Sail through your assessment day
In order to choose the right candidate, companies will sometimes run an extended selection procedure at an assessment centre. These tend to last a day or two and might take place either before or after the first round of interviews. An assessment day will give the company the chance to see you in action in simulated day to day working activities.
Beforehand
- Find out as much about the company as possible
- You may be given a brief and asked to prepare an exercise
- To improve your presentations skills, practice speaking confidently
- Get a good night’s sleep the night before
- Build plenty of time into your journey for unexpected delays
- Unless otherwise instructed, wear business dress
- Ensure you have all the contact details for your destination
- Bring along anything that you have been asked to
You may spend a full day or longer at an assessment centre so it’s important that you try and engage yourself fully in all the activities and demonstrate all the attributes and employer will be looking for.
A few things to bear in mind are:
- Try to relax and enjoy the experience
- Be enthusiastic
- Listen carefully to instructions and ask if you do not understand a task
- Be confident – you are already being viewed as a potential employee
- Contribute to group discussions, but listen to others too
- Help make sure everyone is given the opportunity to voice their opinion
- Recognise other people’s contributions
- Ensure that any criticism you give is constructive
- Remember to thank the assessors for their time before you leave
You may be asked to participate in a number of tasks which might include:
- Role Play
- Group Discussion
- Presentation Exercise
- Practical Team Task
- Psychometric Tests
The purpose of these tasks is for your potential employer to identify certain characteristics such as:
- Problem-solving
- Commercial awareness
- Leadership
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Public speaking
- Time management
- Decision making
- Creativity
- Initiative
The following links will enable you to practice, free of charge, answering psychometric questions:
http://www.shldirect.com/
http://www.practicetests.co.uk/
http://www.jobtestprep.co.uk/