ASSESSMENT CENTRES: HOW TO PREPARE AND PERFORM WELL
welcoming to fellow attendees, but not overfamiliar with them or the assessors; respectful of others’ opinions, but willing to put your own point across; and involved and not sitting back quietly. Remember that this is a selection process and the firm wants to see you rise to the challenge of the day. When asked what puts them off a candidate, recruiters have mentioned several points: • Appearance/presentation – the assessor is thinking, “Could I put this person in front of a client?”, so make sure that you dress smartly, wear clean shoes and have tidy hair. • Domineering conduct in group exercises – everyone wants their chance to shine, but you need to respect the other candidates (as you would future colleagues). The firm wants to see leadership skills, but also someone who is a team player. • Disrespectful behaviour towards firm staff – watch how you behave towards people who aren’t assessing you, such as reception staff. Any transgression will be fed back to the recruiter, so make sure to treat everyone with respect. Top tips for acing an assessment centre An assessment centre is more than just a very long interview. It is a bit like a mini-work placement scheme – a chance for the firm to put you through your paces in a variety of ways. Although an interview will undoubtedly be part of the proceedings, you may also find yourself doing group exercises, ability tests, presentations, in-tray exercises – maybe even building houses out of Lego! Here are a few more tips to help: • You may be briefed in advance
• Undignified response to rejection – try to be gracious if things do not go according to plan – for example, if you are not selected for the afternoon session. If a firm offers instant feedback, listen and take their advice. Do not tell the recruiter that he or she has made the wrong decision – this would in fact underline why you have not been selected! What the firm wants to see The aim of the assessment centre is for the firm to look beyond your application form and see how you perform in a pressured environment over a variety of exercises. Those exercises are structured so that you can display a variety of skills, such as: • communication; • teamwork; • leadership; • commercial awareness; • negotiation; • time management; • spelling and grammar; • attention to detail; • analysis; • problem solving; • ability to work under pressure; of what to expect. If you haven‘t been, don‘t be afraid to ask, although don‘t be too pushy as the firm may be planning some surprises. • Talk to as many people as you can during breaks. You will build a rapport with fellow candidates, which is good for group exercises; or you may chat to your interviewer ahead of time, which will make things more relaxed at interview. • In group exercises, it‘s not so much what you say as how you say it. Recruiters will be looking at how you communicate with other members of your team, how you
Ultimately, the assessors want to get a glimpse of what you might look like working in their business, with their lawyers and clients. They appreciate that no one is perfect and do not expect you to be. What they are looking for is your potential – they want to feel confident that they can train you and develop you into a first- rate lawyer. listen to other people’s ideas and whether you can move things forward if there is conflict. • Play an active part, but try to walk the line between being too forceful and too quiet. • If you are doing a psychometric test, answer honestly – it‘s no good trying to suppress your true nature. • There is sometimes a cull at lunchtime. If you are unsuccessful, take it graciously and consider it good practice for next time. • Try not to let nerves get the better of you. Relax, be yourself and enjoy the day!
• resilience; and • desire to learn.
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