Effective assessment centre and job interviews are systematic part to your potential and know your prospective employer.

Maximize Your Performance in the Assessment Centre

Assessment Centre consists of a series of selection exercises that schedules within half a day or a full day at the company premises or virtual platform. You may come across the following activities:

Aptitude & psychometric
Case Study
In-tray Exercise
Interview
Role Play Exercise
Social Events
Aptitude & psychometric
The tests are to measure your intellectual capacity for critical thinking and reasoning. Practice more before sitting for the tests!
Case Study
You will address a project or strategic problem within different contexts, e.g. group exercise, presentation, interview, and essay writing, that you may encounter in the real work setting. This part measures your ability to analyze information, work under pressure, as well as present your judgment effectively and logically.
In-tray Exercise
In-tray exercise is a work simulation assessment that you will prioritize items and suggest actions while handling a stack of documents. The exercise is to examine your work skills e.g. attention to detail, organization skills, time management, decision-making skills, etc. within a limited time period.
Interview
Interview will be conducted competency-based where you will demonstrate a number of relevant competencies required by the positions. Interview questions may also relate to your performance during the assessment centre.
Role Play Exercise
Role play exercise assesses your ability to handle tricky situations or difficult stakeholders.
Social Events
Though it is an informal one, interviewers will observe how you interact with others, e.g. the interviewers, other candidates, the HR professional. Ensure you communicate well and have good body language!

Do's / Don'ts

Here are some quick tips that you could consider when creating your CV.

Do's
  • Practice and plan ahead by familiarizing yourself with the position and competency the company looks for.
  • Read instructions thoroughly as critical information will be presented.
  • Stay calm and positive! Take a deep breath when you are panic or even though you can’t complete the assessments.
  • Be polite and friendly to everyone you meet and join the conversation during breaks or meals.
  • Be yourself! Your personality will shine through and convince the recruiters of how well you’ll match with the role and organization.
Don'ts
  • Don’t be afraid to ask questions, when appropriate.
  • Don’t dominate or undermine other candidates at the assessment centre. Build rapport with your teammates.
  • Don’t act abusively when you are in disagreement or conflict with the group.
  • Don’t dwell on mistakes! Keep going and focus on performing well in the next task.
  • Don't let comparison affect your performance. Concentrate on your key attributes.

8 Steps for a successful interview!

Here are some quick tips that you could consider when preparing job interview.

Before Interview

  • Familiarize yourself with company background and business by browsing their website.
  • Visit the social media platforms to understand the latest development.
  • Consult people from your network who work in the company or the industry to learn the workplace culture.
  • Read news and publication to sharpen your industrial knowledge.

Some Common Interview Questions

  • Tell us about yourself.
  • What is your understanding of the position and why do you want to apply?
  • What do you know about our company?
  • How does this position align with your long-term or short-term career goals?
  • What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
  • Tell us about one of the challenging situations you encountered.
  • Tell us about one of your greatest accomplishments.
  • In what significant ways can you contribute to the team/ organization?
  • How do you feel if…..?
  • Prepare a 1 to 2 minutes overview introducing your relevant past experience.
  • Map your own values, experiences, and skills to demonstrate a good fit with the company.
  • Brainstorm your past accomplishments and challenging situations that would relate to the position.
  • Anticipate and practice the most common interview questions. (To Flip: please scroll down to that part when clicking it.)
  • Reserve a quiet area for virtual assessment and interview.
  • Test the network reception and equipment to prevent technical glitches occurred during the interview.
  • Fix the position of your camera that your background is clean, free of distractions, and with good lighting.
  • Avoid having a bright light or window behind you.
  • Prepare several questions for the employers to show your genuine interest in the job and company, never ask about the remuneration package. Example questions you may consider,
    • What is the corporate culture and management style?
    • What are the training opportunities provided to new joiners?
    • What are the key attributes you look for in this position?
  • Business professional attire is generally expected.
  • Make sure they are neat, comfortable fit, and match your image.
  • Wear subtle and minimal accessories, don’t use excessive perfume and make-up.

During Interviews

  • Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early so you can relax.
  • Traffic and parking difficulties are not acceptable.
  • Greet the interviewers with a smile and firm handshake.
  • Maintain eye contact and spend around 80% of interview time looking at the recruiters.
  • Ensure appropriate body language, e.g. open gestures, avoid fidgeting
  • Check your tone and rate of speech.
  • Tell your story via STAR mode in 2 to 3 minutes.
    • Situation – Describe a situation specifically that is relevant to the interview questions
    • Task – Describe the challenges and difficulties you come across
    • Action – Elaborate your role and specific actions you took
    • Result – Explain the results and accomplishments with facts & figures
  • Ask questions for the employer at the end of the interview to demonstrate your enthusiasm.
  • Send your apology to HR by phone call or email immediately and explore the possibilities to re-schedule if your phone/video interview is disrupted.

After Interviews

  • Drop down the interview questions you can remember.
  • Take a brief note of what you have learned and the interviewers’ names.
  • Send a thank you email to all interviewers and hiring managers within 24 hours of the interview.
  • Reiterate the skills and strengths that you can bring to the job and team.
  • Refer to specific topics discussed to remind them of who you are.
Final Reminder!
  • Be respectful – Listen carefully and keep your cell phone in silent mode during the interview.
  • Be the best version of yourself – Let your personality shine through so the employer will know how well you’ll fit in.
  • Be positive – Take a deep breath and discover a coping method to deal with the pressure created during the interview.
  • Be prepared – Join mock interview workshops and talk to career advisors!