subject: Assesment Centres: What To Expect [print this page] Assessment Centres can be seen as the final step in deciding whether the company you have applied for a role in think you are suitable for the job. You have made it this far through scouring graduate jobs, completing applications, phone interviews and possibly even financial or psychometric tests But this is your chance to show them what you are really made of.
Depending on the industry you are applying into, there are a wide range of tasks that could be set for the day. For Finance positions, there is usually a mathematical test, or for a Sales role a hypothetical situation or phone call is likely to be used. But there are several tasks that are most commonly used in most Assessment Centres here is a brief outline of what to expect:
Teambuilding Task
Team building tasks are always going to be included as a company will want to test candidates on how they interact with other people in a work situation; do they demonstrate leadership qualities or do they motivate the team to the desired goal? Or do they sit back and observe and make shrewd assessments of the task in hand? Those will be some of the questions playing on your employers minds as they observe you. In order to succeed, you really must get yourself involved in the task as much as possible. But do stick to what you know; dont try and be a leader in a task when this is not how you work.
Presentation Exercise
A presentation exercise demonstrates how well you communicate and present yourself to an audience, which can be useful for roles which involve dealing with external clients or pitching ideas. This is a test of confidence, body language and how well you are received by the audience. As this is likely to be a test of initiative, make sure you get to know the content you are presenting about as quickly as you can, project your voice, talk at a relatively relaxed pace and make plenty of eye contact with your audience. Nerves are relatively easy to notice in presentations so try and relax and let your skills that got you this far shine through.
Interview
An interview is usually left until the end of the day; this is one of the most important aspects of the day as this is one of the only opportunities you will get with your employers one-on-one and really allow them to get to know you. Always be polite, confident, articulate and expand on your answers as much as possible and make sure you have some questions you would like to ask them too. Preparation for this stage is key so make sure you have practiced the night before and look over your application and CV and see if there are any questions that are likely to be asked.
Hopefully this will give you a more general idea of what to expect from an Assessment Centre and give you the inside track on what to prepare yourself. You have made it this far, so a little bit more elbow grease, a smart outfit and a smile should see you through to gaining the graduate role you want.
