They called me today and we had a brief chat and they said next steps are that I have to write an IQ test - a psychometric examination. I wrote one of these for one of the last companies I worked for - I always try to write them as fast as I can - used to do these with exams at university - generally being the first one to leave the class room. That probably wasn't wise. In my 4th year I wrote a thesis paper on predictors of performance in university. Here's the abstract of my paper:
"Traditional predictors of performance in university are high school grade point average, and Scholastic Aptitude Test scores. The validity of traditional (high school grade point average, Scholastic Achievement Test scores) and non-traditional (personality and cognitive) variables combine to make more effective predictors. Several non-traditional variables are examined via multiple regression to determine their predictive value for a mid-term examination score in an introductory psychology course at the University of Toronto. A factor analysis of the predictive model is presented. 20% of the variance of academic performance is explained by scores achieved on the Short Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices Test, the Mill Hill Verbal vocabulary test, and the Test Anxiety Inventory Worry subcomponent. This study demonstrates that non-traditional predictors, including both cognitive and personality variables, can better predict academic performance than the traditional predictors."
So, one of the main points of this 42 page paper was that verbal ability and test anxiety measures better predicted success - and therefore completion of the final years of university - than did SAT and high school GPA. To wit:
"In recent years, many researchers have focused on identifying reliable predictors of academic success for university students (Larose & Roy, 1991). The ‘dropout’ rate for university students after first year is considerable, such that it would be cost-effective for the universities to reliably determine in advance whether a student is a good candidate for achieving at a minimal satisfactory level at university. Systematic investigation and validation of predictor variables related to academic performance at universities would be most effective in predicting academic performance."
I note that one of the appendices has a table describing the Exploratory Factor Analysis of Predictor Variables (Group A), displaying the VARIMAX Rotated Factor Matrix of several psychometric tests. I don't have a clue what this means anymore - it has been a long, long time since my brain worked so happyquickfast.
Note that a hint about me having substantial test anxiety is buried in my little story about leaving the exam room quickly.
But I digress...
Anyway, here's what the company is looking for in candidates, according to their HR web site:
- Top 5% IQ
- Must qualify for Top Secret security clearance
- Must reside within company's principle trade area of assignment, e.g. GTA
- Well-presented
- Now - with regard to the first one. I am more than 5% intelligent. That was easy. Phew.
- I actually have Canadian Security Clearance - but not Top Secret - I got it for a position some time ago, and it is good until 2014. Having Top Secret, well, that'd be just Plain Cool. I'd get to find out what really happened at Roswell. And I'd get to wear dark sunglasses like Men in Black.
- I live in the GTA. That was easy. Phew.
Well-presented. Well, I did a Google Image search and found this old picture of me - I'm wearing a well-presented suit, dancing at a New Year's party from some time ago. Note the swish hair. As I hazily recall, I was doing the sandwich dance - where I mimic the elaborate gesticulations and hip-shaking moves behind the contruction of a typical tuna melt sandwich.
I write the IQ test tomorrow.
My professor in my 4th year Human Intelligence course started off his first course lecture with this nimble warning. "You will" - he said wagging his finger - "leave this course realizing that there is nothing in our heads or in our world that you will be able to call I.Q. You will grow disillusioned with the concept of I.Q."
Before the final exam I bumped into him in the coffee line and told him I was terrified - that the more I studied, the less I seemed to know. He said I was becoming wise. He said that we really know very little. He told me that they still don't know how aspirin works. I muttered something about prostaglandins but that didn't impress him and he quickly moved on to something else. I think he was right, though, in the end. I left the course (did well on the exam by the way) realizing I.Q. wasn't anything other than how it was measured, I guess.
I'll write the test tomorrow - and court anxiety and the ineffable not-knowing of my career future.