1. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 1 How to prepare, top tips and general tactics 20 th November 2008 Caroline Henry QM Careers Service

2. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 2 Agenda Accuracy of Selection Methods What are Employers looking for? Typical activities How you can succeed at assessment centres Useful Resources

3. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 3 Accuracy of selection methods

4. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 4 What are they looking for? Team Work Problem Solving Drive Motivation Client Focus/Commercial Awareness Communication Skills/Impact Time Management

5. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 5 Typical activities Interviews Psychometric tests Group exercises Case studies Work sample tests Presentations

6. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 6 Interviews More in-depth than first interviews Probe ‘concerns’ from first stage Covering different competencies More senior interviewers May be more ‘technical’ than 1 st round

7. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 7 Interviews — Tips Establish rapport, smile and be yourself Prepare different examples as evidence for ability and motivation Reflect on strengths and weaknesses in previous stages

8. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 8 Psychometric tests Attainment tests –Measure previously acquired knowledge Aptitude or ability tests –Measure how good you are at certain tasks Personality or temperament inventories –Categorise your working styles Work motivation questionnaires –Assess the strength of your career choice

9. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 9 Psychometric tests — Tips Aptitude tests Understand the task before you start Balance speed with accuracy Don’t guess Practice speed reading and basic arithmetic Practice test material available in the Careers Service!

10. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 10 Group exercises Discussion groups –Current affairs, business topics Task groups –Achieve a set goal as a group Group case studies –Business scenarios, may involve role play

11. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 11 Behaving in groups InitiatingRespondingMaintaining Proposals & suggestions Contributing information Inviting contributions Listening, supporting, disagreeing Asking questions & clarifying Paraphrasing & summarising Getting on with practical tasks Keeping to time Keeping to the subject

12. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 12 What are they looking for? Someone who can: make regular contributions express themselves with clarity show original thinking influence the group (without dominating) acknowledge the views of others facilitate the discussion

13. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 13 Group exercises — Tips Contribute regularly Join in enthusiastically Propose original ideas Listen to others Support others’ ideas Encourage others Summarise Influence the group Ask questions Clarify ambiguity Keep time Handle disagreement Give information Explain

14. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 14 Case studies Based on business scenarios Information to analyse Propose solutions Discuss your reasoning and decisions with an assessor Example Case Studies: McKinsey - http://www.mckinsey.com/careers/how_do_i_apply/how_to_do_well_in_the _interview.aspx http://www.mckinsey.com/careers/how_do_i_apply/how_to_do_well_in_the _interview.aspx Bain & Co - http://www.joinbain.com/apply-to-bain/interview- preparation/default.asphttp://www.joinbain.com/apply-to-bain/interview- preparation/default.asp BCG - http://www.bcg.com/careers/interview_prep/interactive_splash.htmlhttp://www.bcg.com/careers/interview_prep/interactive_splash.html Accenture - http://www.accenture.com/Microsites/UK_graduate_joiners/Apply/Applicati on_process http://www.accenture.com/Microsites/UK_graduate_joiners/Apply/Applicati on_process Consultancy Links (provides links to useful websites and further examples) http://www.consultancylinks.com/case_study_interviews.html http://www.consultancylinks.com/case_study_interviews.html

15. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 15 Case studies — Tips Get an overview Plan your approach Work backwards from the goal State your assumptions Evaluate possible options Explain each decision position, problem, possibilities, proposal, procedure, product

16. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 16 Written Exercises Writing and drafting –Letter, memo & report writing –Summarising diverse information –Proof reading In-tray exercise –Documents from a typical working day –Identify issues, decide on action

17. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 17 Etray Exercise An E-tray exercise is a computer based simulation of an email inbox that lasts for and must be completed within a fixed amount of time. Emails will arrive into your inbox throughout this exercise and you will be required to: Make basic calculations; Extract information from data provided; Make judgement calls on how to deal with demanding managers/unhappy clients etc. Practice Online PWC - http://www.pwc.com/uk/eng/car-inexp/student/challenges.htmlhttp://www.pwc.com/uk/eng/car-inexp/student/challenges.html Faststream - http://www.faststream.gov.uk/index.asp?txtNavID=140http://www.faststream.gov.uk/index.asp?txtNavID=140 Leeds University – http://careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/students/gettingajob06/e-trayexercise.asp

18. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 18 Written & E-tray Exercise — Tips Get an overview Prioritise & plan your approach Clearly structure written information Use appropriate style and layout Check spelling and grammar Use tact and commercial awareness Look for internal contradictions

19. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 19 Presentations Topic may be allocated or chosen Usually 5–15 minutes Prepared before or on the day May be related to case study May have to answer questions Audience may include other candidates

20. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 20 Presentations — Tips Keep it simple Have a clear structure (headings) Outline and summarise Speak clearly Vary tone and speed Look at your audience Keep to time Practice public speaking

21. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 21 How you can succeed at assessment centres Read carefully all the literature the employer sends you Revise your employer research from earlier stages of recruitment process Brush up on your interview technique Remember it’s not a competition Speak to the Careers Service Be yourself!

22. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 22 Identify what employers are looking for…. Team Work Problem Solving Drive Motivation Client Focus/Commercial Awareness Communication Skills/Impact Time Management

23. Careers Service www.careers.qmul.ac.uk 23 Useful Resources QM Careers Service http://www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/students/applying/assessment%2 0centres/index.html Prospects http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Applicat ions__CVs_and_interviews/Tests_and_exercises/Assessment_c entres/p!eeXpllc http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Applicat ions__CVs_and_interviews/Tests_and_exercises/Assessment_c entres/p!eeXpllc Target Jobs: http://targetjobs.co.uk/general-advice/assessment-centres.aspx