Preparing for Assessment Centres

Category: Tips and Advice Publish date: 28/11/2014

An interview alone can be a daunting prospect but when an employer asks you to attend an assessment centre this can cause panic... thankfully, there are many ways to help prepare for an assessment centre and give yourself the best chance of being the stand-out candidate at the end of the day.

What can I expect?
Companies use assessment centres to gather as much information as possible about how candidates will perform in the job through relevant activities. Depending on the role being recruited to, activities can include:

• Skills tests
• 1:1 interviews
• Group interviews (where you are interviewed along-side other candidates)
• Panel interviews
• Presentations (both pre-released and unseen topics)
• Group tasks
• Role play
• Psychometric tests

It is likely that you will be asked to under-take 3-4 tests during the assessment centre and you may not always receive information prior to the day about what you will be asked to do. Preparation is vital, and while it seems hard to prepare for something when you don’t know what it will involve, there are many things that you can do to help yourself. Firstly, the job description will give you some insight in to what the employer will be testing for - take a look at the key requirements and person specification and ensure you feel confident in demonstrating these attributes.

What does the company already know about you?
Whilst interviews can come in many forms, preparation is similar – ensure you have prepared examples of how you meet the requirements of the job. It is also important to know what you have written on your CV. This seems obvious but, did you only apply for this job or did you apply for many? Of course, you will have tailored your application for this job, so it is worth checking what you have already told them. If you are unable to view your application again, it is worth spending some time thinking about how you match the job.

Practise your presentation skills
If a presentation topic and detail is not going to be released prior to the assessment centre you can still spend some time familiarising yourself with the company, current industry-related news items that might impact on your role, or even your presentation technique; practice reading out loud from a book to help measure your pace and tone. Ask a family member or friend to listen to you and give feedback.

Group tasks and role play are very hard to prepare for but by knowing your strengths and weaknesses and by thinking about how you can overcome them you will be helping yourself prepare.

Psychometrics and skills tests can also be practised. Your CTW workbook has information on tests and there are many free practice tests available on the internet.

What do you know about the organisation?
Think about the different places that you'll be able to find out about an organisation: their website, social media channels and CTP Employer Focus page, if the company has one, plus Companies House records. You could also speak to any contacts you have in the organisation, and find current news articles/press activity online via Google.

You also have a Career Consultant ready to help you prepare for the all-important assessment centre.

Fundamentally, the employer wants to check that they are recruiting the best person for the job and this is your chance to find out more about the company and the role. Assessment centres are meant to challenge you but, with preparation and your personality, you may find you enjoy the experience.