Ever have to take a personality test as part of the hiring process? If so, have you ever been turned down because of the test results? Well, I have. And I can give you some good advice about how to pass these things.

The job I applied to was a piker, entry level management position. I interviewed well, had good qualifications, and everything was fine—until the dreaded personality test. How was I to know they’d say, “I’m sorry, but based on your test results, you have no personality. Have a nice day”?

Well, okay, they didn’t say that. Instead, they told me that because my answers didn’t match up with what the creators of the test thought the preferred answers should be, I wouldn’t get the job. Never mind that at the time, I already had an MBA with a concentration in management, or that I interviewed well for the job, or that I already had customer service experience. No, the test was all that mattered.

Is this a stupid way to hire people? Maybe. It’s certainly not as efficient as it could be. If you want to get a job selling used cars, for example, you walk in, show your confidence, people skills, and conversational ability, and you’re probably hired on the spot—very efficient. But corporate’s different, even at entry level.

That said, here are some tips for handling personality tests.

1. Determine ahead of time to be honest with every answer.
2. Remember to always think in terms of “The customer’s always right” and “Customer satisfaction is Priority 1.”
3. Think in terms of customers first, other employees second, the store third, and yourself last.
4. Don’t overanalyze. Follow the above guidelines, give each answer due consideration, and answer the best you can.

Here’s a final tip: Don’t be nervous. If you feel nervous, take some deep breaths and relax; you’d be surprised how much this can help. And then remember that this is just part of a hiring process—all you can do is your best, so do that and what ever happens, happens. Good luck!

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Looking for a job is stressful enough without wondering what your former employers are saying to the people who call in to check your references. Even if you left your last job willingly, there’s still a chance that someone from your old job might feel the need to sabotage you by suggesting to a potential new employer that they really don’t want to hire you.

We all know there are laws against that sort of thing. In fact, some employers are so gun-shy about the whole recommendation thing that they’re reluctant to even admit that you ever worked for them. But if someone wants to cast doubts on your character or work ethic or general employability, it’s easy enough to be vaguely negative. Phrases like “not really a team player” can cover a lot of ground. (more…)

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Comedian Rob Paravonian has a hilarious bit about a boss telling him to dress for the job he wants, so he shows up in a Cubs uniform. (He wants to play Center Field.) He’s just riffing on one of those pieces of advice that seem to be the default choice when it comes to the concept of “dress for success.” After all, the conventional wisdom goes, you are what you wear.

The truth is, though, that what you wear to work on a day-to-day basis isn’t nearly as important as what you wear for your first job interview. It’s all about the image you project and the right clothes help you project the right image. Where it gets tricky is that corporate culture has changed so much in the last few years that the term “dress code” may not even be in the company manual. (Assuming there IS a company manual.) (more…)

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Cece is 52 and has just been laid off from her job as an education specialist for a county school system. She suspects a younger co-worker who had “issues” with her age had something to do with her ouster, but she’s not one to sit around and brood. After taking a week off to watch Ellen and eat junk food, she polished up her resume and hit the job hunting trail.

After six weeks, her optimism is flagging a bit because she’s running into the twin bugaboos of job hunters over the age of 40: she’s over-qualified and, according to prospective employers, overpaid. “I’d be happy to under-report my salary,” she says mournfully, “but everywhere I’ve applied, they want a salary history. What am I supposed to do?” (more…)

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