When you apply for a job, you have already gone through the job description for the position you are applying. So, it is important that you expect the sort of questions you will be required to answer to. Generally written assessments would not include typical interview questions such as your motivation to apply or your career aspirations. Rather, most of these tests are meant to test your technical knowledge and expertise. So, these tests would normally comprise of some technical questions related to the position or some scenarios would be given to understand your level and depth of experience.
- Treat it like a proper exam: As most of the times, we might have applied for a job while we are working, it is also important that we have dedicated a good quality time for the test. So, it is better to dedicate at least half a day for an hour or a two hour test for enough preparation and also to be in the right frame of mind, while you sit for the test. Work or other distractions need to be avoided as far as possible.
- Have a 'folder' of information beforehand: Before you sit for the test, it is always good to have a list or folder of information that you have collated, which could be useful to include in your responses. I have developed this habit of having a folder where I extract useful information from the organization's website, strategy documents, my own write ups and reports, which I expect would be useful to use to answer certain questions. For instance, for business/program development roles, in most of the tests I have attempted, there is a question about the steps to effective fundraising. So, expecting this question, I have saved these steps in a folder and use when similar questions come up in the tests.
- Strategize your time: This seems an obvious but important reminder that you will be required to complete the test within a certain stipulated time so better to plan responding to the questions based on the weightage i.e. maximum time for the questions carrying maximum marks.
Any other important points that I missed out? Would love to hear your feedback and suggestions.
