Guide to Assessment Centre and Interviews
Looking for that little edge in succeeding in interviews? You've come to the right place.
This guide is perfect for those with upcoming assessment centres, or competency interviews.
Recommended for those looking for graduate opportunities and internships.
This guide is perfect for those with upcoming assessment centres, or competency interviews.
Recommended for those looking for graduate opportunities and internships.
First Impressions
Always reassess yourself before the big day. Look in the mirror, you want to see a smart and enthusiastic person."Attitude is a maker or breaker in an interview". Interviewers want to see enthusiasm and the right attitude. So ask yourself, do you have a passion for the job you have applied to?
Dressing the part is equally important, make sure you look neat and tidy. First impression matters because interviewers will evaluate how you present yourself when you first enter the room.
The Handshake
Your handshake is the second thing the interviewer will judge on. Make sure it is firm and dry. If you have to, wash your hands and make sure it is clean, or just wipe your hand on some Kleenex or your trousers before entering the room. Also, remember not to crush your interviewer's hand, save your testosterone for the gym. Keys: Handshake
Firm and dry
The Assessment Centre
An assessment centre can consist of the following:
- Numerical/verbal written test
- Competency interview
- E-tray (In-tray) exercise
- Written exercise (decision-making/analytical)
- Presentation
- Group exercise
Numerical/Verbal Test
If you have made it to the assessment day, it is likely you've already done one of these during the application process. These tests are carried out to make sure you are numerically and verbally competent.The preparations you can do is simply try some practice tests online, there are plenty of these around the internet.
Competency Interview
There are many competencies that companies look for. Sometimes, they will give you a rough idea of what they look for before your assessment centre. Here are some examples of competencies they could look for:Initiatives
Teamwork abilities
Communication
Achievements
Adaptability
Problem solving
Commercial awareness
Prepare some good examples that will cover the competency the interviewer wants to hear. Draw from recent experiences in your life, whether it is from sports team, social committees, university societies and so on.
Try to give examples that show your qualities, and the competency asked for. Do not try to tailor an experience to suit a competency as interviewers can easily notice this.
Try to structure your competency examples, below is the "STAR" approach:
STAR Approach
- Situation
Simply describe the situation you were in, the time, the place etc. - Target
Describe your target. So what were you trying to achieve? Or what is it that you needed to do? - Action
Speak about your actions, justify your actions if needed. Tell your interview why you did that, and how you decided upon your actions. - Results
Were you successful? Did your actions have an impact? It is OK if you didn't succeed, but tell about what you learnt. Was there any room for improvement?
Keys: Competency Interview
STAR:
S-Situation
T-Target
A-Action
R-Result
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Etray Exercise
Etray exercises, also known as in-tray, is a timed simulation exercise where you take a certain role, e.g. a manager, and complete series of tasks. Often, you carry out these tasks through a simulated email inbox, where you reply to or choose the best responses to emails.This exercise can be quite time-pressuring, but don't worry if you cannot complete or respond to every email. Accuracy is more important, so be sure to evaluate the possible responses before making a decision.
Again, this exercise is best practiced beforehand if you have never done one, there are plenty of practice etrays online.
Keys: Etray Exercise
Accuracy is more important than speed
Written Exercise
The written exercise is sometimes linked into your role within the etray exercise. Or it could form part of your preparation for the presentation and/or the group exercise.You are sometimes assigned a role here, but usually your task is to assess a company or product. You are to identify problems, opportunities, and suggest ideas to a given situation. If you have never done something like this, you can try a SWOT analysis which is a structured way of evaluating business.
SWOT Analysis
Similarly to the etray, you will be timed. You may find you have lots of ideas but little time, so keep your writing short. It is OK to write in bullet points format as long as someone else can understand it. It is better to have covered the important points than write a neat essay.
Keys: Written Exercise
Structure
To the point
Use bullet points if neccessary
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Presentation
For your presentation, you are usually given a business related scenario or problem. You will be given time to prepare for your presentation, and then to present it. You can again use a SWOT analysis here if the scenario is suitable.If you are given little time for preparation, make sure you structure your slides. Write down your ideas, use bullet points, you don't want to fill up your slides, it is easier on the eye when only key words are used.
When presenting, make sure your voice is loud and clear, don't feel pressured to speak fast, take short breaths between sentences if you need to.
Body Language
Body language is important in presenting. An effective presentation will involve lots of hand gestures, eye contact with the audience, and of course, smile.
Try to use hand gestures, let your hands move naturally and comfortably, you will sometimes gesture to emphasis a point without even noticing.
It is fine to look back on your slides to see where you are, but don't talk facing the slide. Remember to face your audience and project your voice at them.
"Practice makes perfect." Practice presenting in front of the mirror, make sure you look confident and natural.
Try to use hand gestures, let your hands move naturally and comfortably, you will sometimes gesture to emphasis a point without even noticing.
It is fine to look back on your slides to see where you are, but don't talk facing the slide. Remember to face your audience and project your voice at them.
"Practice makes perfect." Practice presenting in front of the mirror, make sure you look confident and natural.
Keys: Presentation
Loud & clear voice
Body language
Look comfortable, relax
Sound confident
PRACTICE!
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Group Exercise
You are usually provided with some reading material, again, it could consist of problem solving or evaluating business aspects. You may be timed on your reading, so make notes, pick out key words and drop down points that are important and could be discussed. You do not need to read every single word as your time may be quite limited.Your objective is to discuss the problem with other candidates, so how does one stand out? Obviously, bright ideas or good suggestions will make someone stand out, but given so little time, that is not easily achieved.
So, to give a good performance, make sure you contribute to the discussion. You can build on other's ideas, agree or disagree with them, but give reasons or evidence of why you do so.
No one is assigned as team leader, so don't attempt to dominate the discussion, or you will appear overly aggressive. Try to be part of the team, you are judged on your ability to communicate and contribute, your attitude and how you get along in a group.
Keys: Group Exercise
Contribute
Build on other's ideas
Agree/disagree, given reasons
Don't dominate
Amazon: Group Exercise
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Your Thoughts
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