The Self Assessment

I took my first step towards apply for the promotional opportunity today. I had to take a self-assessment....what a foreign thing to do. Have you ever had to take one of these tests? Here I am, sitting here in front of something that seems so simple, yet holds such a significant thing in the balance...

The questions are things like: "Out of the following words, which one best describes yourself", "Are you a self motivator?", "Do you like doing A) one task at a time, B) two or three tasks at a time or C) several tasks at a time." And the kicker, "Of all the things our there to do, is sales what you would prefer to do above all other things." Dude, I could barely understand that last question, let alone answer it to the best of my ability.

So,here I am self analyzing myself as I'm trying to determine what the best answer to these questions will be. And here's what's going through my head:

1) What would make them want to hire me?

2) If I choose the answer that I think would make them want to hire me, am I actually self-assessing myself?

3) If I choose the answer that I think would make them want me, and that's the wrong answer, would I have had the right answer if I answered the question the way I best fit the answer?

4) How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? (Just Kidding)

5) What if I answer all the questions right, and decide that I don't want to be in sales? Am I passing up my calling?

6) Am I doing this for the right reasons?

7) What if I'm not meant for this job? What do I do next?

Something as dumb as a self-assessment actually stressed me out a little bit. Not in the "Agh! I'm freaking out way" but in the "too much to think about" way.

Here's what I'm thinking- if I get turned down for the job because my answers to the self assessment test did not match the answers that my potential supervisor wants to see, and I get passed up for this promotion, I'm going to feel disappointed that my personality wasn't good enough. I wasn't good enough for them because a test told them so. That sucks. However, if I go get the job, and I'm not happy because it's not a good fit for me, I'm going to be surprised that the self assessment test didn't weed me out. Dumb huh?

What does this damn test show anyway? Nothing. That I know how to press buttons? What good does that do me?

By the way, I filled it out for what fit me. So, in some of the questions, where I'm pretty sure I could have stretched the truth and said, "no, I don't feel like I need training to be 100% successful in this position" I told them that I was uncertain as to whether or not I needed the training. I figure let's be realistic here - no matter how great of a salesperson you are (or are not) you can always use training on how to make yourself better. As a kindred spirit shared with me today, I looked at it this way - "Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire." Yates was a brilliant man....

Anyway, we'll see how it goes. I think I would have felt better if there was some sort of measurement that I could compare myself to, or a grade at the end. Not some ambiguous idea of right and wrong followed by a maybe interview and a possibility of an offer letter sent to me.

Agh! I thought I was done with tests after college!