I have never had very good test taking skills – a problem that has plagued me my whole life. Nevertheless, when I was in high school my parents assured me that, if I could make it through with reasonably good grades, I would never have to worry about skills tests again. In my foolishness, I believed them. Needless to say, they lied. Skills testing was far from done.
As a matter of fact, there has been little that I have done or tried to do in my life that has not involved a skill tests. Skills tests, of course, were instrumental to getting through college. Fortunately, many of my professors would allow me to do extra work instead of taking the tests, but nonetheless I feel like I didn't do as well as I would have in less test-based classes. Don't get me wrong – I don't do badly on all tests. Knowledge-based tests, in fact, are my forte. Nonetheless, when I was under pressure and had to write an in-class essay, perform a mathematical function, or do some similar task, I would always botch it. It wasn't that I didn't know how to do it, but that I couldn't manage my time correctly.
When I finally finish college, I was sure that the skills tests were gone done for good. Wrong again! If I had graduated a few years earlier when jobs were plentiful, I probably wouldn't have had to take skills tests. With my good GPA and excellent recommendations, I would have been well-suited for a job in the professional sector. Nonetheless, that just wasn't how it was. Applying at employment agencies for jobs, I had to face a battery of skills assessment tests. Everything from my computer skills to my personality type and integrity were measured and found lacking. I knew that if I could just try the job, I would prove myself. I had done it before, after all, and I could do it again. Nonetheless, my testing skills kept holding me back
I would like to say that my own merit eventually won the day, but that isn't how it works in America. What actually happened was that I was hired based on nepotism. A friend of mine needed a Web administrator, and I was just the guy to do it. This gave me the professional boost I needed, not only providing me with employment, but also giving me good references and a head start on future gigs.
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