General Guidelines for Assessment Centers

Assessment centers are sometimes run far from your home address. They may be held in a central location so that they are more accessible for the majority of people attending. Assessment centers also generally start early in the morning. Ask if the employer will provide you with hotel accommodation the night before. Having a very early start is not the best preparation for a grueling day of assessments and staying a hotel close to the venue the night before will enable to at least start the day feeling refreshed.
Remember that you will be assessed on your performance throughout the day. That means that you will not be assessed only on the prescribed activities but also on your behavior during breaks and mealtimes. Are you sitting alone during breaks or are you making a positive effort to engage with the other candidates (perhaps your future colleagues) and also with the assessors. Here is your opportunity to demonstrate the homework you have undertaken and your knowledge of the business. A lunchtime chat with one of the assessors might also reveal some useful advice on how to behave at one of the afternoon’s activities.
It’s also important to remember that the wide range of activities covered during an assessment day mean that you probably won’t perform well on every exercise. So don’t be disheartened if you feel that you have not performed at your best on a particular activity. You will most likely be assessed on your overall performance rather than on one specific exercise.
Don’t worry too much about assessment centers, they are not as daunting as you might expect and even if you don’t get offered the job you will come away better prepared for the next time and with some interesting feedback on your personality at work and your performance on the various exercises and ability tests which will enable you to perform better on the next occasion.