The key thing to remember is that our assessment centres are a way for us to get to you know you better and for you to meet the team you could be working with in the future. It’s a fantastic opportunity for you to ask questions and find out more about us.
What to expect
One of our Early Careers Recruitment team will be in touch to invite you to the day and to provide some information about the team(s) that will be there and the roles we are recruiting for.. We will ask you to complete a short survey to gather information about any special requirements you have for attending and information about your travel arrangements. We will also ask you to upload any relevant documents so you don’t have to bring anything on the day. You don’t need to worry about getting to our assessment centre, if you’re travelling from outside the city the event is taking place in, we will book your travel for you.
On the day, we usually start in the morning and someone from the Early Careers Recruitment Team (usually me, Mel, Amanda or Sarah) will be there to welcome you and provide a short introduction to WSP. We do a (fun!) ice-breaker and we will get everyone who is part of the day involved, including our assessors. There’ll usually be around 10 people from WSP attending and around 20 other attendees, many of these people are likely to be feeling just like you are. We do a couple of group activities and give you plenty of time to meet the assessors and chat to them informally. Lunch is served and you can mingle with the assessors again. After lunch it will be time for your interview. This is your chance to shine individually, away from the group, and usually lasts around 20 minutes.
Whilst you are waiting for your interview, we have a technical activity for you to complete. This includes asking you questions to assess skills such as problem solving and writing skills and is always steered toward your degree discipline. We will talk you through the activity and answer any questions you have before you get started.
At the end of the day, everyone comes back together and we wrap up, answer any final questions you may have and say goodbye. We will then be in touch within two weeks to update you... and that’s it!
Tips & Advice
• Be punctual – make sure you’ve checked how to get to our venue and allow plenty of time to get there. We know trains are sometimes delayed and busses are late- if anything does happen during your journey it’s best to let us know
• Ask questions – you have a great opportunity to ask those detailed questions about the day to day role, what it’s like to be part of the team etc. make the most of this!
• Dress smartly – this might sound obvious but always good to reiterate that first impressions really do count.
• Research WSP – we should know which area of WSP you are keen to work in from your application and video interview, it would be great if you had some projects in mind that peaked your interest that you could talk about in your interview, specific to the discipline.
Be Yourself – this is probably the most important piece of advice we can give. We know that you really want to secure the perfect graduate role and the best role for you will be the one that best matches your skills and natural preferences and so it’s important we see these on the day.
Amy Allison is the Recruitment Specialist, Early Careers at WSP.