Assessment centre on the horizon?

Would you like to maximise your performance during assessment centres and group exercises?

If so, CIMA’s Grad Club, in conjunction with The CV & Interview Advisors, are inviting you to attend a free webinar on Monday 2 October at 1:00pm to help ensure that you’re equipped with the appropriate skills.

In this 45 minute session, you will learn:

• What to actually prepare … it’s not just looking at company websites!
• Psychometric testing hints and tips.
• Essential presentation techniques
• …and much more!
Book now

There will be a Q&A session after the webinarfor you to ask any questions.

Try these

efc – efinancialcareers – have some examples of four questions from finance firms’ psychometric test providers. Apparently without using a calculator, you should be able to answer these questions in ‘well under five minutes’.  It’s said that the actual tests are much harder!

Scary thought?  Take at look at the information to help you on our website where you can find some practice tests and useful tips.  Remember you can always come and talk to your Placement Adviser or Careers Consultant.

Find that finance job!

Why should you take the Bloomberg Aptitude Test (BAT)?

• It could lead to a job or internship in the finance industry
• It will help you to evaluate your skills
• It’s a great addition to your CV
• It’s open to all student and recent graduates – all levels and disciplines
• It’s free!

Open to all students –  but particularly those who are interested in working in the finance sector.

Don’t give up

‘Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.’

Confucius, a Chinese philosopher, teacher and political figure known for his aphorisms and models of social interaction.

Situational strengths tests (SSTs)

SSTs are designed to assess the core strengths that are needed to work in a placement or graduate role with a particular recruiter. The test presents a series of scenarios that you are likely to encounter on a regular basis and looks at how you would respond to these, asking you to select from a list of multiple options.

Get some practice:

• Capp Sample assessment (although targeted at recruiters)
• EY Information about the strengths process that they use during recruitment
• Nestlé Test demo
• TfL Basic information about the purpose of the test and how to approach it

Who’s my career consultant?

Simples!  Contact them to see how they can help you!

Recent Brunel graduate?  You can get help from the PDC for up to two years after graduation though it’s best to get in touch with us sooner rather than later to maximise the help we can give you.

At home and not able to get into uni?  No worries!  Get some help by email or ‘phone (some careers consultants also use Skype)!

Consultants can talk to you about your career options, check applications, give you interview advice, and more…

Assess yourself

and get some practice on the JobTestPrep site!

• In-tray exercise
  Play the role of a manager and improve your time management and prioritisation skills. Get an explanation for each question and a final score report
• Situational judgement test
  Graduate level questions that evaluate your judgement abilities in work related situations and conflicts.  12 questions in 30 minutes with explanations and score report
• Psychometric test practice hub
  Psychometric test samples.  The tests produce a score report, allowing you to review your results with access to explanations

Come up and see us sometime

So, who are we?  We’re the Placement and Careers Centre – known for short as the PCC – part of the School of Professional Development.

How can we help you?  We can:

• Give you CV examples and review your CV once you’ve written it
• Check your cover letter/email
• Help you with your job search – whether it’s work experience, or a part-time, placement, internship, or graduate opportunity
• Talk through your career options – whether you’ve already decided what you want to do or have no idea
• Help with your questions about postgraduate study
• Help you to prepare for interviews, psychometric tests and assessment centres
• and ???

Just come in and ask…  You can find us on the 1st Floor in the Bannerman Centre – come in the main Library entrance and up the stairs in front of the Student Centre.

Employability

Check out PwC’s e-learn page on their website:

• Psychometric e-learn – designed to give an insight into psychometric assessments and support preparation
• Interview e-learn – designed to help you understand what’s involved in an interview

Welcome to the PCC

Whether you’re a L1, L2 or L3 student, postgrad or researcher the PCC are here to help you with your job search, applications, interviews and all those other career questions.

Try these…

practice psychometric tests from Practice Aptitude Tests – numerical, verbal and diagrammatic reasoning, and some mini numerical reasoning video tutorials showing you how to tackle difficult questions.

Browse our careers library ..

Our LibraryThing online resource enables you to browse some of the many reference books available to use in the PCC.

Then, just drop-in Monday-Friday 9.30am-4.45pm and take a look at the wide selection of books available for you to use.

Books from my LibraryThing

 

Practice your psychometrics

If you want to do some extra practice on psychometric tests, you can come into the Placement and Careers Centre and use some of the psychometric test books we have there.

Couple to look out for are: You’re Hired! Psychometric Tests by James Meachin and Ceri Roderick and Management Level Psychometric and Assessment Tests by Andrea Shavick – but we have lots more!

Also look at the psychometric test links and sample tests on: www.brunel.ac.uk/services/pcc/students/interviews-and-assessment-centres/psychometric-tests/sources-for-practice-tests

Get in some practice: recruiters’ selection tests

If you’re applying for graduate training schemes, placements or internships you’re likely to encounter verbal and numerical tests – many of which will be online rather than paper-based. Do some practice now then you won’t be so fazed when you take a recruiter’s test.

Take somepractice tests.  The Kenexa and Graduates First tests are good ones to try first as you’ll get feedback on how you’ve done (the Graduates First test also gives worked answers once you’ve done the tests).  The SHL tests are used by several employers.

Tried the tests and struggling?  You have a couple of options: talk to a Careers Consultant or your Placement Officer or, if you’re a current student, you could contact ASK.

Practice your psychometrics

Practice makes perfect, so why not try and improve your score on psychometric tests by practicising them a bit more?

You can use our LibraryThing online resource to browse the reference books available to use in the PCC on this topic.  Click on Books from my LibraryThing and select the psychometric tests  and aptitude tests tags to view the books available.

Just drop-in Monday-Friday 9.30am-4.45pm if you’d like to have a look at these books.

Also, take a look at the sources for practice tests listed on the PCC website at http://www.brunel.ac.uk/services/pcc/students/interviews-and-assessment-centres/psychometric-tests/sources-for-practice-tests. Here you will find samples of verbal and numerical tests and other types of tests such as critical thinking and lateral thinking and situational judgement tests.

Verbal psychometric tests

Taking verbal psychometric tests?  Struggling a little and feel you would like some help?  Try these:

• How to prepare and How to improve
• ASK
• Internet Grammar of English An online guide written for university students

Free verbal and numerical tests: Norton Assessment

This is an opportunity to try some online verbal and numerical tests from Norton Assessment which should give you a preview of the full psychometric tests you are likely to encounter as part of a selection process.

These trial tests are free, and all participant data is anonymous. The links to the test trials are:

• Numerical reasoning
• Verbal reasoning

Practice psychometric tests

Free to Brunel students and graduates you’ll need to register to take these tests from Graduates First. You’ll get feedback after you’ve completed each test and – a big bonus – you can also download Q&A giving worked solutions to each question.:

• Numerical reasoning (NRT)
• Verbal reasoning (VRT)
• Logical reasoning (LRT)
• Work personality questionnaire (WPQ)
• Question identifier tool (QIT) This identifies (based on your personality) the kind of questions that you might be asked at interview

While you’re on our website also take a look at the Kenexa and SHL tests.

The PCC are open…

between 9:30am-4:45pm Monday-Friday. There may be odd days during the vacation when we’re closed so, if you’re coming from a distance, give us a call first

Job vacancies:
Visit www.brunel.ac.uk/services/pcc/vacancies/_nocache to find part- and full-time opportunities.  Just enter your student number in the prompt box and click the ‘Login’ button to view the vacancies.

Careers:

• Careers Quick Query gives you a 15 minute one-to-one session with a duty careers consultant.  It’s held daily between 2:00-4:00pm Monday-Friday. Just call 01895 266840 or visit the PCC earlier in the day to book a time
• Arrange a 30 minute appointment with the careers consultant for your course

Find out how to book a Quick Query slot or a longer appointment with a careers consultant. Don’t worry if you’re no longer close to campus as you can always get help by email or ‘phone.

Placement:
Drop into the PCC and sign up or contact your Placement Officer directly

Job Shop:
Pop into see us, email jobshop@brunel.ac.uk, or call 01895 265759

Psychometric tests

www.jobtestprep.co.uk offers preparation for psychometric tests including aptitude tests, personality tests, job interviews and assessment centre preparation.