A Fool Proof Guide to Acing Assessment Centres | For Graduates, School Leavers & In-Between
Whether you are a school leaver or a graduate, assessment centres have become the standard in many recruitment processes. These are usually the last step in an application and consist of a group exercise, interview and mini assessments (it can vary from a numerical re-test, e-tray assessment or challenges). If you have got this far in what is always a rigorous selection process, feel very proud — it is not easy by a mile. Below are tips I consistently use to make sure I feel relaxed and perform at my best.
1. Talk to other candidates
Assessment centres provide you with an exclusive opportunity to meet people from different walks of life interested in the same scheme as you are. Talk to them! You are all in the same boat and probably feel nervous about the upcoming day. Help relax your nerves by connecting with people. Find out about how they got to this point, what they’re interested in and what they’ve done prior. Small talk can easily lead to a lot of laughter in a moment when you feel nervous.
2. Speak to the Existing Cohort
At the start of each assessment centre, the assessors usually explain that there will be apprentices from the existing cohort around that you should talk to. Listen to them! This advice is gold — those apprentices are mines of knowledge & information that will help you decide if this company/scheme is the right decision for you. Engage if there is a question & answer session — be the first one to put your hand up and get the ball rolling! Ask about the culture, the challenges, the support you get, opportunities and everything in between! Every time I engage with apprentices it helps reinforce why I want to get into the scheme — they always unknowingly give me extra things to say in my interview also! When you can show the interviewer that you have been engaging in the day — beyond the requirements — it is impressive. I usually say something along the lines — “Even the conversations I had today with the existing cohort reinforces why I want to work here, they were telling me about X, Y and Z and this all sounds incredible exciting!”
3. Research the Company (In Detail!)
This tip is incredibly obvious, but vital nonetheless. Research, research, research! You are there to show them that you are interested in their company and in that particular scheme. Your two best answers in an interview need to be “Why us?” and “Why this scheme?”. There is no doubt about that. Research IN DETAIL. This is exactly like a University interview — these people are experts in their field, have been working in the sector for years so they want to converse with you, they are excited to see your excitement and your potential. They are not there to catch you out but rather to understand exactly what appealed you and what you already know about the company and the programme. They may ask you what you think a typical day to day may look like, what challenges the division faces and about their competitors. If you are applying for a financial position, then please understand what is going on in the market and how that can affect the company. Most importantly, understand what makes that company that you are applying for stand out from the rest.
4. Always Explain Your Actions
This may seem simple but it is key. Around 2 weeks ago, I attended the hardest assessment I have ever faced — simply because I was constantly stretched to my limits. Every second, you had to respond really quickly to a scenario or a challenge. Luckily, I caught on very quickly, it wasn’t exactly what I did but WHY I did it and the thought process behind it. Even if I felt like I didn’t take the best approach to tackle a problem, I made sure to ace my reasoning behind it. It’s about showing them your potential. If they are looking to see how you research and you haven’t approached in a clear or concise way, then explain that — say “In hindsight, I would have done X, Y or Z”, I would have clarified my goal before I started to tackle the problem” or “Usually, with the right resources, I do this…”. Make sure that you are very clear about what attributes the company is looking for and align your explanation with that.
5. Converse with Your Interviewer
Whether it is a competency interview or a strengths based one, really try and connect with your interviewer. Make it turn from a structured interview into more of a chat about why you want to work there. I have found that this mainly happens when 1) the interviewer sees that I am interested and excited about working there & 2) When the interviewer can see that I have done my research. When you feel well prepared, it instantly makes you feel a lot more relaxed. Make sure before the interview that you remember all the interesting and relevant things you have done to help you secure this job role. You know that annoying feeling when you get asked a question and nothing springs to mind but the moment you leave, you come up with the best answer ever? Yeah, don’t let that be you. Go through the key qualities and attributes the company is looking for and write down what relevant experiences you have had that show that.
Another great way to connect with the interviewer is to ask questions after the interview. Please don’t ever leave the interview without asking a question! Questions are the perfect closing — imagine doing a pitch and you have a killer opening, presented a strong argument and then have a weak closing. It would have all been for nothing. You need a strong finish. Asking an engaging, proactive question leaves a fantastic image of you in the interviewers’ mind and the conversations that stem from those questions can help set you apart from other candidates. Use this time wisely. My go-to questions I love using is from The Cut — these are genuinely the best questions to ask and I don’t know how I have never thought of them before. These prompt so many good responses from the interviewer and really helps you understand how the system works in that company.
6. Trust in Yourself
In the face of loud competition, you can sometimes feel like you don’t belong there. Especially as a person of colour. Trust me, you deserve to be there as much as everyone. Representation is a whole issue on its own — I have been to many assessment centre when I can count all the Black and Asian people combined all on one hand. There will always be people that you feel like were born for this, who brazenly show off their technical knowledge/terms & 50 filled page notebook to prep but making assumptions is unhealthy and you don’t know anyone’s life. There is no need to look at anyone with envy or feel inferior. Maybe that persons’ personality is bolder than you are used to. Instead, why not try and talk to that person — see if they learnt anything interesting or ask why they’re interested in this scheme. Maybe they’ll even give you things to talk about in your interview! Recently, I came across this quote: “Jealousy will have you envious of people you can learn from” and it’s so true.
Be a sponge and soak up all the good knowledge. Assessment centres are an experience that can teach you so much about yourself and your interaction with others.
