search for:
job vacancies
Most graduate jobs involve working with other people and so assessment centres usually involve an element of group work. Whether you have to complete a practical task or take part in a discussion, the assessors are looking for your ability to interact with other people. Remember that good team working is not always about getting your ideas taken forward, but listening to and building upon the ideas of others too. Here are a few tips: - In light of the information given, decide objectives and priorities. Make a plan and follow it.
- Be assertive and persuasive, but also diplomatic.
- Remember that the quality of what you have to say is more important than the quantity.
- Make sure the group keeps to time, and help to steer things back on track if the group appears to have gone off on a tangent.
- Keep calm, and use your sense of humour where appropriate.
- Find a balance between advancing your own ideas and helping the group to complete the task.
- Actively listen to what everyone has to say, using nods, smiles and eye contact. Try to get the best contribution from everyone and do not assume that quiet members have nothing to contribute. Be inclusive.
Do not be distracted if one member of the group dominates the conversation, not allowing anyone else to have a say. The worst way to deal with this is to try to compete by shouting over them. A good way of dealing with the situation is to listen to their views and then suggest that other members may have input too. Even if this doesn’t stop them, the assessors will have picked up on your efforts, which will reflect well on you. Practical tasksYou may be asked as a group to use equipment or materials to make something - a tower, using only straws and string, for example. The assessors are usually more interested in how the group interacts than in the outcome of the task. They will also be assessing your planning and problem-solving skills and the creativity of your individual ideas. As with any group activity, get involved however silly you consider the task to be. back to top Discussions and role playsYou may be asked to take part in a leaderless group discussion or in a role-playing exercise where you are given a briefing pack and asked to play a particular part. The assessors are looking for your individual contribution to the team, as well as your communication and influencing skills.
|
