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I applied to PetSmart...

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ZeroGravitas
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28 Mar 2011, 8:09 am

And had a mild anxiety attack during the online application.

A large portion consisted of personality questions, almost all of which, it seemed to me, were there to determine if I had AS. Many of them touched on social interaction, risk-aversion, adherence to routines, social anxiety, how well one can determine others' emotions, how much effort one expends to be polite, etc. Some segments were oddly specific to what one would find on an online AS test.

I answered honestly, of course, but it was uncomfortable. For instance, many asked if I easily notice others are upset. Others asked if I feel bad about upsetting people. For someone with AS, this is not so easy to express in multiple choice: I may be unable to identify moods, but I sure as hell feel bad if I do upset others.

Similarly, a good portion dealt with how I evaluate my social interaction. My answers to questions such as "Do you speak up when you see someone doing something incorrectly?" seem to contradict my answers to questions such as "Do you enjoy arguments?" It would be hard to express in a multiple choice format that while I try to be polite, and regret it when I am blunt, I do speak honestly. I may strongly agree with the statement "I do not try to hurt the feelings of others" yet strongly agree with the statement "I often hurt the feelings of others."

All in all, it was a very unpleasant experience.

The good news is that perhaps an aspie is exactly what they are looking for, for that position.


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Polgara
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28 Mar 2011, 9:12 am

The good thing is, it they do hire you, they will know what they are getting. :)



Lene
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28 Mar 2011, 2:17 pm

Yeesh. I never understood how when companies make you jump through so much BS getting employed, how come so many employees are well... jerks...

I suggest lying through your teeth about the small stuff ('I like arguing" obviously equals 'no' unless you're a lawyer...)

Actually, I wonder if someone should make a thread and post one of these questionnaires up, plus the answers that they are looking for (obvious no blatent porkies, but stuff that could be interpreted one way the other)



Moog
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28 Mar 2011, 2:24 pm

Lene wrote:
Actually, I wonder if someone should make a thread and post one of these questionnaires up, plus the answers that they are looking for (obvious no blatent porkies, but stuff that could be interpreted one way the other)


That's a brilliant idea.


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Lene
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28 Mar 2011, 3:00 pm

Moog wrote:
Lene wrote:
Actually, I wonder if someone should make a thread and post one of these questionnaires up, plus the answers that they are looking for (obvious no blatent porkies, but stuff that could be interpreted one way the other)


That's a brilliant idea.


:oops: :D thanks



Moog
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28 Mar 2011, 7:08 pm

Lene wrote:
Moog wrote:
Lene wrote:
Actually, I wonder if someone should make a thread and post one of these questionnaires up, plus the answers that they are looking for (obvious no blatent porkies, but stuff that could be interpreted one way the other)


That's a brilliant idea.


:oops: :D thanks


If I had more time, I'd do it myself. Sadly, I can only really support it with cheerleading atm.


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Lene
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28 Mar 2011, 8:00 pm

Me too. Got exams coming up. I'll try and remember to do it afterwards.

If anyone else wants to adopt the idea, it's free to a good home! :)



zer0netgain
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29 Mar 2011, 7:22 am

ZeroGravitas wrote:
A large portion consisted of personality questions, almost all of which, it seemed to me, were there to determine if I had AS. Many of them touched on social interaction, risk-aversion, adherence to routines, social anxiety, how well one can determine others' emotions, how much effort one expends to be polite, etc. Some segments were oddly specific to what one would find on an online AS test.

I answered honestly, of course, but it was uncomfortable. For instance, many asked if I easily notice others are upset. Others asked if I feel bad about upsetting people. For someone with AS, this is not so easy to express in multiple choice: I may be unable to identify moods, but I sure as hell feel bad if I do upset others.


Not that you have to do this, but that questionnaire might be borderline illegal. It could be argued that they are profiling applicants for potential mental/neurological disorders...which is discriminatory. Get a score that flags you as a risk and you don't even get an interview.



JeremyNJ1984
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29 Mar 2011, 11:30 am

ZeroGravitas wrote:
And had a mild anxiety attack during the online application.

A large portion consisted of personality questions, almost all of which, it seemed to me, were there to determine if I had AS. Many of them touched on social interaction, risk-aversion, adherence to routines, social anxiety, how well one can determine others' emotions, how much effort one expends to be polite, etc. Some segments were oddly specific to what one would find on an online AS test.

I answered honestly, of course, but it was uncomfortable. For instance, many asked if I easily notice others are upset. Others asked if I feel bad about upsetting people. For someone with AS, this is not so easy to express in multiple choice: I may be unable to identify moods, but I sure as hell feel bad if I do upset others.

Similarly, a good portion dealt with how I evaluate my social interaction. My answers to questions such as "Do you speak up when you see someone doing something incorrectly?" seem to contradict my answers to questions such as "Do you enjoy arguments?" It would be hard to express in a multiple choice format that while I try to be polite, and regret it when I am blunt, I do speak honestly. I may strongly agree with the statement "I do not try to hurt the feelings of others" yet strongly agree with the statement "I often hurt the feelings of others."

All in all, it was a very unpleasant experience.

The good news is that perhaps an aspie is exactly what they are looking for, for that position.


Honestly...dont sweat it...majority of companies have pre-determined questions they have to ask to everyone, to make themselves less liable legally speaking if they do hire you and something goes wrong. Its complicated to explain. Just understand that this is pet smart, albeit a professional business, its also not a full time career..its a job. Realize that the people you will be working with are probably in High School or College, and just out of College. Don't expect a huge amount of responsiblities and expectations. Its not like your becoming Vice President of Operations of the company, right? Those kind of jobs only require you to be on time, take orders, and do your job on the job...



riverspark
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01 Apr 2011, 10:09 am

I did one of those questionnaires for Kohl's one time (never got called back--go figure...) :roll:

In my opinion, any employer that believes those questionnaires are of any value is probably one I that I wouldn't last long with even if they did hire me.

To the OP: I can relate to the anxiety attack. Hope it didn't last long. Best wishes to you in your job search.