How to Prepare for Assessment Centres
On the day before your assessment centre you should consolidate your knowledge of the firm you have applied to, make sure you are aware of any current commercial awareness issues and re-read your own CV and application form.
Review the job description and any other material the employer may have sent you. Think about the key skills and competencies your assessors will be looking for in you and other candidates during the assessment centre. They will be making selections based on these criteria, so think about ways you can demonstrate these skills during the various tests and exercises you will be involved in tomorrow.
Preparing for Assessment
If you have been asked to prepare any material for the assessment centre (e.g. a presentation) make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to complete and practise this, to ensure you are as confident as possible on the day.
If aptitude tests will be part of your assessment centre make sure you take practice tests to familiarise yourself with the concept. It is important you know what type of tests will be coming up and exactly how to answer the questions that will be asked of you. If you do not know, call human resources to find out. Different types of test require candidates to address questions in slightly different ways. You must know exactly how to answer the test you will be sitting to be in with the best chance of doing well.
On the Day of your Assessment Centre
On the day of your assessment centre you must:
- Arrive in good time.
- Be polite to everyone you meet, including other candidates.
- Join in with discussions, including informal ones (e.g. during lunch/dinner).
- Be assertive during group and individual exercises.
- Move on quickly, if you make a mistake. Assessors are not expecting you to be perfect in all areas, so try not to dwell on any errors.
- Try to draw others into group discussions. Your assessors want to see evidence of good leadership and teamwork skills as well as your own intelligent input.
- Find out when you can call for interview feedback. If you don't get a job offer this time, you need to know why, so that you can make sure you get an offer next time round
Do I need to bring any documents or materials?
No, everything is provided.
Are there any tips or tricks to increase my chances to succeed?
There is a lot of information on Assessment Centre / Development Centres that can be found in books and on the internet.
Nevertheless, we strongly advise you against being influenced by the things you read. The goal is to observe your natural behaviour to see what strengths and development areas spontaneously occur. It is important to remember that everyone has strengths and development areas and this is what the recruiters are expecting to see.