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A guide to assessment centres

Tonkin + Taylor

Asessment centres are becoming more and more common for graduate and student recruitment, here our tips for excelling at them.

A Guide to Assessment Centres 

Throughout the application process for graduate and recruitment roles, you may notice companies are moving away from traditional interviews and towards assessment centres. Assessment centres generally consist of multiple sections, including a group project and an interview portion. This may seem nerve-wracking, but assessment centres are a way to show a more well-rounded version of yourself and meet more people at the organisation, and are also a great chance for you to find out more about the organisation and see if you’d like to work there. 

We know your first one will still be a taunting experience, so here are our best tips for excelling in assessment centres:

Dress for success

Dress in smart casual clothes as if you were working at the firm you are interviewing at. Make sure you are comfortable and dressed appropriately.  Overall, this is one of the first impressions you can make on the hiring managers and team leaders so dress neat, professional, and sleek.

Stay hydrated and well-fed

It is important to be alert and aware throughout the day. The day may feel long so ensuring you keep your fluids up and eat well will make all the difference.

Although you might be nervous try and get a good sleep the night before! 

Come prepared

Do your research on the company, make sure you can articulate what you like about the company, and why you would like to work there. Also, be prepared to answer the technical questions in the STAR method. Have a look on the internet to see some frequently asked interview questions so you are the most prepared you can be whilst in the interview.

During the group project

The group project is a great way to showcase your skills. It’s important during the group project to make sure you don’t pretend to be someone that you’re not, you don’t know what values the organisation is looking for, so make sure you are authentically yourself. 

A good idea is to look up the values of the organisation beforehand (if they’re available online) and focus on demonstrating which ones of these you align with the most during the group project e.g. if collaboration is a company value make sure you make all team members feel included and comfortable sharing their ideas! 

Ask questions

The assessment centre isn't just about us getting to know you, it's also your chance to try us out! We encourage you to ask the current graduates questions to get a feel for day-to-day life, ask any team leaders questions and in the interview, we will give you time to ask the interviewer questions. These questions can also help you reinforce your interest in the role or share any final information you feel would be valuable to the interview.