HOW TO MARKET YOURSELF TO EMPLOYERS
HOW TO SUCCEED AT ASSESSMENT CENTRES Assessment centres are not reality TV shows — you won’t be seen in the boardroom a la The Apprentice and you won’t be the victim of an onscreen sacking, either. So don’t feel obliged to behave like you’re taking part in a television show.
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ou’re put into a room with a group of strangers, asked to play games and then observed to see whether you will go through to the next round or if your progress ends there. The situation is ripe with uncertainty and it sounds just like a scene from The Apprentice. Unfortunately, that’s where some participants at assessment centres take their cue from and that’s also where they come undone. Here's why being at an assessment centre is, frankly, not at all like being in a reality TV show. First of all, and most importantly, there is usually more than one winner at an assessment centre — you are not in direct competition with the other candidates. You are being assessed against the employers’ criteria, not against each other, and it’s important for you to show how well you can work in a team. You need to find a way to work together with your “colleagues” to achieve the goals and tasks set. Secondly, remember that assessment centres are also a two-way street — this is your chance to evaluate a prospective employer and see if the shoe fits. Better to find out now than a few months down the line!
Know the difference! Reality TV Shows
Assessment Centres
There are group tasks for you to complete
There are group tasks for you to complete
You need to strike a balance between fitting in and standing out from the crowd
You need to strike a balance between fitting in and standing out from the crowd
You entertain a mass audience
You entertain no one
Your host reveals the rules of the game
The task is described but not the underlying rules
At some point, you will face a judge on the show
You will probably never meet the people who write the assessment about you
You will need to get on the right side of the judge
You are judged by how you performed doing the tasks. There isn’t a boardroom “execution”
You are tempted into undermining your colleagues
The secret is to be who you are and get on with your colleagues
100 | SIM CAREER GUIDE 2020
www.sim.edu.sg
