I know one thing, the job market is much tougher now than it has ever been. The skills test alone will kill you even if you get and ace the interview. I had two interviews last week, one with a background check company and the other as a waitress at On the Border. Both interviews I completely aced... The skills tests, meh.
The background check company had me take two skills test.
Skills test I was a three minute typing test. I type approximately 27 wpm, not great, not horrible either. About midway through the test, I notice my words aren't wrapping to the next line. Turns out they had it set like an old fashioned typewriter. Not ever using a type writer, I didn't realize that I should hit the space bar to get the word to the next line. Actually I hit enter and got the word to the next line, but the words were still showing FALSE errors. By the time I figured out how to correct this time was up.
Skills test 2 was to answer 8 questions in 45 seconds~! Go!! I get to the third question, boom it is over. The purpose on the test was to see how fast and accurate you are. I am a fairly accurate person. I used to proofread ads for a living, but I still need about 2O seconds to absorb and answer a solitary question.
THe waitress skills test consisted of a personality style test and math questions. The math questions asked were in no way related to math skills you would actually use on the job. They were to see if you could see patterns, shape patterns, what comes after this series of pictures, and number patterns, 2, 5, 7 X? Granted that is the simple version, the questions were actually much harder than that. I am not a stupid person, not by a long shot.. I can do basic math, add, subtract, multiply, divide, reduce fractions, make change, calculate percentages, good ole everyday business math. Only none of that was on the test, and so though I had tried to prep myself the best way I could, I had no real way of anticipating what would be on the test. The test consisted of those type of questions only. I had not done math like that in almost 30 years. Again, I don't think I am stupid, I just think it is amazing that vying for a WAITRESS job has become a quasi SAT and told him so nicely after being given notice that I failed the company test and wasn't eligible to be hired.
This was for a waitress job, something college kids do. I have waited on tables, not saying it isn't hard work, but the only skills I see a waitress needing is basic math , not dropping too many plates and people and multi tasking skills. That's it! This is not rocket science, but that is what the job market is being turned into today, needing some advanced degree for non skilled labor. Is it any wonder people without college degrees have such a rough time in the job market? I have had many great interviews only to be turned down after a skills test or not getting an interview because of the skills test, and these are for jobs I have years of experience in.
I have been taking stock of my weak points and trying to shore up so the same failures don't happen again, but it seems with every new test there is a new GOT YA! Most employers design the test in such a way that only a person who has worked there would pass the test. Instead of the test being broad it is very specific. There is no learning curve or training period anymore.
With that said, I am very persistent! I had an interview today that went very well, no test. Granted it was for a temp job.

I hope to someday get another crack at the city job that I beat 200 other applicants for only to choke on the test ....