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Interviews & Assessment Centres

Interviews & Assessment Centres. Karen Barnard UCL Careers Service. What Do Employers Look For? . Will you be able to do the job well ? Are you really motivated to do the job? Will you fit into the organisation . Three ‘P’s for Successful Interviews. Preparation Practicalities

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Interviews & Assessment Centres

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  1. Interviews & Assessment Centres Karen Barnard UCL Careers Service

  2. What Do Employers Look For? • Will you be able to do the job well? • Are you really motivated to do the job? • Will you fitinto the organisation

  3. Three ‘P’s for Successful Interviews • Preparation • Practicalities • Presentation

  4. Preparation is the Key • re-read your application • familiarise yourself with job description • research the company and the sector • talk to people working in related fields, find out about the interviews they’ve had • if you’re invited to, call for more information • Prepare some answers to questions

  5. Make a strong first impression: confident body language, smile, handshake… • Be polite to EVERYONE! • Don’t be thrown by unexpected questions • Stay calm – speak slowly and clearly • Be succinct, and be willing to elaborate • Leave a good final impression • Be yourself

  6. What are the interview questions that keep you awake at night?

  7. Types of Questions • Can you do the job? • Competency based questions • Hypothetical (situational) questions • Technical questions • Surprise questions • Do you want to do the job? • Biographical questions • Motivational questions • Will you fit in? • Personality and interest based questions

  8. How to Answer Competency Questions • S - Situation – brief outline of what you faced • T - Task – what you decided to do • A -Activity – Detailed description the process • R- Result and Reflection –The positive outcome and what you learned from the experience

  9. Give an example of when you have had to work under pressure

  10. Tricky Questions • Tell me about yourself • What would you say has been your greatest achievement / failure? • What makes you angry? • What is your greatest weakness? • If you were an animal, what would you be? • Who else are you applying to? • Why should we employ you?

  11. Your Questions..... • Can you give me a fuller picture of your training programme? • What would be the key objectives in the first six months of the job? • What is the general progression of graduate trainees after their training? • How will my performance be measured? • What training/support can I expect? • What are the possibilities of using my .... skills? • I have spoken to X about Y but I do have a further question… • In your annual report I notice that...

  12. Eye contact is expected; don’t look down. Interviewer may extend a handshake Smiling is good Tone of voice can help project enthusiasm You don’t always have to dress formally Interviews are a two way process Take cue from the interviewer. If in doubt obtain clarification. Cultural Difference…

  13. Assessment Centre Activities • Group discussion • Presentation • Written exercise • Psychometric assessment eg: written and numerical reasoning

  14. Group Discussion Types: • Leaderless discussions • Role plays • Practical group tasks Possible content: • Current affairs • Negotiation exercise • Contentious issues • Job-related topics/exercises • Used to assess your inter-personal skills eg: verbal communication, team-working, listening, facilitating, leadership, understanding, persuasiveness, negotiation, confidence

  15. Safety Nets… • Ask others what they think • Bring in quieter members of the group • Summarise • Act as a timekeeper • Ensure that the group keeps to the subject

  16. Presentations • Given subject/ free choice • Prepared/ unprepared • May be based on a previous session e.g. case study

  17. Written Exercises • Case Study • analysis of complex topic • lots of complex information • Drafting exercise • given facts about a sensitive issue • express them in a clear, tactful way • In-Tray exercise • given lots of memos, e-mails phone and fax messages, reports and correspondence to prioritise, delegate, reply

  18. Psychometric Tests • Aptitude tests • Verbal reasoning • Numerical reasoning • Diagramatic reasoning • Personality questionnaires • No right or wrong answer • Can form a basis for the interview

  19. After the Interview Take stock • What went well? • What did not go well? • What could you have done better? Unsuccessful? • Seek feedback from the employer • Don’t get discouraged, strengthen from the experience • Do more reading and research. Study ‘interview’ videos and practice

  20. What Can the Careers Service Do for You? 4th floor ULU Building Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY telephone: 020 7866 3600 email: careers@ucl.ac.uk www.ucl.ac.uk/careers Opening times: Mon - Thurs 9:30am - 5pm Friday 11am - 5pm • Short Guidance session • CV and application form checking • Recruitment events, presentations, careers fairs • Practise psychometric tests • Careers discussions • Practice interviews

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