Can anyone give me an insight on how you can prepare for an assessment centre?

[Dyno]

So I haven't really passed an assessment centre stage and I was wondering what the process is like and what exactly happens in it? I'm applying for HSF Vac scheme and I want to ask do all firms ask the same thing in an assessment centre ; like what do they test you on. additionally i heard how u have to research the firm and the deals they are working on and they quiz you on your commercial awareness? is that all right? how would you prepare for all that?

 

[Andrei Radu]

So I haven't really passed an assessment centre stage and I was wondering what the process is like and what exactly happens in it? I'm applying for HSF Vac scheme and I want to ask do all firms ask the same thing in an assessment centre ; like what do they test you on. additionally i heard how u have to research the firm and the deals they are working on and they quiz you on your commercial awareness? is that all right? how would you prepare for all that?

What is the AC process like and what happens in it?

The AC process differs from firm by firm, but in general, it consists of an entire day of assessments and networking at the firm's office. You will generally start the day with an introduction and short presentation from the firm's graduate recruitment department, in which they will explain the schedule and what you will be assessed on. You will also get the chance to ask any questions about the specifics of the interviews and exercises. However, you will also normally be informed of the general layout of the day and your assessments via email at least a few days before the AC date. In terms of exercises, some of most common ones include:

• Competency/motivation interviews
• Written exercises
• Case studies
• Presentations
• Group discussion/negotiation exercises

Do all firms ask the same things in an AC?

The short answer is no - there is significant variety in the specifics of each firm's AC. However, there are a number of points almost every law firm is likely to test you on in one form or another:

• Your motivations: the classic 'Why commercial law?' and 'Why the firm?', but also more general career plans and questions about your interests
• Your competencies and CV questions: includes the classic 'Why you?' question, but also more general questions about times you demonstrated particular skills. Also, on this point many firms also expect you to be able to discuss your wider academic and professional journey in the past couple of years - it's therefore good to be ready to discuss your university and A-levels experience.
• Your wider commercial awareness: here, the main point is just to see if you have generally kept up with the big news stories in the business world and if you can properly analyze a commercial topic.
• Knowledge of the legal market: this includes both knowledge as to the profile of the law firm when compared to competitors and knowledge of the general operations and business of its main practice areas.

Do you have to research deals and cases the firm has worked on?

The short answer here is yes - this is very useful. While it may be somewhat rare to be asked to discuss a deal/case directly, this is still something you should prepare for because (1) in the not so uncommon scenario where you do get asked this question, it's a bad look not to have anything prepared; and (2) even if you are not asked this, you can still mention a deal/case as an illustration of the firm's expertise when discussing your 'Why the firm' reasoning - this demonstrates depth of research and can set you apart from other candidates. To prepare for this, it's useful to have a look around the firm's website - they normally advertise the big cases and deals they work on. Then you can choose one case and deal that stands out to you in particular and research it further - a general hour long internet browse should give you enough information to discuss in any AC.


How do you prepare for all that?

Since the types of assessments in an AC can vary a lot, so do the preparation methods. The general rule is that practice makes perfect, so you will want to do as many mock assessments of the type you will encounter in an actual AC. For instance, you can find case studies and written exercises examples online and you can then time yourself as you answer it. For motivations/competency interviews, you can get a friend with experience in the application process to give you a mock interview and then give you feedback. Nonetheless, for present purposes I would not worry about that too much - the biggest roadblock applicants face is getting to that AC stage in the first place. Thus, I think your focus should be to construct your application strategy and schedule, and then send as many high-quality applications as possible. Normally, you will have at least one to two week' heads up before any AC, which should give you sufficient time to prepare.

The only exception to that is general commercial awareness, which you do have to build over time. Here, I advise you to (1) make use of podcasts, which you can listen to when walking/doing chores so as to save time (in particular, I recommend the FT News Briefing, Bloomberg News, BBC Business News); and (2) reading a longer article on a commercial topic of interest at least once or twice per week.