21st September 2023

Have you applied for a degree apprenticeship? Prepare yourself for the assessment centre ahead of time and be in a winning position!

Degree apprenticeships have come a long way since they were introduced back in 2015, and every year we see more and more students who want to apply to the great schemes that are being developed in many sectors.

It goes without saying that because it’s a job interview, employers will be looking for good academic or technical knowledge (Level 3 qualifications) but also ‘soft’ (transferable) skills. However, although you hopefully would have already visited the Transferable skills section of the portal and be happy with the skills you have gained via studies, extra-curricular activities, volunteering or part-time work, employers will want you to demonstrate these skills. They will also want to ensure you are the right ‘fit’ for their particular culture. That’s where the assessment centre comes in.

Not all recruitment processes use assessment centres, but many do and your job is to understand as much as you can about the types of activities they may ask you to do and prepare accordingly. During Covid they were held virtually, but now it’s more likely to be face to face. There are some great resources online to help you prepare. We recommend:

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/interview-tips/assessment-centres
https://www.ratemyapprenticeship.co.uk/advice/apprenticeship-assessment-centres
https://targetcareers.co.uk/careers-advice/applications-and-interviews/14-assessment-day-tips-for-school-leaver-programmes
https://www.brightnetwork.co.uk/graduate-career-advice/assessment-centre-advice/

However, here are some tips that we’ve picked up over the years of supporting students through this stage:

• If you know who the other candidates are, try to get in touch with them. If you are already comfortable with them before the day it will make a big difference to your performance. There’s likely to be multiple roles available anyway.
• Get into a regular sleeping pattern before the day so that you are alert and at your best. Get some good exercise and invest in eating well before hand too.
• Make sure you have done all your preparation on the company, the role, trends in the sector etc. If you have to give a presentation, make sure you practice it and it answers the whole brief.
• Dress appropriately for the role, but be comfortable. Wear in new shoes and make sure they are polished!
• Double check your route and do not be late – leave a good amount of time for possible delays. Have the contact number in your phone so that you can immediately call if you are seriously delayed.
• Prepare for all eventualities – phone charger, copies of CV, snacks, spare tights etc. The more prepared you are the more calm and confident you will feel.
• There may be quite a bit of small talk – have good questions to ask both other candidates and assessors. Show you are taking the day seriously.
• Get involved! Even if you are stuck for a point of view on something, ask questions, clarify, summarise or add to other’s ideas.
• Be organised. Be aware of the time you have and keep others on track if there’s a risk of digressing.
• Be an effective team player. Listen, summarise and be supportive, flexible and willing to compromise. Contribute but don’t dominate. Listen to someone else’s presentation with respect!
• Avoid being confrontational. If you disagree with someone, say, ‘I see how you got to that, but I think it’s worth considering…’.
• If you don’t feel confident leading a group, grab the coordinator role – write ideas on a flipchart or volunteer to moderate the group so that it stays on task.

Best of luck with your preparations! Why not take a look at the Social Media articles in the Careers News section to see how you can research current trends and industry issues to make sure you're asking the most interesting questions!