Assessment Centres

[Hurler on the Bitch]

Fella I know is doing one of these for a job ... any advice? 

[Milltown Row2]

Assessing what?

[take_yer_points]

Fella I know is doing one of these for a job ... any advice? 

I did one for a BT graduate job a few years ago. It involved:

1) Role play - they brought in an actor who was a playing the role of a senior BT manager. I had to act as a new employee who was looking at what he was doing and trying to improve his department- He got quite defensive and I had to try and talk him round.

2) Business Case - I was given to business cases for the provision of web hosting (I think it was web hosting anyway) in either Iceland or London - I had to look at the evidence of both and make a recommendation

3) Face-to-face interview - This was to assess my suitability for the job they'd brought me over for. You basically have to get across that you are happy to and can do anything

4) Aptitute Test - Speaks for itself really

I had to go over to Birmingham the night before the actual assessment centre and met up with all the staff who were facilitating and the other people going throught he process. They told us that we weren't being assessed that night but from the minute you came downstairs in the hotel the following morning you were being assessed.

The outcome of the day was a phone call the following day - there were 3 possible outcomes:

a) Successful for BT and the job
b) Successful for BT but not suited for the job
c) Not successful

I got (b) - it was a sales role and I'd said I'd never done sales. I was gutted at the time but looking back I'm more than happy I didn't get it - I'm more than happy where I've ended up

[Bogball XV]

load of bollocks dreamt up by big company HR personnel to keep themselves in jobs, or am i wrong??

[Doogie Browser]

I used to go out with a girl who worked in HR, I don't want to talk about it though as its personnel...

[The Gs Man]

Had an assessment centre for civil service graduate job.

Case study, face-to-face interview, group work and role play.

For the role play I had one of them eejits from the Donegal Catch adverts claiming to be my star ice hockey player. He was playing bad and I had to work out why.  It was good craic.

3500 people in for 30 or so jobs.

[pintsofguinness]

Fella I know is doing one of these for a job ... any advice? 

I did one for a BT graduate job a few years ago. It involved:

1) Role play - they brought in an actor who was a playing the role of a senior BT manager. I had to act as a new employee who was looking at what he was doing and trying to improve his department- He got quite defensive and I had to try and talk him round.

2) Business Case - I was given to business cases for the provision of web hosting (I think it was web hosting anyway) in either Iceland or London - I had to look at the evidence of both and make a recommendation

3) Face-to-face interview - This was to assess my suitability for the job they'd brought me over for. You basically have to get across that you are happy to and can do anything

4) Aptitute Test - Speaks for itself really

I had to go over to Birmingham the night before the actual assessment centre and met up with all the staff who were facilitating and the other people going throught he process. They told us that we weren't being assessed that night but from the minute you came downstairs in the hotel the following morning you were being assessed.

The outcome of the day was a phone call the following day - there were 3 possible outcomes:

a) Successful for BT and the job
b) Successful for BT but not suited for the job
c) Not successful

I got (b) - it was a sales role and I'd said I'd never done sales. I was gutted at the time but looking back I'm more than happy I didn't get it - I'm more than happy where I've ended up

What a load of bullshit
did they pay for you to go over and stay and did they not know the role was in sales before you started the whole thing?

[take_yer_points]

Fella I know is doing one of these for a job ... any advice? 

I did one for a BT graduate job a few years ago. It involved:

1) Role play - they brought in an actor who was a playing the role of a senior BT manager. I had to act as a new employee who was looking at what he was doing and trying to improve his department- He got quite defensive and I had to try and talk him round.

2) Business Case - I was given to business cases for the provision of web hosting (I think it was web hosting anyway) in either Iceland or London - I had to look at the evidence of both and make a recommendation

3) Face-to-face interview - This was to assess my suitability for the job they'd brought me over for. You basically have to get across that you are happy to and can do anything

4) Aptitute Test - Speaks for itself really

I had to go over to Birmingham the night before the actual assessment centre and met up with all the staff who were facilitating and the other people going throught he process. They told us that we weren't being assessed that night but from the minute you came downstairs in the hotel the following morning you were being assessed.

The outcome of the day was a phone call the following day - there were 3 possible outcomes:

a) Successful for BT and the job
b) Successful for BT but not suited for the job
c) Not successful

I got (b) - it was a sales role and I'd said I'd never done sales. I was gutted at the time but looking back I'm more than happy I didn't get it - I'm more than happy where I've ended up

What a load of bullshit
did they pay for you to go over and stay and did they not know the role was in sales before you started the whole thing?

Yeah, they pay flights and hotels and they don't tell you wha job you're actually going for. I think they're fairly common in graduate recruitment

[gallsman]

Think online numeric and verbal reasoning aptitude tests followed by a couple of interviews are the way a lot of the big companies go these days - that's what I had three times over the summer. Think the whole assessment centre thing is a little bit too expensive these days what with having to put people up in hotels, feed them etc.

In terms of advice, I'd say it's the same as if doing the online tests - it's not about studying in anyway (although the aptitude tests can be practiced). Just rest aand get as much sleep as possible, particularly before any examination.