Preparation for the Assessment-Center

If you prepare yourself well for the Assessment Center (AC), you have excellent chances of passing the selection process with flying colors. But you mustn’t overdo it with detailed planning though, as the employer is looking for authenticity. We will show you what correct preparation looks like.

Those who receive an invitation to an Assessment Center, have already done very well in the selection process. The submitted application was persuasive, you promoted yourself well during the telephone interview, and left a good impression after the in-person job interview. So you can go to the AC without fear and with good self-esteem. And especially so if you have efficiently prepared yourself for it.

AC Preparation Checklist
Immediately after the invitation to the AC, these organizational items are of importance:

Acknowledgement
You must confirm that you have received the invitation to the AC, and let the company know that you accept.

Getting There
Plan your travel and accommodations early if the AC takes place in another town and lasts several days. As a rule the company will reimburse the costs that arise. For this reason you should keep your receipts.

Study the Schedule
Some companies will also send you a schedule and you should study it closely.

Clarify Any Potential Questions
Get in touch with the company if anything is unclear and you have questions. The best person would be your direct contact in the human resources department.

Now you can begin with your preparation for the AC Center:

Collect News and Information about the Company
Even if you already collected information about the company during the selection process (industry, products, key figures, locations, etc.), you have to stay up to date and especially keep your eye on the news and current changes. The company’s website, appearances in social media and media reports are important sources of information.

Practice the Classic AC Tasks
Although all AC’s are different from each other, fundamental similarities do exist. The self-presentation, the in-box exercise, and the group discussion come up in nearly every AC. And you absolutely have to prepare yourself for them.

Read Testimonials
Based on the testimonials of other candidates you can learn firsthand what they experienced during the application and selection process. These experience reports help with your preparation.

•   Insider discussions with personnel managers and candidates

• Testimonials from trainees and insights from HR managers (Trainee-Gefluester.de)

• Experience reports from job applicants (Kununu.com)

Get Feedback
Practice the classical tasks with people from your group of friends or family. Our career guide offers a number of AC examples and help options.

Practice Through Practical Experience
To prepare for the AC, you can directly take part in an AC. Registration for this is complimentary for students and graduates.

By the Way …
The most important piece of advice for AC preparation is: really be yourself! Companies use the AC to get to know the candidates as real people. Skilled personnel managers can easily tell which applicant is authentic and which is just acting. Don’t think of the preparation as memorizing optimal answers and prefect solutions, because your character could get lost that way. And that’s exactly the point for the company: getting to know your soft skills and your personality.