Can You Actually Fail A Personality Quiz?

Q. I didn't get a job that I interviewed for. The employer told me that I had "failed" the personality quiz. How is that possible? Does this mean that I have no personality?

A. "Fail" is a pretty strong word when it comes to taking a personality quiz. In fact, it is so strong that it makes me wonder about the professionalism of the potential employer that administered the personality quiz to you.

There is no pass/fail in a personality quiz; especially an employment personality quiz. There are simply factors that are important to the employer that either are, or are not, present in your personality.

To say that you "failed" the personality quiz is a misnomer. You simply did not have some personality traits that the employer deemed important for the particular job that you applied for.

Other than the fact that they insulted you, they probably did you a favor by giving you that personality quiz. By screening you out based upon a certain personality profile, they saved you from accepting a job that you would probably have ended up hating and leaving after a short while.

A personality quiz is an interesting animal. There are actually many different types. You've already encountered a pre-employment personality quiz, but that's not the only type out there.

Before we go off into the subject of a personality quiz, it's important that we agree upon the definition of the term personality. Let's keep it short:

Your personality consists of all the traits and behaviours that make you unique and that determine how you are likely to act in any given situation.

Given that this definition is true, then a personality quiz is designed to measure those traits and to quantify them into some meaningful profile that enables someone to predict how you will behave.

Is that really possible? Yes, in most instances it is possible to accurately how someone is LIKELY to behave under a given set of circumstances. The key word here is LIKELY. We've all seen or read about people who have exhibited extraordinary acts of heroism who were otherwise thought of as a most unlikely hero due to being timid, shy, young, or whatever.

It is not possible to totally predict anyone's behaviour no matter how sophisticated a test is or how educated the person who designed it was.

While the pre-employment personality quiz is designed to match candidates with job vacancies and predict the likelyhood of that candidate thriving in that particular business' culture, there are also other types of personality quiz that are used for other purposes.

Closely aligned to the pre-employment personality quiz is the promotion candidate personality quiz. A quiz of this type is designed to match the personality of an existing employee, who is being considered for promotion, to the type pf personality that is needed to survive in the position for which there is a vacancy.

A relationship personality quiz is designed to test the compatibility factors between two people. It measures those traits that have been determined to promote a long term relationship.

There is also a type pf personality quiz that measures a person's sanity. It is typically used by the legal system to determine if someone is "legally insane" and can be held accountable for their actions in a court of law.

And then there is the personality quiz that is designed for entertainment purposes only. These are typically found in magazines and are developed by writers for the sole purpose of amusing their readership if not for simply filling pages.

You shouldn't put too much weight on your scores for this type of personality quiz. The questions are rarely scientific and there is no sense getting your panties in a wad over something that has no real merit.

As far as the "scientific" personality quiz is concerned, none of them are 100% accurate and a skilled quiz taker, or a pathological lier, can skew a personality quiz to meed their own purposes. Like anything else that can't be seen, touched, or smelled, take these personality quiz results with a grain of salt.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Fong run the popular quiz site
http://www.QuizFaq.com
Quiz Faq - Your solutions for the quiz.----------------------------------------------------------------


More Resources

How to Crash - Proof Your Job Search
Think you have the speed, endurance, and know-how to fix what's broken? Bet not. The smartest people in the world are those who can leave their ego at the door, and know when its wise to seek help.
What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? Something That Hasnt Been Invented Yet!
Most of us were brought up to study hard, get good grades, choose a "practical" college major, and strive for a "good job."Talk to a stranded midlife career-changer and you realize the game has changed.
Career Change: A Glittering Invitation To The Emotional Stalkers
As much as you are yearning for career-change, and as much as the trends actually favor it, just contemplating a shift is a glittering invitation to four emotional stalkers who love nothing better than to play a nasty game of team-tag at your personal expense. When you unmask these bandits -- even a little -- they begin to lose their emotional charge - leaving you free to more fully explore the opportunities to re-invent yourself.
Free Resume Examples: More Is Better
If you ever studied any probability theory in high school or college, you probably remember the marbles.Most introductory probability books talk about drawing different colored marbles out of a bag.
Creating Traffic Jams
It's hard to imagine why anyone would pick up a newspaper to find a job any more. With a seemingly endless array of career sites, mailing lists, corporate sites and newsgroups, job seekers have more options online than ever before.
Job or no Job: The Certainty of Uncertainty
Headline from AP via Yahoo News! January 11, 2005: "Chrysler Expects No Job Cuts in 2005, 2006." Headline from Detroit Free Press, January 12, 2005: "Chrysler Cuts 200 Hourly Workers.
The Pros and Cons of Telecommuting - As Seen Through The Eyes of a Seasoned Telecommuter
Janelle Delacorte has been happily answering calls for the Home Shopping Network and various infomercials since November 2004.Several nights out of the week she tucks the kids in to bed, turns around, takes 20 or so odd steps, and arrives at the office.
Careers-Changing Jobs: The Fantasy of the Ideal Job
Most people would agree that the concept of a job today is vastly different from that of 20 years ago. Organisations are changing at speed, technology has changed the face and pace of work, and globalisation is pushing every business to examine it's operations in a totally different context.
Ten Great Careers For Single Parents
The challenges of raising a child by yourself, whether you're a mother or father, can be very difficult. Add the burden of having to be out of the home for 40+ hours per week to work and raising a child at the same time can be nearly impossible.
The Top 10 Ways to Achieve Balance in Your Life
1. Define Success for YourselfClarify and write down what success means for you.
Does Your Career Change Itch or Burn?
Two weeks ago, I received a newsy email from a former client. Dan gave me the scoop on his life and new love, and ended by saying that while work had improved, he was feeling the itch again to go after career change.
How To Ask For A Pay Rise!
Negotiating a pay rise is not something many people do on a regular basis. By applying these keys you will be well positioned to improve your negotiation skills and feel more empowered when asking for a pay rise.
Become an LPN, the Fast Path to a Nursing Career
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) CareersLicensed Practical Nurses provide the most amount of direct patient care within the nursing category of healthcare. If you're interested in a healthcare career dealing directly with patients, becoming an LPN is a rewarding opportunity.
How To Take The Pain Out Of Performance Reviews
The Painful ApproachFor many years, "performance management" was of an annual event dreaded by both the management and the workforce. For a week or two every year the manager would virtually isolate himself and ponder the stack of review forms staring him in the face.
Career Moves: Take Charge of Your Life
Every day millions of people let their inner fears stop them from creating the life of their dreams. No one will deny that it is scary to step out of your comfort zone, but once you challenge your fear and take action, you can attain great things.
The Top 10 Ways to Manage Your Career
Many people in the last decade have experienced either a layoff or termination in their lives or the lives of somebody they know. While many of these people affected have experienced outplacement-consulting services, some have not and they may be in for a rude awakening - corporations no longer "take care of you".
How to Pick the Best Career For You , Part 2: From Exposure-to-Opportunity
Gain an audience by recognizing opportunityThere's a sexier method to salsa into a great career with less tripping and more flair. Look for problems to solve and create a personalized solution.
How You Can Find Opportunities For Foreign Language Proof Reading Work
For those who are fluent in another language, foreign language (ie non-English) proof reading can be a great source of income. It is a difficult area for those who are not fluent to get into though.
Choose Your References Wisely!
So, you need to submit employment references. A simple task, right? Sure, you could contact three of your closest friends and ask them to be your references.
How To Write The Perfect Cover Letter: Be Brief--And Be Gone!
The best cover letters are 'one-page wonders.' Why? Because they suit today's busy employers who are already overloaded and often overwhelmed.

More Careers & Employment Information:

Related Articles

How To REALLY Look For A Job
Are you looking for a job -- really looking? Or are you simply waiting for employment to fall into your lap?If you're like about 75% of the job seekers I've met over the past nine years, you're probably doing too much waiting and not enough searching.Stop.
Job Search 101
The whole job search effort is completely exhausting and at times just plain pathetic. It is what it is and if you are unemployed know that the job search experience is one familiar to everyone at some point and time, so don't feel alone.
So You Want A Promotion - What Do You Need To Do To Get the Champagne Corks Popping?
The champagne corks have been popping to celebrate your promotion.You have a well paid job you love - its really interesting.
Salary Negotiation: How To Earn More Money and Respect From Your Employer
Despite how important fair pay is to most of us, effective salary negotiation is an often misunderstood and avoided topic. Current research indicates the average duration of a position today is 3.
Finding Employees For Insurance Industry Jobs
Finding the right employee for any job opening can be a challenge to say the least, and this is no truer than in the insurance industry. With considerations ranging from experience and education to their personal skills, the decisions faced by recruiters and employers can be of critical importance.
Common Résumé Mistakes
Using a general résumé.DON'T DO IT! You cannot successfully use the same résumé to apply to several different jobs.
50 Things To Do To Your Boss That Are Fun For You, But Not For Them
1. You're eavesdropping and you hear your boss has reservations at his favorite restaurant.
How to Work Effectively With Recruiters
"R-E-S-P-E-C-T / find out what it means to me" is a line made famous by Aretha Franklin, and one that recruiters have adopted as their mantra. This is probably because there is a love-hate relationship between candidates and recruiters.
The 4 Job Search Facts You Need To Know!
Are you harboring bitterness or anger towards your current or past employer?Do you find it difficult to be upbeat when interviewing or networking because of past job experiences?Have you spent sleepless nights worrying about how to explain your choppy resume?If you are currently in the job market, you need to dump this baggage fast!Here are 4 key job search facts you need to know:Fact #1:Your past employer is not investing hours in a personal vendetta against you.Fact #2:Employers know that the demise of dot.
Acceptance is the Answer to All Our Problems
Many people today have lost jobs after decades of service; many others suffer within jobs they can see no way out of. In order to survive a painful job loss - indeed, any type of painful loss - we must come to some acceptance.
Job Interviews: Plan Your Appearance to Make a Great First Impression
Your personal appearance is a critical component of that all-important first impression when you walk into the room for your interview.So plan ahead!Some people don't think about what they're going to wear until the morning of the interview.
The 7 Tough Job Interview Questions That Can Make or Break You - and How to Answer Them
Some interview questions are asked so frequently that they've become classics. Practically every interview you go on you'll be answering one or more of these seven interview questions.
In Control - Inside Tips on Interview Success
No, you can't control how the interview will be conducted, nor can you control the outcome. But you can influence it greatly by the way you present your personality and your skills.
Top 10 Skills for New World of Work
There are many changes coming in the world of work, such as increased competition, the need for more education and certifications, and the trend to change careers 5-7 times in a lifetime. No matter what job or career path you decide to take, there are some basic skills that all employers look for.
Job Interviews: Ill File a Grievance!
I recently went to a retirement party with my husband for one of his co-workers. I worked at this same place six years ago (that's where I met my husband, but that's another story), so I knew most of the people at the party.
Can You Actually Fail A Personality Quiz?
Q. I didn't get a job that I interviewed for.
Job Interviews: Six Steps to Acing a Telephone Interview
Telephone interviews are becoming more popular these days. Whether that's good or bad depends on how you handle them!Sometimes telephone interviews are used as a pre-screening technique for all candidates.
Career Success: Get Ahead of the Crowd
Regardless of where you open your briefcase or palm pilot each day - at a large corporation, a small business or the end of your dining room table - the key to staying employable the rest of your life is your own creative action. The person who is going to be successful is not going to succeed just because of good work.
Personal Grooming: 8 Top Reasons Why You Can't Take It For Granted In Your Career
Most people when they landed "the dream job" after an interview or even got "the deal" of the lifetime in their businesses, sadly to say tend to slack on their grooming habits and it even goes to the point that they are wearing their pajamas going to the office. It seems that's very extreme but it happens.
Multiple Skills for the 21st Century
(excerpted from The Weekend Seminar - Skills for the 21st Century 1999 Version)I find it's important to not walk into the 21st Century without multiple skills. But what I also find is that if you are already in sales, network marketing or have an entrepreneurial business (or plan to in the future), you can gain the needed skills for the future while you create your income now.