Cover

Contents

About the author

Acknowledgements

Introduction

01 What is an assessment centre?

What is it?

Why are they used?

What does this mean for me?

Reference

02 What employers are looking for

Review the job description

Identifying competencies

Identify and develop exercises

What happens next?

Assessment centre

03 How will it work?

Invitation

Start

Exercises

Interviews

Results

Feedback

Practice makes perfect

04 How to prepare for an assessment centre

Invitation

Arrival/geography

Practice

Advice

Exercises set to be completed before the event

05 Individual exercises: communication

Getting the brief

Written report

Formal presentation

Combined brief

Feedback to other candidates

06 Individual exercises: analysis

The in-tray priority exercise

Business case study

Self-evaluation

Role-play exercises

07 Group exercises

The OPPOSE model

Group discussions

Problem-solving activities

Spanning structures

Problem-solving theoretical exercises

Follow-up exercises

08 Psychometric tests

Personality/working preference profile

Aptitude tests

Skills tests

Only one part of the process

References

09 The interview

How the employer prepares

How to prepare for the questions

Answering questions

Asking questions

The interview process

10 Dealing with difficulties and how to perform on the day

Polite and positive

Arrival

Exercises

Difficulties

At the end

11 Gaining feedback after the event

Preparation

The feedback

The end

Conclusion

Appendix 1 Model answer for identifying skills from a job description

Appendix 2 Model answer for written report 1

Appendix 3 Model answer for written report 2

Appendix 4 Presentation planning template

Appendix 5 Example of presentation feedback using POOSA

Appendix 6 Model answer for in-tray prioritization exercise

Index