Tips om een assessment goed voor te bereiden als kandidaat

#1 INFORM YOURSELF ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS

A knowledgeable man (or woman) is worth two. This applies to everything, including preparing for an assessment center. Make sure you are ready to start the day well prepared.

Check out the job description and the assessment center program carefully, as well as the type of assignments you will be asked to do. It is best to request this information from the organisation for which you are applying or from the consultancy firm that carries out the assessment.

Be sure to also ask about the course of the program, the type of simulations and the competencies that are being assessed. This way, you know what to expect.

Have faith in yourself and approach the assessment center with a positive attitude!

#2 PREPARE FOR THE ASSESSMENT

In addition to being informed, it is important to prepare yourself. First of all, by knowing where the assessment takes place. This will give you peace of mind and will ensure that you can get started smoothly.

So find out where you have to be, possibly look up the b in advance. This will prevent you from becoming stressed because you do not know the way. Do you prefer to go by public transport? Then check whether there are any buses or trains running to the venue.

Also make sure that you are well on time. This will avoid the stress of thinking you are going to be late. Check again who you have an appointment with and at what time, so there are no surprises later.

Secondly, you can - as far as possible - try to practice in advance important skills that you need for your job.

If the job vacancy calls for proficiency in specific programs, you can be tested on these. Think about Excel, for example. Chances are you will be asked to do a sample task at the assessment.

So be prepared and polish your skills before you take the assessment. This will enable you to confidently use the programme on the test.

Finally, take care of yourself on the day of your assessment: put on an appropriate outfit and you will appear much more self-assured. Moreover, this way you will make a good first impression, which is also important.

#3 READ THE QUESTIONS CAREFULLY

What exactly is requested? Often - usually under the influence of stress - mistakes are made during the execution of an assignment that are due to a careless reading of the instruction.

People look at the question briefly and then immediately set to work. A missed opportunity that unfortunately causes many misunderstandings. So, read the questions and instructions twice before you start the assignment.

#4 MASTER YOUR CV

A CV is and always will be your showcase. It is therefore an important aspect of an assessment center. You show who you are and what you find important. Your CV must match who you are and what you stand for. So be sure to reflect this in your assessment.

An in-depth interview is part of your assessment. We look at your CV and you tell us more about yourself. That is why it is important to also explain your CV. The first impression makes a lot of difference.

So, explain why you have these qualities and where they show up. Go into more detail about what you did in your career and why you liked it (or didn't like it). This way you already give the first impression to the assessors.

#5 CARRY OUT YOUR ASSESSMENT IN YOUR MOTHER TONGUE

It may sound logical, but it is important. Your language - and the knowledge of it - determines to a large extent how well you perform at your assessment center. For example, do you have to work a lot in English and is the assessment center in that language? Then make sure that you are familiar with business English beforehand. Practicing this vocabulary will benefit you at your assessment center. You will be a fluent speaker and not stumble over your words. This ensures that you feel and come across as more confident.

Besides, the assessors may only assess in their mother tongue, unless they have a very good mastery of the working language of the organisation and the assessment center. So, it is an advantage in both cases when you participate in your mother tongue.

Extra tip: if necessary, do some spelling and grammar tests beforehand. Train your grammar, spelling and typing skills if necessary.

#6 BE YOURSELF

The main thing to remember when you go to an assessment center is to be yourself.

During the assessment center your behavior and way of thinking will be mapped out. So, you can hardly pretend to be something else than you are. Do not try to fight this, because in the end you will only be fooling yourself.

Therefore, be yourself during the interviews, only then will you know if you are the right candidate.

#7 REQUEST FEEDBACK

Feedback is an important learning aspect. Through proper feedback, you get an idea of what you do well and where there is room for improvement. This allows you to pay attention to your development needs and to work on yourself.

You can also ask for feedback at an assessment center. Did you score poorly? Then ask on which components you did not score well and where you can improve yourself.

This shows that you are willing to work on yourself to become even better. It also shows your perseverance. So be sure to ask who you can get feedback from and when. This way, you will be better prepared when you perhaps take part in another assessment center.

CONCLUSION

These were some of our suggestions when you go to an assessment center as a candidate. We wish you good luck!

Do you still have questions about assessment centers? Then do not hesitate to contact us! At Quintessence, we are happy to help.