I recently received an invitation in my email from an employer who wanted to measure some of my skills. I have been out of work for a bit, and figured what the heck, I'll do it. It brought me to I have never heard of the site before, and the concept was new. Has anyone else out there gotten any kind of invite like this or some across techprofiles.com? I am curious to know.
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Anyone made use of this yet? I would like to know. 2
- Thread starter JohhnyZ
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My server, for some reason, won't let me into this site; don't know if it's moved or what.
But when I was out of work, I remember that some employers wanted their applicants to take a technical test online; then the online company would email the score to the company. They used the online skills test as a screening device.
I wonder if this is some sort of consulting or employment agency, and they want to know what you know before they consider sending you out on jobs or job interviews.
You say you've been out of work "for a bit." Have you been looking for work the entire time? Or did personal issues interfere with your looking for work (this does happen sometimes)? What sort of programming do you do and how much experience do you have?
I do know that for some entry-level jobs, companies will conduct either "personality" tests or aptitude tests.
I don't see any harm in taking a skills assessment.
Hope this help, Nina Too
But when I was out of work, I remember that some employers wanted their applicants to take a technical test online; then the online company would email the score to the company. They used the online skills test as a screening device.
I wonder if this is some sort of consulting or employment agency, and they want to know what you know before they consider sending you out on jobs or job interviews.
You say you've been out of work "for a bit." Have you been looking for work the entire time? Or did personal issues interfere with your looking for work (this does happen sometimes)? What sort of programming do you do and how much experience do you have?
I do know that for some entry-level jobs, companies will conduct either "personality" tests or aptitude tests.
I don't see any harm in taking a skills assessment.
Hope this help, Nina Too
The site is still there, the link isn't formatted properly as it has a period and a space at the end.
The link should be:
I just finished checking out the site. This is something I've never come across before. Has anybody else?
IMO, it seems to be a complete waste of time, as the potential employee can sit at their computer and use it to find all the correct answers to the questions.
The link should be:
I just finished checking out the site. This is something I've never come across before. Has anybody else?
IMO, it seems to be a complete waste of time, as the potential employee can sit at their computer and use it to find all the correct answers to the questions.
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The best way that I've found to get ahead in my work is to do everything that the boss wants me to do prior to the suspense date. I get his/her feedback on any assigned project/task, and then I make revisions prior to actually submitting the final project before the suspense. Additionally, I look at my job as an opportunity to an education, i.e., I say to myself, "I'm getting paid to learn." My assigned tasks just come with the territory. By thinking like this, I don't get too upset with a lower salary. I compare this type of opportunity with learning in college -- I paid (big bucks) to learn.
I also take advantage of every opportunity that the employer throws my way, e.g., CBTs, books and training through Virtual universities set up through the company, free on-the-side training, etc.. I've managed to come pretty far in just four years and when I transferred jobs, I got a substantial increase in salary because of all the opportunities that I didn't let pass me by. Others that I worked with had the same opportunities yet they were more into nightlife, partying, TOTALLY relaxing on the nights and weekends. I relaxed, but certainly not as much as my professional colleagues. I would get up at 5AM and study two hours before work. I then worked 8/9 hours everyday, came home and cooked for my family, washed clothes, etc, and then I studied again while my children were busy doing their own homework. Fortunately, my husband was very helpful in everything. He's now VERY appreciative of my paycheck! In three years of intense self-study and employer sponsored training, I managed to get the following: Oracle Certified Professional DBA, Microsoft Certified DBA, MCSE, Cisco Certified Network Professional and Cisco Certified Design Professional. I've never found an easy way to ever get ahead. And those that I've noticed that manage to slip through the cracks stating that they're technical professionals but really aren't, wind up getting not-so-great reputations. It follows them from place to place. It's not worth it. Just work very hard -- what could be simpler?
I also take advantage of every opportunity that the employer throws my way, e.g., CBTs, books and training through Virtual universities set up through the company, free on-the-side training, etc.. I've managed to come pretty far in just four years and when I transferred jobs, I got a substantial increase in salary because of all the opportunities that I didn't let pass me by. Others that I worked with had the same opportunities yet they were more into nightlife, partying, TOTALLY relaxing on the nights and weekends. I relaxed, but certainly not as much as my professional colleagues. I would get up at 5AM and study two hours before work. I then worked 8/9 hours everyday, came home and cooked for my family, washed clothes, etc, and then I studied again while my children were busy doing their own homework. Fortunately, my husband was very helpful in everything. He's now VERY appreciative of my paycheck! In three years of intense self-study and employer sponsored training, I managed to get the following: Oracle Certified Professional DBA, Microsoft Certified DBA, MCSE, Cisco Certified Network Professional and Cisco Certified Design Professional. I've never found an easy way to ever get ahead. And those that I've noticed that manage to slip through the cracks stating that they're technical professionals but really aren't, wind up getting not-so-great reputations. It follows them from place to place. It's not worth it. Just work very hard -- what could be simpler?
Kruby wrote:
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I just finished checking out the site. This is something I've never come across before. Has anybody else?
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I looked at it briefly. It does look like some testing sites that, when I was out of work, prospective employers sent me to in order to test my skills. AFter all, anyone can say, "I have X amount of years' experience in Y language using Z system." But these sorts of technical screening tests are useful for employers to find out whether the applicant actually knows what they claim to know.
When an employer has registered on one of these sites, they set up very specific tests, and then the prospective employee is told to access the employer's specific test. That way, the applicant can't study for it ahead of time.
My current employer didn't use any of these sites. They simply asked me technical questions on the interview, figuring that if I answered them correctly, then I more or less knew what I was doing. Plus they carefully check references.
Hope this helps, Nina Too
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I just finished checking out the site. This is something I've never come across before. Has anybody else?
-------------------
I looked at it briefly. It does look like some testing sites that, when I was out of work, prospective employers sent me to in order to test my skills. AFter all, anyone can say, "I have X amount of years' experience in Y language using Z system." But these sorts of technical screening tests are useful for employers to find out whether the applicant actually knows what they claim to know.
When an employer has registered on one of these sites, they set up very specific tests, and then the prospective employee is told to access the employer's specific test. That way, the applicant can't study for it ahead of time.
My current employer didn't use any of these sites. They simply asked me technical questions on the interview, figuring that if I answered them correctly, then I more or less knew what I was doing. Plus they carefully check references.
Hope this helps, Nina Too
- Thread starter
- #6
Yeah, I see the point about sitting there and figuring out answers, but I have taken a few of the tests and they don't really offer the time to look up every question you come across. Interesting in theory, I will be intrigued as to how many employers use something like this. Supposedly its the "next wave" of employment.
I think these online tests are being used more and more. It saves the employer time in that they don't have to have applicants come to the office to take the test.
Plus, it might save the employer from litigation. When you take an online test at home, the employer doesn't know how old you are, what sex or race you are, whether you have a disability or not. So then it's more difficult for an applicant to file a bogus discrimination complaint.
As for time to look up answers. In my experience, most of these online tests were timed. You could finish the test, but the test kept track of how long it took for you to finish it. And that score is factored into the final score.
If you spend a lot of time looking up an answer in a textbook which you have by the computer, you might get the right answer, but you lose out on your "time" score. But if you simply guess, you might guess right and get the correct answer and thus score high on that question. Or you might guess wrong and get a zero on that question.
In other words, those people who really know what they are doing will answer most of the questions correctly within a short period of time.
Nina Too
Plus, it might save the employer from litigation. When you take an online test at home, the employer doesn't know how old you are, what sex or race you are, whether you have a disability or not. So then it's more difficult for an applicant to file a bogus discrimination complaint.
As for time to look up answers. In my experience, most of these online tests were timed. You could finish the test, but the test kept track of how long it took for you to finish it. And that score is factored into the final score.
If you spend a lot of time looking up an answer in a textbook which you have by the computer, you might get the right answer, but you lose out on your "time" score. But if you simply guess, you might guess right and get the correct answer and thus score high on that question. Or you might guess wrong and get a zero on that question.
In other words, those people who really know what they are doing will answer most of the questions correctly within a short period of time.
Nina Too
My Hats off to you dinkwife....you are absolutely right on.
As a manager who hires technical staff, I personally don't believe in outside testing of interviewees. When I was a programmer, the interview consisted of my having to put up on a white board a coded solution to a snippet sized design problem. ie: file i/o, simple data structure, basic error handling. I still do this today when I interview prospetive employees. I am suspicious of these on-line tests. It seems to me that all they tell me is how well a person has read some booksand very little about the most important things like attitude, ability to learn, increase breadth and depth of knowledge base, communicate, and produce under pressure.
These tests come about as a result of technical managers who have come in from the business ranks and dont really know enough about the details of what their staff does or are too lazy to spend some time doing a good interview.
I would be interested in hearing more from people who have taken these tests. Did they find them challenging? Pertinent to the position they were applying for? Of any value to either them or the hiring organization. How did the hiring organization use the results of these tests, did they share them?
Cheers,
pivan In not now, when?
If not here, where?
If not us, who?
Just do it!!
As a manager who hires technical staff, I personally don't believe in outside testing of interviewees. When I was a programmer, the interview consisted of my having to put up on a white board a coded solution to a snippet sized design problem. ie: file i/o, simple data structure, basic error handling. I still do this today when I interview prospetive employees. I am suspicious of these on-line tests. It seems to me that all they tell me is how well a person has read some booksand very little about the most important things like attitude, ability to learn, increase breadth and depth of knowledge base, communicate, and produce under pressure.
These tests come about as a result of technical managers who have come in from the business ranks and dont really know enough about the details of what their staff does or are too lazy to spend some time doing a good interview.
I would be interested in hearing more from people who have taken these tests. Did they find them challenging? Pertinent to the position they were applying for? Of any value to either them or the hiring organization. How did the hiring organization use the results of these tests, did they share them?
Cheers,
pivan In not now, when?
If not here, where?
If not us, who?
Just do it!!
I took a couple of these tests while job-hunting. Most of the tests were language-specific, as I was looking for a job where the employer wanted experienced people. Specifically for me, the tests were mostly in COBOL and some in JCL, which are mainframe languages.
As I recall, these tests centered more on whether you know the exact, textbook vocabulary as opposed to whether you really know how to write code and/or troubleshoot or debug. They would always use the precise, computer-textbook terms for various components of a program or a JCL. One reason for this is because the vast majority of questions are multiple-choice for easier grading.
I can't see these tests to be any more than a rather primitive screening device, to weed out someone who has attended a quickie computer programming course and/or has briefly read a textbook -- and claims 5-10 years of solid on-the-job experience. I don't know how often that it happens that someone fudges on their experience level, but it would help save time in that such a person would not have to be brought in for an actual interview.
As for finding out or testing for real knowledge, I can't see anything replacing the actual, in-person interview. The interviews I attended almost always featured 3 or 4 managers, who would discuss their current projects.
In these live interviews, the managers would either give a formal technical test i.e. ask a series of technical questions. Or else they would simply discuss their work and see how the applicant interacts with the discussion -- does the applicant discuss the work with a real sense of knowing what s/he is doing? If one of the managers uses an obscure term such as "SOC(K)-7," does the applicant respond in a way which shows that s/he knows what the term means?
An aside for those who don't know mainframe batch programming: A SOC(K)-7 means a "data exception," which means that the job blew up because someone put code into a program which would try to move data into a field which isn't properly defined for that type of data. Mainframe computers don't like this, and they signify so in no uncertain terms. Well, now that I've demonstrated my technical brilliance...
So to sum up, I don't see online testing to be useful except as a first-level screening device.
Now let me ask a question: when I first got out of my computer programming courses and applied for my first job, I had several companies give "aptitude tests." And I suppose that online sites have "aptitude tests."
Does anyone find these test helpful for hiring entry-level people? I personally don't think that most of them are worth the paper they are written on, especially the ones which are severely timed; most of these test recall from rote memory as opposed to testing real thinking and problem-solving skills.
Nina Too
As I recall, these tests centered more on whether you know the exact, textbook vocabulary as opposed to whether you really know how to write code and/or troubleshoot or debug. They would always use the precise, computer-textbook terms for various components of a program or a JCL. One reason for this is because the vast majority of questions are multiple-choice for easier grading.
I can't see these tests to be any more than a rather primitive screening device, to weed out someone who has attended a quickie computer programming course and/or has briefly read a textbook -- and claims 5-10 years of solid on-the-job experience. I don't know how often that it happens that someone fudges on their experience level, but it would help save time in that such a person would not have to be brought in for an actual interview.
As for finding out or testing for real knowledge, I can't see anything replacing the actual, in-person interview. The interviews I attended almost always featured 3 or 4 managers, who would discuss their current projects.
In these live interviews, the managers would either give a formal technical test i.e. ask a series of technical questions. Or else they would simply discuss their work and see how the applicant interacts with the discussion -- does the applicant discuss the work with a real sense of knowing what s/he is doing? If one of the managers uses an obscure term such as "SOC(K)-7," does the applicant respond in a way which shows that s/he knows what the term means?
An aside for those who don't know mainframe batch programming: A SOC(K)-7 means a "data exception," which means that the job blew up because someone put code into a program which would try to move data into a field which isn't properly defined for that type of data. Mainframe computers don't like this, and they signify so in no uncertain terms. Well, now that I've demonstrated my technical brilliance...
So to sum up, I don't see online testing to be useful except as a first-level screening device.
Now let me ask a question: when I first got out of my computer programming courses and applied for my first job, I had several companies give "aptitude tests." And I suppose that online sites have "aptitude tests."
Does anyone find these test helpful for hiring entry-level people? I personally don't think that most of them are worth the paper they are written on, especially the ones which are severely timed; most of these test recall from rote memory as opposed to testing real thinking and problem-solving skills.
Nina Too
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