PreVisor Excel test

[MrKowz]

This is more of what I meant. I've learned that my manager(s) don't really care how efficient and reusable the code is behind the scenes, they just care how pretty it is. So even if you can show / explain something like "I took 200k rows of data, summerized it like this [Flashy graph / dashboard], and allow the end user to change the reports by moving slider bars and adjusting the values in dropdown boxes", probably wouldn't hurt.

Or, my favorite one to tell managers:

"Press this button and your weekly report that normally takes you 2 hours to set up will be generated and formatted. After you review, press the button right below it and it will be printed and e-mailed to your manager."

Managers LOVE to hear the words "saves time and money", especially when it directly impacts them.

 

[Will17]

Ha... I took it today. There was nothing advanced about it. Unlike the "ProveIt" tests, this one didn't give a score when you finished. I'm pretty sure it's going to say I did horrible on it though. There were so many ways to do some of the things it asked, but it still told me "incorrect" on many of them.

I've got a very good collection of things I can show them where I saved a lot of time at my current job. Before I took over some of the duties at my current job, they literally did a control + find to look for plan numbers and manually calculate how much money the plan had paid up to this point in the year.... I gave them 3 ways Excel would do that for them. They were spending 30 minutes doing that each time.

Not too worried about it. Might actually turn out to be a good thing because it will make me talk more about what I've accomplished.

 

[SydneyGeek]

Yeah, those tests are often very narrow.
Like you said, a great opportunity to discuss what you can really do. Good luck!

Denis

 

[Will17]

Ended up they sent me the version without the advanced portion, so I had to take it again. Pretty sure I darn near got every one right the 2nd time..

Interview went well I think. Wasn't the longest I've had, but they really liked my Excel skills, and they said that was the reason they brought me in (my college degree means nothing?). I explained a lot of stuff I've done which made it clear I knew more than a basic vlookup, if, and pivot table. They seemed to really respond well. They also introduced me to the 2 people I would be working with (who happened to be 2 very attractive young ladies..), so that's always a good sign. I should find out early next week. This is a position I really want and with a great company with superb benefits, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Trying to temper the expectations though.

 

[diddi]

Managers LOVE to hear the words "saves time and money", especially when it directly impacts them.

isnt that so true. i look at old code i wrote years ago and shudder at the lack of sofistocation but the bosses have been delighted all that time. they never see it and have less than a modicum of understanding of how it works.

when i do a rewrite, i say that new features have become available in excel, so i am speeding it up etc. and then you are the golden haired one again for being vigilent and keeping up to date. all good.

 

[Auracle]

If that is considered "advanced", it just makes me wonder what level we here, on the forums, have attained...

Yeah, no kidding! I thought I was pretty darn good with Excel, as I've always tested at the 'Advanced' level when I've taken tests.. but reading this and other message boards, and starting to dip my toes into VBA and more complex formulas than SUM and VLOOKUP, I realize how much I don't know yet!

But I'm learning! ^_^