People who buy drug tests and practice at home aren’t trying to get away with something, they’re just trying to be prepared. Now before you jump up and shout “yeah right” at the computer screen, please hear me out.

Would you go to a job interview unprepared? I mean would you walk in there without having done any research on the company you’re applying to or not even bothered to adjust your CV to show your expertise in the field you want to work in? Would you throw caution to the wind and apply to an office gig wearing jeans?

Unless you really don’t care about getting the job, the answer to all these questions is probably no. So why then would you take a test that may very well determine if you can keep your job without doing your homework?

I’m not talking about cheating the test and getting away with taking a substance you shouldn’t be. I’m just talking about knowing how to take the test the right way so you don’t get penalized or fired for something you didn’t do.

We’ve all heard the story of that Olympic athlete who almost had his medal taken away for being at a party and accidentally inhaling some of the air he shouldn’t have. We’ve also heard the story about people eating poppy seed bagels and testing positive for heroin. While that last one may be the stuff of urban legend, can you afford to take that chance?

To play it safe, it’s best to inform yourself of just what the people doing the test will be looking for then buy drug tests and do a dry run. I’m not even suggesting you get the test from your doctor, just go online and get one of the many narcotics home tests and prepare yourself.

It’s better to be safe than sorry, better to be prepared than not and above all better to be employed than out on the street where many of the drugs you may be accused of doing are actually consumed.

Consider this a rehearsal of the utmost importance.