Taking a career aptitude test has a lot of benefits, more than you can ever imagine. Most people think that taking this kind of test is not important, but in reality, it offers a wide variety of advantages not only to fresh graduates who are about to step into the working labor force, but for people who are already working themselves or in between jobs. These tests can help you become more aware of your skills, personality and which career paths may be better suited for you.  The team at Career Aptitude Tests, lists some benefits of taking aptitude tests below:

1. You learn more about yourself. Through a career aptitude test, you get to know about your skills, strengths and weaknesses, and from there you can explore different suitable career choices.

2. You discover things you never knew you had. Career aptitude tests usually gauge your psychological and emotional capacities towards your future. They also open doors for you to find new talents and skills that you weren’t aware of before.  You can use these new discoveries to enjoy life better, both in terms of career and leisure.

3. Career aptitude tests provide ways for you to work on your weaknesses. Everyone has weaknesses, but most of us are in denial to acknowledge and resolve them. Through these tests, you are not ridiculed for your weaknesses; rather, you are taught about the different methods in which you can improve yourself and possibly eliminate them.

4. It gives you a variety of options.  Everyone wants their “dream job,” but the idea of an aptitude test is to expose you to various career opportunities; possibly some that you haven’t even considered. It is meant to guide you, not pigeonhole you into one job.

5. Career aptitude tests can save you from job-hopping. Job-hopping can be fun and exciting, but it can also tarnish your portfolio by employers thinking that you’re having problems at work and struggling to commit to a job.

There are many career aptitude tests you may take, and some of them, especially those found on the Internet, are free to answer. Here are a few options below:

http://www.careertest.net/

http://www.quizrocket.com/career-personality-test

http://www.mycareerquizzes.com/career-personality-tests

If your life were an autobiography, what would the dust jacket say about you? The cover letter is the dust jacket of your resume, and the recruiter’s first introduction to your voice.

Most cover letters are read last. But, before you stop reading this article, remember that any materials that make it as far as a “hold” pile will be read, from cover letter to references. It is then that cover letters matter most, as they have the power to distinguish intriguing possibilities from average, everyday candidates. Laura Gassner Otting suggests the following:

Top Ten Cover Letter Do’s and Don’ts

1. Do keep it to one page. Simplify, simplify, simplify.
2. Do personalize each letter.
3. Do craft each cover letter to the specific job and recruiter, mentioning the position and organization in the first sentence.
4. Do match your skills to the job responsibilities and be specific when describing your relevant job experience.
5. Do set yourself out as unique among a pool of applicants.
6. Don’t distinguish yourself by the color and texture of paper.
7. Don’t be so brief that the employer must go on safari to find information.
8. Don’t misspell the name of the person you are addressing.
9. Don’t load the letter with jargon.
10. Don’t create charts and tables.

Temp (short for “temporary”) agencies recruit and assign employees to short-term job assignments. They are sometimes known as staffing services or contract firms. When the employer no longer needs the staff member, a worker’s short-term assignment is complete. The temp agency then looks for another job assignment for the worker.

Benefits of using a temp agency and doing temporary work according to iseek.org:

• Gain skills and work experience.
• Have a source of income while looking for work.
• Obtain free training.
• Increase networking contacts.
• Have more flexible hours or working conditions to accommodate your personal situation.
• Check out an employer or an occupation before making a commitment to it.
• It’s easier to get a job when you have a job.
• Sometimes employers offer permanent positions to temp workers who work out well.

Here are some additional tips if you are considering employment with a temp agency:

• Be professional in all dealings. Treat agencies as you would a potential employer. In the case of temp agencies, they are employers.
• Be available. Most agencies expect you to make yourself available when they offer you placement. If you turn down more than a couple of opportunities, they may not be as quick to consider you for future ones.

Allison Green suggests a different approach to interviewing during these difficult economic times. What is an informational interview you ask? Informational interviews are done when you are looking to gain more insight and knowledge into a specific field or job you are interested in. It’s also a great way to find someone that may be willing to mentor and help you expand your network of people. It’s not used as a sneaky way to get a job.

You typically get an informational interview through someone that is connected to you in some way, even if it’s a few degrees of separation (your uncle’s former coworker or so forth), but sometimes you can even get them from strangers via LinkedIn or your alumni network.

Once you have the interview set up, you want to make a great impression, so look over these helpful hints below:

1. Come prepared with relevant questions. The person you are interviewing is probably busy so don’t waste their time by showing up unprepared. Make their time count.

2. Sometimes you won’t get a person to person interview, but they are willing to talk via email or phone. Be ready with equally great questions.

3. Ask them if there are any other people they could recommend that would be willing to do informational interviews. Maybe the first person you interview cannot help, but they may have contacts that can help you.

4. Do not ask if they are hiring. (You should have already investigated public job opportunities on their website if available.) If they think you may be a possible candidate, they will let you know if there are positions open or may even take your resume.

5. Lastly, send a thank-you note afterwards. This person gave you something of value: his or her time and insights. You want to make it clear that you did not take it for granted.