jobseekers made to carry out bogus psychometric tests

[antone]

I came out with the same result. Not even close, in my case. A bit of fun? yeah. Nothing to do with truth at all! I'm broke but I make no claims to being clever or cultured at all!

 

Well, I've read Pride and Prejudice, Catch-22 and Othello, I have a friend who is a solicitor and another who can drive a lorry, and I can write duff computer programs. Plus museums are OK and I kinda like Gustav Holst. Surely I qualify as "cultured and clever"?

 

And I'm a volunteer moderator on an excellent website devoted to consumer issues - that's gotta help, yes?

[antone]

You think you got problems? I got culture under my finger nails.

Sorry to gross you out but some of us are just doomed.

my best

pitcher

Edit: Please don't even think about the toe nails!

 

I find hydrogen peroxide in 50% solution works for that.

[pitcher]

I find hydrogen peroxide in 50% solution works for that.

Are you telling me I have to live with out culture?

We all have to have friends.

Yours in Decrepitude,

pitcher

Edit: Hamilton? You moved?

[estellyn]

I bow to all you cultured people. Despite a university education, I still only was judged the lowest of the low. Please feel free to kick copies of Byron in my face if you happen to see me at the beach.

[pitcher]

I bow to all you cultured people. Despite a university education, I still only was judged the lowest of the low. Please feel free to kick copies of Byron in my face if you happen to see me at the beach.

Byron? Leave the romantics out of this. I might hand you a slim volume of T.S.Elliot, if I see you but it wont on any beach. My finances just don't run to such luxuries.

Oh, you uni people!

pitcher

[pitcher]

Well, I've read Pride and Prejudice, Catch-22 and Othello, I have a friend who is a solicitor and another who can drive a lorry, and I can write duff computer programs. Plus museums are OK and I kinda like Gustav Holst. Surely I qualify as "cultured and clever"?

 

And I'm a volunteer moderator on an excellent website devoted to consumer issues - that's gotta help, yes?

You read Pride and Prejudice? I keep a copy on my book shelf, just to fool people.

As for all the good work you do for this site, it means a lot to us but in the "real world", who can say?

P.S. I've got a friend who's just come out of prison but I didn't see that one in the test. Does that improve my score?

Edited May 4, 2013 by pitcher

[estellyn]

Byron? Leave the romantics out of this. I might hand you a slim volume of T.S.Elliot, if I see you but it wont on any beach. My finances just don't run to such luxuries.

Oh, you uni people!

pitcher

 

I was demonstrating my lack of culture by (mis)quoting Dead Poets Society. See how uncultured I am??

[pitcher]

I was demonstrating my lack of culture by (mis)quoting Dead Poets Society. See how uncultured I am??

Dead who? Oh, I think it's one of those new film thingies. See? I can be just as uncultured as you! It's just that with me, it comes so natural.

my best

pitcher

[Mr.P]

P.S. I've got a friend who's just come out of prison but I didn't see that one in the test. Does that improve my score?

 

A politician by any chance ?

 

[impecunious]

If anyone wants culture .................... you can have mine Having to sell my library of university text books (English/History/Art ... to contribute towards additional housing/council tax costs ... Reduced to selling beloved books. How sad is that??

 

Imp

[estellyn]

If anyone wants culture .................... you can have mine Having to sell my library of university text books (English/History/Art ... to contribute towards additional housing/council tax costs ... Reduced to selling beloved books. How sad is that??

 

Imp

 

My books aren't worth any money, but I am having to donate loads because we're moving to a shoebox and don't have space for our approx 4000 strong book collection. Sob. So I relate.

[jasta11]

Well, I have the boxed dvd sets of both Captain Scarlet and Thunderbirds on my shelves...if that isn't culture and good taste, I don't know what is.

[estellyn]

Well, I have the boxed dvd sets of both Captain Scarlet and Thunderbirds on my shelves...if that isn't culture and good taste, I don't know what is.

 

My husband likes to litter our dvd collection with old movies, making us look far more cultured than we actually are. I on the other hand litter the collection with pointless romcoms to counter any cultural efforts he attempts. Except I do own some documentaries, and some BBC drama adaptations......damn.

[antone]

Are you telling me I have to live with out culture?

We all have to have friends.

Yours in Decrepitude,

pitcher

Edit: Hamilton? You moved?

 

There's "culture" and there's "cultures". H2O2 is helpful for the latter

 

I haven't actually moved - I've lived in Hamilton for three years now, so I was just updating. Before that I was in Renfrew, a location I was keen to gloss over by referring to it as "Glasgow".

[postggj]

When is a quango not a quango. What do you call a privatised quango with an anonymous primary shareholder ? A nudge-nudge wink-wink say no more unit ! This country IS turning into Terry Gilliam’s film Brazil and I don’t like it.

[jasta11]

There's "culture" and there's "cultures". H2O2 is helpful for the latter

 

I haven't actually moved - I've lived in Hamilton for three years now, so I was just updating. Before that I was in Renfrew, a location I was keen to gloss over by referring to it as "Glasgow".

 

I once was in Strathclyde area on business many years ago and the people there always referred to it as 'Glasgow' too - the burnt-out cars I saw lying near the railway lines didn't give a visitor a good impression! The place name was Uddingston (I actually thought I was going to somewhere in Yorkshire with a name like that!) but it was a massive industrial estate, with the Hilton-Stakis hotel in the middle of it.

 

My taxi driver for the week was a great guy and I asked if he'd show me round the sights - okay, the pubs - of Glasgow but he replied 'Best not son, they'd do you as you're English'. However he did show me a small housing estate one evening where almost every house had a lady standing at her front door..apparently most of the husbands worked on the oil rigs and were away a lot so this was the place to go for some 'horizontal entertainment' and the rates were most reasonable.

 

...and no, I didn't

[padja]

my results

Strength 1. Fairness

Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.

 

Strength 2. Curiosity

You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.

 

Strength 3. Critical Thinking

Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.

 

Strength 4. Originality

Thinking of new ways to do things is a crucial part of who you are. You are never content with doing something the conventional way if a better way is possible.

 

Strength 5. Social Intelligence

You are aware of the motives and feelings of other people. You know what to do to fit in to different social situations, and you know what to do to put others at ease

 

See I knew I was a genius and friendly...now give me a F***** job or I'll nail you to a wall by your tongue...........see I'm calm collected and sensible

[miffed_ex-tenant]

I can tell you now that this is rubbish. If you look at the source, it has the entire test in there and how it calculates the answer...

[Perseus1]

I am into psychometric testing and I believe it could be a useful aid. I have done one in the distant past for the DWP. The results disappeared into a black hole and it was not a bad test either. The trouble is the people at the Job Centre could not handle the results of such a test (surmise).

 

However, this one seems like a [problem].

 

If you like this sort of thing log on to the Careers Guidance site. It could help.

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/tools/Pages/default.aspx

 

I believe that a properly designed psychometric test (and some people have done them) could be a great help in finding people jobs that suited them and improve their overall job and life prospects. It is better than treating people as dogsbodies and all the same.

 

I have identified faults with even the best tests. They are not accurate for a start. I do however recommend the Paragon Test.

http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/jshindl/plsi/

 

These can be cross referenced to career aptitudes and may help. This Jungian system and consulting wiki says it is not scientifically verifiable. It does not mean it is not useful though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MBTI

 

I prefer it to judicial Millon Inventory which I think is not scientifically sound although they maintain it is. I am certain that it is not.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millon_Clinical_Multiaxial_Inventory

 

The results are only as good as the interpreters, better the person who does the test. It would not be any good good with the current standard of staff who give job advice. It needs a greater level of skill and sensitivity. A skilled Editor should be able to quickly typecast s a person from his writing style.

Edited October 29, 2013 by Perseus1

[Perseus1]

Addenda: at certain job interviews (e.g. Social Services) they use a variant of psychological testing. Even some firms will use and cut down (simpler) versions are used by at least one recruitment agency I know.

 

The simple ones tend to be worse than useless. And even the good one will be rendered useless if the person interpreting them is not intelligent or intuitive or perceptive enough to understand them. It requires nous.

 

The Millon Test can do great harm and I would advise against completing it. However, the other ones are mostly harmless, useless, or of limited value and certainly should not be relied upon. MBTI tests are not recommended for career guidance by themselves. However, I think they could be rather useful in the right hands.

 

They could be positively dangerous with a totalitarian Government. I would not worry too much. Incompetence will rule.

[Perseus1]

Why do I like the idea of psychological testing?

 

Because I have seen lives ruined by being in the wrong job. They were not a success and more than the job part.

 

The trouble is the tests may not be very good. Then they are worse than useless.