Words by RELP
Want to land that dream job? Our partners at RELP walk you through the top tips to master the virtual assessment centre.
The moment you learn you’ve made it to the next stage of a recruitment process – having submitted your CV and cover letter in hope as much as expectation – is one of the best feelings you can have as a young professional. But as you move through the following stages (especially when applying for a graduate scheme), you’ll likely find yourself confronted with the daunting prospect of an assessment centre.
Given that we’re still in the midst of a global pandemic, recruitment processes have been forced to change, and so those assessment centres are now, usually, conducted virtually. Of course, that change brings its benefits. Long gone are the days of feeling that nervousness on the way to the building of a corporate giant, or the awkwardness of being in the waiting room alongside other potential candidates. For the recruiters, too, virtual assessments generally mean less running around the place, less paper-based admin.
But the same level of anxiety will likely remain. Below, I go through some of the key tips to succeed at these virtual assessment centres. Having been through both face-to-face and virtual equivalents, I’ve noticed a trend of key traits that the successful candidates tend to display.
1. The tone of your voice should remain positive throughout
Create a positive tone through your careful choice of words. Phrasing your speech positively encourages the interviewer to buy into you as a person. Having a positive tone is simply a credibility-builder – and it’s an easy step to take in your effort to win over your potential future employer.
2. Positive body language (be seen and heard)
Recruiters can only assess you based on what they see and hear during the recruitment exercises, so make sure you actively contribute. As suitable for the job as you might be, if you don’t prove that suitability during your time in front of the recruiters, you’ll never get to prove it in the job.
3. Demonstrate key competencies
Throughout the day, recruiters will be assessing you on a range of key competencies that they’ve identified as essential for the role. Demonstrate each of these competencies through specific examples from your studies, previous employment or extra-curricular activities. You’ll be able to anticipate many of these competencies before the day – commitment, pragmatism etc. – but it’s worth researching whether the company you’re applying to has a clear set of values, too. Use these values to your advantage.
After applying all of these tips, you should be ready to go, right?
One piece of advice I always tell my clients who’ve got an assessment centre coming up, whether it be face-to-face or virtual, is to be the best version of yourself on the day. The organisation clearly already sees something in you for you to have reached this stage of the recruitment process. The only reason you have to go through this painful last stretch is to demonstrate that you are, indeed, the perfect fit that they already think you are!
It sounds cliché, but it’s important to go into the assessment centre ready to display your confidence – and prove yourself worthy of a company’s confidence in you.
So, show up, and be the best you can be – after all, you are now in the comfort of your own home.
You can find RELP recruitment services on Instagram, or contact them via email: relpukinfo@gmail.com
Like this article? Check out our guide to writing a great CV.