'Devirginized' : My First Aptitude test.

When I was called for an Aptitude test, I was both excited and nervous. First, i hoped that it would have very general questions. I sampled quite a number of exercises available on the internet and I must agree that anyone fresh from high school would score tremendously well in such. Particularly because in High school we were so 'chonjo' about everything. Anything to get that A! ,especially in subjects like Mathematics.

No one told me about how time is such a key factor during aptitude tests; or how it is better not to guess on the multiple questions. My first question was timed out as i had honestly not gotten the hang of it yet. Do you panic a lot? I don't..but today I did. The feeling of getting timed out was too bad because in essence, the questions asked were not difficult, but just needed a bit more time to arrive at the correct answer. After about 2 or 3 timeouts, i was not in the mood to enthusiastically continue with the calculations as i had taken up on them in the beginning. At a certain instant, i even started day dreaming about this guy i have a very huge crush on.

I think the automated questions have a way of soothing your bruised ego because after a timeout blow, they would bring a much simpler question. To be quite honest, i took a guess in some instances so as to avoid a timeout experience: something which i feel like pinching myself for. I noticed the room had CCTV cameras and it immediately reminded me of 'The Exam'...

Aptitude tests, especially those in line with logical/mathematical reasoning help in discovering a potential employee's fluid intelligence, which is their ability to reason and think abstractedly. It also tests how you can solve problems almost instantly and strategically plan; almost like 'thinking on your feet'. Many organisations will however use it as a means of screening applicants and while some may argue with the pros and cons of it being a good interview procedure, future/potential employees should simply embrace it.

I left the room with so much on my mind. I hate to disappoint myself, because I like 'ME' so much. Hopefully I did not do too bad in my first aptitude test. For me its always entirely about being positive no matter what. Meanwhile, I have found a few techniques that will help better performance in such tests. Practice makes perfect, yes? So promise to practice them too so that you will be ready for your first test:

• Always work with puzzles to strengthen your mathematical prowess and inner genius. Make Sudoku your friend. 
• Do a lot of practice on different mathematical problems as you time yourself. This helps in gaining speed and accuracy
• Check out various online free aptitude tests. Some are very cool and will give you variety from verbal, abstract and numerical reasoning to more complex ones such as spatial visualization tests.
• Know your weak points, focus on them and make sure you gain clear understanding of their building concepts. 
• Discover patterns in the little ordinary things you come across.
• Try and memorize numbers, dates etc. 

Mystery of QR Codes unveiled!!!!!

QR codes are indeed one of the most innovative tools in the technology world. Despite the fact that they have been around for quite some time, they recently gained popularity and are being leveraged for marketing and creating brand awareness in several companies all over the world.

The secret behind having a successful QR code is making it in such a way that it will not only look enticing and capture one’s attention, but will also make them willing to take their time and follow the link to what you want them to see. Boy did Victoria Secret go all out on this!! They managed to come up with one of the best QR campaign strategy that I have come across. Oookay, Tesco’s idea was good too. (to watch more on Tesco’s idea click here) but this one deserves a stand innovation. Have a look:

There also seems to be a hint of mystery with Calvin Klein's campaigns that replaced the usually racy Calvin Klein billboards we are used to.

So who should use QR Codes?

1. Food and beverage Industry like Starbucks are using QR codes to help their customers buy food easily. Same case applies to large malls such as Wall mart and Tesco. Tesco managed to triple its sells by placing their merchandise on paper on the subways in the exact manner they would look like in an actual supermarket. Shoppers can actually shop at these places without having to visit stores and have their goods delivered safely to them; talk of literal window shopping.
2.   Real estate agencies have started to place the codes on some of the property bill boards and signs that they put up.
3.   Personal codes can be used to show your Curriculum Vitae or Portfolio in case you have to show one to potential clients or prospective business associates. Placing the codes on your business card is a good way of avoiding clutter and ensuring that your business profile summary on social networks can be accessed.
4.  Restaurants can include QR codes to show their official website, historical information about themselves, more information about the kind of meals they serve as well as bookings and reservations(Contact Information). Discounts, promotions and recipes can be included as well from time to time.

Lessons learned

1.   Ensure that you include your brand into the QR code or if not, ensure that it is well represented in the background.
2.  Make sure to incorporate the company logo and colors so as to make it appealing and create some kind of familiarity with your brand.  
3.  Customizing the QR code goes a long way in making your brand consistent and reliable (With consistency comes trust.) At times, consumers have gotten links that directed them to harmful sites and viruses so a little assurance would go a long way. 
4. Make sure to keep the design as simple as possible because it may be difficult for code readers to interpret complex code.
5. Ensure that the codes are thoroughly tested and are functional. Almost all QR codes are scanned by mobile devices, it would be senseless to link the codes to a desktop website version that is standard as mobile is what will be used to access the link. 
6. In most cases, QR codes, for a user , are set to be as a form of reward for the person who unveils it. Its like being on a treasure hunt and discovering gold. In the same light, it is highly important to ensure that there is a form of reward waiting for the user on the other side, for instance, free downloads, exclusive media, coupons, gifts, special offers and exclusive information.

How to make a QR code.

This can be made using different kinds of QR code generators such as TapReader, QR Pro and SmallQR. They are all free of charge and will help you get a code in a number of minutes. So you do not have an excuse. Get one for your business now!! Ensure to place all the necessary details needed such as URLs and above all, ensure that the QR Code is thoroughly tested before putting it out for the public.