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How to prepare, top tips and general tactics
20th November 2008
Caroline Henry
QM Careers Service
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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Agenda
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Accuracy of Selection Methods
What are Employers looking for?
Typical activities
How you can succeed at assessment
centres
• Useful Resources
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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Accuracy of selection methods
68%
63%
55%
54%
Assessment centres
Structured interview
Work sample tests
Ability tests
38%
38%
Biodata
Personality tests
15%
12%
Typical interviews
References
Astrology
Graphology
0%
0%
0%
20%
40%
60%
Accuracy
80%
100%
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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What are they looking for?
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Team Work
Problem Solving
Drive
Motivation
Client Focus/Commercial Awareness
Communication Skills/Impact
Time Management
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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Typical activities
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Interviews
Psychometric tests
Group exercises
Case studies
Work sample tests
Presentations
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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Interviews
• More in-depth than first
interviews
• Probe ‘concerns’ from
first stage
• Covering different
competencies
• More senior interviewers
• May be more ‘technical’
than 1st round
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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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
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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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
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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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!
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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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
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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Behaving in groups
Initiating
Responding
Maintaining
• Proposals &
suggestions
• Listening,
supporting,
disagreeing
• Getting on with
practical tasks
• Asking
questions &
clarifying
• Keeping to the
subject
• Contributing
information
• Inviting
contributions
• Keeping to time
• Paraphrasing &
summarising
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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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
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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Group exercises — Tips
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Contribute regularly
Join in enthusiastically
Propose original ideas
Listen to others
Support others’ ideas
Encourage others
• Summarise
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Influence the group
Ask questions
Clarify ambiguity
Keep time
Handle disagreement
Give information
Explain
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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Case studies
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Based on business scenarios
Information to analyse
Propose solutions
Discuss your reasoning and decisions
with an assessor
Example Case Studies:
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McKinsey 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/interviewpreparation/default.asp
BCG - http://www.bcg.com/careers/interview_prep/interactive_splash.html
Accenture 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
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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Case studies — Tips
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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
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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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
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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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:
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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.html
Faststream - http://www.faststream.gov.uk/index.asp?txtNavID=140
Leeds University –
http://careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/students/gettingajob06/e-trayexercise.asp
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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Written & E-tray Exercise — Tips
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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
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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Presentations
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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
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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Presentations — Tips
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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
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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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!
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
Identify what employers are looking
for….
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Team Work
Problem Solving
Drive
Motivation
Client Focus/Commercial Awareness
Communication Skills/Impact
Time Management
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
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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
• Target Jobs:
http://targetjobs.co.uk/general-advice/assessment-centres.aspx
Careers Service
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk