Skills Tests
- Thread starter rtwdwk
- Start date
oxburger
Well-known member
For a while I was involved in judging students in their application skills for the local vocational program. We basically used an 8.5 x 11 inch ad that we created and asked them to recreate it. They would build the ad from scratch having only a printout to go by that was marked up as far as spot colors, font and sizes, etc. They would use InDesign, create the document, set type, place graphics, etc. while using their ruler to measure margins, type and photo placement, etc. The key was making sure they used InDesign, Illy and Photoshop.
The ad contained an illustrator graphic that was built as 4/c and the marked up ad would call it out as 2 spots, making them open the file, convert the colors and resave. The images were called out as 4/c process but be supplied in RGB. They were also required to put a clipping path on one image and make a duotone out of another. The InDesign file contained drop shadows, indented paragraphs, drop caps, and anything else we could think of to throw them a curve.
They had one hour to get as far as they could with it. (After I built it, I recreated it and it took me about half an hour) Some completed it, others weren't so lucky. It was an all around skills competition and others were better at running a press or stripping than their computer skills. It served it's purpose for basic skills, but would seem rudimentary to an advanced user.
The ad contained an illustrator graphic that was built as 4/c and the marked up ad would call it out as 2 spots, making them open the file, convert the colors and resave. The images were called out as 4/c process but be supplied in RGB. They were also required to put a clipping path on one image and make a duotone out of another. The InDesign file contained drop shadows, indented paragraphs, drop caps, and anything else we could think of to throw them a curve.
They had one hour to get as far as they could with it. (After I built it, I recreated it and it took me about half an hour) Some completed it, others weren't so lucky. It was an all around skills competition and others were better at running a press or stripping than their computer skills. It served it's purpose for basic skills, but would seem rudimentary to an advanced user.
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Like Oxburger, I had all applicants do a test file, actually two files. One 4/4 and one 2/2. It was the only way to weed-out the fluff written in the resume. You'd be surprised at the results, only after a positive interview and calling on the references, would they be asked back to take a run at the test files. Worked a charm for me.
Vee
Vee
almost forgot
almost forgot
We had decent results using Prepress Training's web service. Their courses include a test designed to evaluate pre and post course performance. We made a deal to use the tests as a standalone product. If nothing else we had benchmarks of current employees and a means for pretesting applicants. We used the InDesign, Pitstop and file troubleshooting tests. We also had several employees take the courses with mixed results.
I will share pricing with anyone interested off-list.
stephen grayman
Braintree Printing : Welcome
almost forgot
We had decent results using Prepress Training's web service. Their courses include a test designed to evaluate pre and post course performance. We made a deal to use the tests as a standalone product. If nothing else we had benchmarks of current employees and a means for pretesting applicants. We used the InDesign, Pitstop and file troubleshooting tests. We also had several employees take the courses with mixed results.
I will share pricing with anyone interested off-list.
stephen grayman
Braintree Printing : Welcome
Tech
Well-known member
Skill test is a double edge sword. Some people tests well and some won't regardless their knowledge. I took a few of these surprised tests earlier in my career through agencies. When you have anxiety to perform within 30-60 min and not prepare for it...don't expect to get good results.
On one hand, you may conclude those whom failed are fluffy and dunno their stuff...on the other end, you have to wonder if the person whom test well wasn't doing this type of "test" daily in his/her previous job...of course, it'll be a cakewalk. You can conclude such person is an expert for this "test", but don't you also wonder if this person can adapt to new skills?
Personally, one's communication skill, proper-positive-can-do attitude and ability to adjust-learn and accept constructive instruction out weights a skill test in my book.
On one hand, you may conclude those whom failed are fluffy and dunno their stuff...on the other end, you have to wonder if the person whom test well wasn't doing this type of "test" daily in his/her previous job...of course, it'll be a cakewalk. You can conclude such person is an expert for this "test", but don't you also wonder if this person can adapt to new skills?
Personally, one's communication skill, proper-positive-can-do attitude and ability to adjust-learn and accept constructive instruction out weights a skill test in my book.
oxburger
Well-known member
When we did ours, it was made to reflect the most basic type of usage. It wasn't like we were trying to get them to put type on a curve or even add a simple drop shadow. It was place an image, add a color, create a text box. I'm sorry, but if you don't know even these rudimentary skills, you need to practice more before you apply for a job.....
PantherMac
Well-known member
We had a pretty hard test for operator candidates at my last job. One of the items we printed regularly were envelope seed packages - those little envelopes starting to appear at Home Depot for $1.39? (+10-points if you now know my last employer... LOL!). Pretty basic, as far as commercial print goes, just a few CTs, some rules (K-only), type, and the only wacky part, was a dieline spot color...
We sat them in front of the Mac, fired up the file in AI, introduced them to the elements, and asked them to call us over when the job was trapped, we'd help them shoot the films to check.
Half of 'em simply didn't know where to start. One guy just upped and walked out after staring at the screen for 2-minutes, LOL!
Couple of them fumbled through, and that frankly, was the test. Would you try, could you think for yourself, or were you the type to just memorize steps and became completely lost when someone didn't spell out the path for you?
We had lots of opportunities to hire people who were good at memorizing steps.
Knowing the stuff, understanding what you were trying to do, and how the tools in front of you allowed you to do that... THOSE were the employee's we wanted.
- Mac
We sat them in front of the Mac, fired up the file in AI, introduced them to the elements, and asked them to call us over when the job was trapped, we'd help them shoot the films to check.
Half of 'em simply didn't know where to start. One guy just upped and walked out after staring at the screen for 2-minutes, LOL!
Couple of them fumbled through, and that frankly, was the test. Would you try, could you think for yourself, or were you the type to just memorize steps and became completely lost when someone didn't spell out the path for you?
We had lots of opportunities to hire people who were good at memorizing steps.
Knowing the stuff, understanding what you were trying to do, and how the tools in front of you allowed you to do that... THOSE were the employee's we wanted.
- Mac
I never worked in printing packages and I heared there are some interesting demands especially for traps concerning spot colors/varnishes/metallic. So maybe it is a dumb question, but what should be trapped in a job that is K only?
PantherMac
Well-known member
Sorry, Oxburger was correct, I meant that the rules were black. What I was implying was a very simple trapping job (overprint and center the strokes, done). We weren't hiring operators specifically w/ packaging experience (used Artpro for trapping, we would train whomever we hired anyways), so they didn't need to know all those fancy rules (which are press/job dependent anyways).. It was incredibly simple work, meant to look daunting. Again, we were checking to see who could think on their feet, more than their accumulated skill set.
By using that metric to separate the chaff, we hired some great employees (who otherwise didn't look so great to an HR drone).
- Mac
Criminy
Well-known member
Excellent point! The practice is obviously imperative, but knowing the concepts of what is needed is equally important. That way, your mind is encouraged to find multiple creative ways to resolve problems.
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