Ive applied for a middle management job and they like the look of my CV and have asked me to attend an Assessment Centre which is great. Anyone have experience of these – I thought they were for graduate positions but I maybe out of touch!!

The position I applied for is around an hours drive from where I live, but the assessment centre is close to 4hrs drive away, so in effect I will have to take 3 days off work as my current place is also an hours commute in the opposite direction to the assessment centre. My only concern is that I take three days holiday for something that may not happen… Decisions, decisions.

What happened to the ‘Old’ interview at the place you applied?!!!!

I might be missing something but why do you have to take 3 days off?

Drive down the night before, stop overnight somewhere close by then drive back in the evening after they’ve finished with you. Then back into work the next morning.

Why do you need to take three days off to make that journey?
Edit – already asked.

At least it wasn’t just me that doesn’t get it.

The missus went to a few, took a lot of effort to come second to some posh boy with less experience and lower grades.

She ended up just being headhunted, offered 37k 6 months after graduating without having to put up with the crap that goes with assessment centers for grad jobs that pay less.

They’ll do all sorts of IQ tests, interview you, make you do presentations and generally perform like a water boarded circus monkey. Then they’ll invite you back for a second interview and then you’ll lose because some posh boy went to the same school as one of the managers.

muppetWrangler – Member
I might be missing something but why do you have to take 3 days off?

Yes, why? 😆

With an hours commute to my current job I’m not home until 6pm, so if I travelled down I would be there until 10pm, or slightly sooner if I stayed further. Same if I travelled back on the day of the assessment, wouldnt be home until very late. (Ok it could be done by just taking a day off but would mean two very long days with 10hrs travelling (inc 2hrs for work), full day at work and a days assessment)

Sounds to me like you’re not that arsed about the job and looking for a get out.

xcracer1 – Member

With an hours commute to my current job I’m not home until 6pm, so if I travelled down I would be there until 10pm, or slightly sooner if I stayed further. Same if I travelled back on the day of the assessment, wouldnt be home until very late. (Ok it could be done by just taking a day off but would mean two very long days with 10hrs travelling (inc 2hrs for work), full day at work and a days assessment)

I’ve done 72hr benders and then had to get a taxi straight to work (and back, then another cab in just to make sure I’m actually under the limit).

Grow a pair.

xxx
Sbob.

Honestly, if you want it drive to within an hour, do the assessment day and drive home. Or take a half day before and head down in the afternoon.

If you’re really that worried anout the driving take a half day the day before and drive down on the afternoon. Then drive home after the AC. Day and a half off max is more than enough. Also practice explaining your thinking more clearly in advance of the AC.

With an hours commute to my current job I’m not home until 6pm, so if I travelled down I would be there until 10pm, or slightly sooner if I stayed further. Same if I travelled back on the day of the assessment, wouldnt be home until very late. (Ok it could be done by just taking a day off but would mean two very long days with 10hrs travelling (inc 2hrs for work), full day at work and a days assessment)

So 2 days out your life you’ll be home late, hardly that big a deal is it. Taking 2 days holiday because yuh have a couple of long days is just daft.

OP sounds like you dont have the motivation.

Others will. Stay where you are and regret it later.

As an employer looking at this, with no prior knowledge of you, and anonymity to make me tougher that I am in real life, I have to say your attitude to two long days pretty much convinces me you’re not who I’d employ. A longer way of saying what someone else said ‘Grow a pair’

Youre definitely overegging the travel time thing,but putting this aside,my opinion of job application processes that involve assesment centres is pretty low, and just the fact it involves one would put me off the role. I think The same for any role that involves an initial psychometric test or similar before they eill even interview you. Why should I act like a performing monkey ( as someone higher up this thread put it) when I havent even had the chance to ask the employer any questions of my own. These kind of things make the process too one sided imo

Given that the majority of all managers, lower, middle or senior, hold positions beyond their level of competence, your indecision on this point alone makes you an ideal candidate and you’ll possibly do very well.

Unless of course there is another candidate less competent at making decisions.

Seriously! It’s 4 hours driving and you get there at 10pm, that’s pretty easy going. I start to get upset if I’m arriving after 11.30pm or have to leave home before 6.00am.

Toughen up princess.

You aren’t bouncing about like a Labrador puppy on speed at the thought of wasting several hours of your life performing tricks for a bunch of bored recruiters to see if you can get a chance at actually being interviewed by the team you would be working with if you got the job? This probably isn’t the right opportunity for you

I regularly commute to Germany for the day a few times a month with work, up at 4am for early flight, meetings all day, back home around 10pm. I make that an 18 hour day. Tired in work the day afterwards yes, but no real problem.

Depends how much you want the job I guess and what you think are the realistic chances you’ll get it. If you’re not sure how serious they are just ask if they’d mind paying your travel expenses. If they say no, then you’ll have probably dodged a bullet so far as employers goes anyway.

So anyway what’s the twist?

I’ve driven 3hours to an emergency job on a Friday evening worked 37hours straight and driven back 3hours, back at work Monday morning… big dose of rule 5 required for you….

Middle management, assessment centre….that’s two reasons to not go already. How many more were you looking for?

Assessment centres are basically just a series of different things to test you in a number of areas. Usually includes a short presentation, which you may or may not be briefed on in advance, a competency based interview, a role play, and sometimes further testing. It gives a better overall impression of a candidate compared to just interviewing alone. Not everyone does well at interview but if you look at the bigger picture that could be your best candidate.

agent007 –
If you’re not sure how serious they are just ask if they’d mind paying your travel expenses. If they say no, then you’ll have probably dodged a bullet so far as employers goes anyway.

This isn’t always the case. My current employer asked me to interview in central London when I live in Birmingham. As it was pretty short notice I needed to get an open return ticket and with station parking came to nearly 200 quid. They refused to pay any expenses.

However, I now work for them, in a role with substantial travel every week, and have no problems with them expensing everything I need for a comfortable life away from home.

I saw it as my investment in getting the job.