They're watching! (Selection centres)

Member Name: pussycat

Product:	Selection centres
Date:	07/09/00 (164 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lets you show a wider range of skills that an interview, can be fun

Disadvantages: Orienteering at 5 in the morning, you're under constant observation, can be very stressful

I've been to two different selection centres for graduate jobs and have heard about many more from friends. The following is based upon my experience (which seems to be pretty representative) and offers some advice on how to cope and what to look out for.

Firstly and most importantly, that 'recent recruit' who is introduced to you to be your guide and mentor for the weekend and who, you are assured, is only there as he was recruited the previous year and is to provide some informal support for you is actually there to write a report on you. When I decided to leave after the first day of my second selection centre, having made a firm decision that nothing on earth would make me work for a company that wanted me to get up at 5am and go orienteering as part of the application procedure, my 'guide' told me not to as everything he had written in his report so far had been really favourable. He then admitted that his real purpose was not to 'assist and befriend' but to 'watch and make notes'.

I know from discussing this with others that people often confide their insecurities and doubts in their appointed 'guide' in the belief that they are there to provide a friendly ear - don't do it because you will end up with a report that says 'lacks confidence' or 'not positive enough'.

You must appreciate that everything you do is being evaluated. Why do you think there is a seating plan for every meal? They are ensuring that you are constantly interacting with strange (you'd better believe it!) people and watching how you cope. Talk about communist Russia - if I had found out there was a report on my bathroom hygiene I wouldn't have been surprised.

A further point about meals. Yes, they do deliberately include one formal dinner complete with at least one tricky food - again to see how you cope.

All that and I haven't even got to the evaluation tests yet
!

The tests will vary. There is usually at least one individual interview and a couple of focus group discussions. These are relatively straight forward. It is important to be yourself rather than what you think they want you to be. Two reasons for this:

(1) You can't spend the next x number of years keeping up the pretence so you just as soon be you from the outset.

(2) You don't actually know what you are looking for so you may well get it wrong. Equally, they are very good at seeing through facades and this again says that you lack confidence in your true personality.

More frightening are some of the tasks. This one is a favourite. You are all sitting together in a room and each person takes it in turn to be questioned by the others. Every person present gets to ask you a single question. You can ask anything you like and can take notes on the answers but you are not told the purpose of the task in advance. Once everyone has been in the spotlight, the task is revealed - you have to rank yourselves in order of intelligence. This, of course, is keenly observed - in fact, mine was videoed for them to mull over later.

Expect some psychometric tests at some stage as selection centres seem to thrive on these despite the fact that they are viewed with suspicion in some circles. Your university careers office should be able to fill you in about these tests and should also offer some sample ones for you to try so that they can explain the results to you.

Other than the hateful orienteering (why??? yes, I know, team-building skills) there are also other outdoor type activities - the first one I went to was in some spectacular grounds which included a lake with an island in the middle. The task - you are put into groups of four and told that the first team to make it to the island (without swimming) was the winner.

I suppose its not all that bad - I just have a major aversion to employers tha
t make people jump through hoops to get a job. From the employer's perspective, they have to be sure they are getting the right person so a selection centre gives them an opportunity to test a far wider range of skills, attributes and abilities than an ordinary interview.

If all else fails, just relax and enjoy the weekend. I saw some people get really stressed and uptight (they're watching you do this - cue the 'can't cope with pressure' note) or retire to their room in the evening (they're still watching - 'doesn't socialise'). Oh and don't have sex - I don't even want to predict what they write about that but it is dreadfully frowned upon. (My friendly watching mentor who persuaded me to stay the second day told me that I had been 'noted' for inappropriate behaviour at the end of weekend party - and that was only a bit of a snog - honest!!) I suppose then that the tip is to relax but not TOO much :)

But do relax. You'll come across as a person and they might like the real you enough to offer you a job. I had one offer (no, not the orienteering/snogging one) but didn't take it as I decided on further study and I'm sure that I didn't play by all the official selection centre rules. These people see tons of people trying to impress - have the confidence in your own self-worth to be you and that will really impress them.

Finally (at last) these places are usually rather sumptuous - both of mine doubled as executive training centres and were wonderfully equipped. Even if you don't get the job, its like a free weekend in a country hotel, even if there are some pretty bizarre enforced activities to particate in.

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