While life is being put on hold and things are uncertain, one thing isn’t: your progress. Companies might be on hiring freeze, classes are probably running less frequently, and unfortunately, your normal ‘side-hustle’ could be a bit shaky right now. Still, it does not mean we, as students, graduates, and job seekers, should allow a little challenge to stunt your growth. It is a great time to upgrade yourself and your knowledge and expertise and wait for the end of the quarantine prepared and motivated for success more than ever.

1. Get to know Situational Judgement Tests

Situational Judgement Tests, although often overlap with Personality Tests, are, in fact, much more customized to a particular industry and job role. By using multiple-choice and ranking questions, these tests show a variety of specific hypothetical workplace situations to find out how candidates solve problems, make decisions, and work with others. This information will then help employers decide whether one is a good fit for their business. The best way to start getting to know Situational Judgement Tests is to have a look at examples of questions and answers and browse through further resources. People looking for a job often ignore these tests while they are preparing for the interview, because they either don’t have enough time or they don’t know how important they are. Now you don’t have any more excuses because time is all you need, and we hope that you are aware of how important it is to get to know yourself with this kind of test.

2. Use the extra time to practice

With some extra time in your hand, as work and study get a bit sluggish, and commuting becomes non-existent (at least for a while), you can schedule an additional free time to practice and to figure out the right strategy for yourself. The more tests did, the better, as this helps you familiarize yourself with Aptitude Test formats in general, but besides frequency, practicing smart is equally as important. Situational Judgement Tests are generally not timed, so being your best self, reading the given scenarios carefully to avoid misunderstanding, and of course, be ethical in your answers is enough. The more you invest yourself and practice, the better you will be, it’s simple as that. And the better you are, you will have a higher chance to find your dream job, once the quarantine is over and everything gets back to normal.

3. Research and adapt to the changing recruitment process

Some of the critical considerations when practicing are to research your employer and their career page, as well as to find out who your test publisher will be. However, recruitment is now changed to incorporate ‘virus-proof’ methods like video interviews, virtual assessment centers, and others. And companies having a reduced budget for hiring entry-level candidates, the early stage of psychometric testing can be even more challenging and influential than it already was. There might be straight-forward tips to excel in Numerical Reasoning Tests, Verbal Reasoning Tests, and Diagrammatic Reasoning Tests. Still, with Situational Judgement Tests, it is more the case of who the best matches are. Therefore, before even committing to any application process, save time by asking yourself: “Is this really for me?” And if the answer is yes, you need to start working harder. Do your research good, learn everything there is to be learned about the company you would like to work in, see how they are reacting to the current situation in the world, and adapt to that. Companies always try to find people that will be the best fit for them, someone that understands their mission and vision. And someone that feels the same way as they are. But another crucial thing is how do you think about the whole pandemic situation and how would you react now that everything is changed. Be sure that this is going to be one of the new questions that employers are going to start asking their future employees, and you need to be prepared to answer them.

4. Reflect on the test results

Most free practice tests offer results, and in the case of Personality Tests or Situational Judgement Tests, you will be given a free report or profile pinpointing your strengths and areas to improve. It’s imperative not to ignore these results, because they will help you develop and become much better. There isn’t a point of doing these tests if you are not going to pay attention to the results. Analyze these insights and reflect on your unique selling point, especially during this crisis when businesses need fresh ideas the most, and instead of applying to just any job in vain, change your direction accordingly to find the right role and work environment. Yes, maybe you think that it’s best to apply to as many job positions as you can, but it’s not. Focus on just one or a few that you would genuinely want to get. If you prepare for only one job position with one company or a few that are very similar, you will have all your brainpower aimed in that way. And that gets you a higher chance of getting the job because you are more focused on the essential things.

5. Make better career choices

Last but not least, once you have had a hang of Aptitude Tests, a schedule to practice, an awareness of current economic contexts, and some feedback from the free tests that you completed, it is time to step back and slow down for a big-picture overview. Make isolation positive by using this new, unprecedented personal space for some introspection, get to know yourself again, and set a goal of finding not just a job, but an actual career with opportunities to grow. Because there are many jobs out there, but not every one of them can be a career for you.

And of course, a Situational Judgement Tests would make the perfect ingredient to start.