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HOW TO MARKET YOURSELF TO EMPLOYERS
Acing Assessment Centres Assessment centres are not reality TV shows — you will not be seen in the boardroom a la The Apprentice and you will not be the victim of an onscreen sacking, either. So do not feel obliged to behave like you are taking part in a television show.
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ou are 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 is where some participants at assessment centres take their cue from, and that is where they also come undone. Here is why being at an assessment centre is, frankly, not at all like being on 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 is important for you to show how well you can work in a team. In other words, 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 done on you.
You will need to get on the right side of the judge.
You will be judged on how well you performed the tasks given to you. There is no boardroom “execution”.
You are tempted into undermining your colleagues.
The secret is to be who you are and get along with your colleagues.
SIM CAREER GUIDE 2021
www.sim.edu.sg
