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Interviews & Assessment Centres

This guide provides essential advice from Karen Barnard at UCL Careers Service on what employers seek in candidates, focusing on key elements such as preparation and presentation. Learn how to answer common interview questions, handle tricky scenarios, and impress through effective communication. Understand the expectations during assessment centres with varied activities, enhancing your interpersonal skills through group discussions and presentations. After the interview, evaluate your performance and seek feedback to improve. Use these insights to boost your confidence and success in landing your desired job.

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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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