Job Hunting in the Future

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Imagine becoming unemployed and job hunting. The interviews are already grueling but what if there was another requirement needed to even be able to apply? A test would be given to see if the qualifications of the company really will be met. Welders have to have certificates to weld at some companies, Information Technology workers often have to have certificates to work at some companies, and mechanics often need certificates as well. But…what if there was a requirement to take an ACT type of test over skills that will relate to jobs that are applied for regardless of ones background or accomplishments? Many people might panic but honesty might be the only policy if something called a Career Readiness Assessment was a reality, right?

When I was laid off a last year… I went to the employment service called Work Force Oklahoma. they immediately had me do a career assessment before I could view their available jobs. I looked at their listings and found one that I wanted to apply for. They told me that I must have a Key Training Certificate of a bronze level or higher to be able to apply for that job. “What is that?” I asked. They told me that it was a Career Readiness Assessment to ensure that I was capable of doing the job. I was shocked by that statement. Before this moment I could walk into a company, look a person in the eye and say “I can do it!” with confidence and a hint of enthusiasm and be working the next day.

I didn’t know what to think of this new thing. I realized what they wanted right off the bat. They wanted proof of my abilities! I asked them when I could take the test and they told me the next day was available. So I went home and sat up in bed all night wondering what I was in for. It had been a very long time since I had attended school and I didn’t know half of what I could remember from high school and I was taking a test that might determine my families prosperity (in my eyes)! Who could sleep with that hanging over them.

The next day I went in and took that test so tired that I just wanted to concentrate on what ever problem was at hand because I had no energy to donate to anything else. I took the long version of the test and was given a Gold Certificate! I was thrilled but strangely I never received I call from the company I was applying for . At the time… the employees at Work Force said that it was rare to see someone get a Gold  Certificate. It made me happy but I really didn’t know what it meant to have one and it sure didn’t get me that job.

The governor signed certificate came in the mail and it surprised me the it was taken to that extreme. The next few interviews I went on; I told the interviewers about it and they didn’t really see any relevance in what I told them because they had not heard of that test. So I put it on my resume’ and didn’t mention it again ( I figured: What’s the point?). Well, after a few months of looking I decided to go back to school and get a degree. That certificate helped me get a grant that paid for my books and tuition for 2 years up to $10000 dollars.

How does Career Readiness Assessment effect job hunting in the future? Two days ago I was called in to Work Force Oklahoma and asked to do an interview. The man asked about the positive effects of taking this test and I told him that if a company knew what the test was like and what the material in the test covered they would instantly know what kind of person it was dealing with. I asked him what  was his company’s plans for this video were and he said that it was going to be used to demonstrate the positive effects the test has and the ultimate goal is to be able to assess high school graduates, job seekers, and business applicants on a larger scale. It almost seems like something that is out of reach but since the tests are done by the same company that put out the ACT (and colleges rely heavily on those scores when students apply) I would not be surprised to see nearly everyone taking similar tests in the future. Honesty my be the only policy for job applicants in the future because a person can’t lie through a test like this. He or she either  knows how to use the information given to answer the problems or not and it won’t matter if they have the credentials of a doctor or Elmer Fudd the test will tell what they actually know or don’t as the case may be. What a Concept!

Related Articles

• Job Hunting Made Easy (socyberty.com)
• Job hunting? Helping you negotiate the jobs market roller coaster (telegraph.co.uk)
• New Tools for Hunting (jobsearchingblog.com)
• ResumeSponge Launches Beta Loaded with Job Hunting Tools (appscout.com)

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