Securing gainful employment in today’s tight job market is a matter of hard work, planning and patience.

Prior to going in to business for myself, I utilized many of the same methods that are outlined in this article. So kick-back, grab your favorite beverage or snack, and let’s go job hunting.

Free or low-priced web based certification exams aren’t generally held in high regard within the certification industry. However, utilizing services such as Brainbench, ExpertRating and the National Computer Science Academy (NCSA) may be worth your while for one key reason:

A Number of Companies Utilize Their Certification Exams to Test Job Applications!

While obtaining a certificate from one of the abovementioned assessment companies may not hold much weight as a credential on a resume; if any at all, studying for such an exam could potentially prepare you for an entry level position or temporary assignment.

Therefore; opposed to actually listing this type of certificate on your resume, it may be a better idea to highlight what you’ve actually learned as a consequence of preparing for a particular exam. The idea is to promote your academic experience in hopes that a potential employer with test you for a position.

I’m certainly not a spokesperson for any of the following companies, but I’ve personally taken Brainbench and ExpertRating pre-employment tests for companies such as Tek Systems, TechTeam and Randstad. The exams were certainly taken seriously as I obtained employment on several occasions as a result of passing.

• Brainbench was founded in January of 1998
• They have serviced over 6 million individual customers and more than 5,000 corporate clients
• Brainbench offers more than 600 general certification tests
• They offer more than 30 free certification tests
• Brainbench is a leader in performance-predicting employment assessments

Brainbench lays claim to supporting organizations as renowned as Microsoft and IBM. They also assert that The Federal Government, the Virginia Department of Education, and a number of small to mid-size businesses utilize their testing services. Their client list also includes (this information can also be found on their web site):

1. Booz Allen Hamilton
2. CACI
3. EDS
4. Ford Motor Company
5. H&R Block
6. Interwoven
7. JPMorgan
8. Kaiser Permanente
9. Manpower
10. Prometric
11. SAIC
12. Siemens
13. TAC Worldwide
14. Verizon
15. Wells Fargo

NOTE: The only way to determine whether or not a particular certification will be recognized is to contact the human resources or recruiting department of a company directly. Again, the idea is to emphasize your skill set opposed to the actual certification.

• ExpertRating was established in 2000
• ExpertRating is PayPal verified
• They have certified approximately 200,000 professionals
• ExpertRating is a member of the BBB and Square Trade
• They provide training services to individuals and companies in over 60 countries

ExpertRating is certified under ISO 9001-2000 from TUV, Germany. They also offer a decent selection of free online tutorials. Listed below are some of the companies that utilize ExpertRating as a skills evaluation and pre-employment testing service (this information can also be found on their web site):

1. 1-800-flowers.com
2. AON
3. BBA-reman
4. Citrix
5. CMC Markets
6. Convergys
7. Cox
8. Deltek
9. Elance
10. Ericsson
11. Federal Bureau of Prisons
12. Fiserv
13. FOX
14. IKEA
15. Jellyfish
16. LimeExchange
17. ODesk
18. RentACoder
19. Rhonda (based in Russia)
20. Sony Online Entertainment LLC
21. Stanford University
22. Stolt-Nielsen S.A.
23. Sullivan University
24. The American Law Institute
25. The Gap
26. UCDavis
27. Unicco
28. UPS
29. Watson Wyatt

NOTE: The only way to determine whether or not a particular certification will be recognized is to contact the human resources or recruiting department of a company directly. Again, the idea is to emphasize your skill set opposed to the actual certification.

NCSA, the National Computer Science Academy is an online computer training company that offers a number of quality certifications, free exams and educational products. As far as I can fathom, the company was established in 2002. While I wasn’t able to locate any companies that actually utilize their assessment services, I was impressed with their list of free test (displayed below). NCSA also seems to be popular among freelancers (eLance workers, ODesk workers, etc). NCSA offers free testing and certifications in the following (visit their site to view the complete list):

• Microsoft Office Word 2007
• Microsoft Office Excel 2007
• PC Basics
• Microsoft Office XP
• Microsoft Office 2002
• Microsoft Office 2000
• HTML 4.0
• JavaScript

During my employment with OfficeTeam several years ago, they offered the Microsoft Office Specialist certification at no cost to their temp employees.

In order for qualified candidates to receive the certification, they needed to pass the Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Access test.

I don’t know if the company still offers MOS certification, but OfficeTeam is a solid company and definitely worth looking into in my opinion.

The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) offers two specialized certifications for office workers; the Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) distinction, and the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) distinction. Apparently, the CPS and CAP exams are the industry standards.

Each exam is designed to test the administrative workersfundamental knowledge of computers and technology, office procedures, office management and communication skills more or less.

IAAP is the largest non-profit member organization for individuals working within the administrative field to date. They currently have more than 40,000 members and affiliates worldwide. Some of their affiliates and sponsors are listed below (this information can also be found on their web site):

• ACCO Brands
• Adecco
• AT&T Cordless Headset
• Avery Dennison
• Bankers Box
• Boise Paper
• Boston Market
• Esselte Corporation
• OfficeTeam
• Samsill Corporation
• Smead
• Sodexo Conferencing

I thought that it would be a good idea to end this commentary by suggesting several insightful guides (listed below). While I wasn’t able to thoroughly review each book of course, I was able to skim through the contents and read the reviews. Each guide received at least 4 stars.

In any event, I genuinely hope that you’ve been encouraged, and thank you for reading “Job Hunting Tips: Tests That Could Help You Find a Job.” I welcome your comments and questions.