Interviews and assessment centres
TRENDING IN Interviews and assessment centres
Clue yourself in
Interview essentials
Your first interview will typically be a pre-recorded video interview or a telephone interview, which if you pass, will be followed by either a live-call video interview or an in-person interview. During interviews you’ll likely be asked questions about your skills, strengths, values and motivations.
Assessment centres (sometimes held virtually) are essentially group interviews where employers bring together several candidates to undertake exercises to see their skills in action. You may also have another individual interview, typically with a senior member of staff from your prospective team. See our ultimate guides to interview preparation and assessment centre preparation to get set.
If you are yet to apply for student or graduate vacancies, you can find them here: Internships | Graduate jobs | Graduate schemes
Tips for stellar answers
Interview questions answered
Find expert advice on how to answer the interview questions employers commonly ask candidates.
Impress employers
Interview formats
Succeed in any interview
No matter the format of your interview, whether it’s a video interview, telephone interview or in person, we’ve got tips for you to make the best impression.
Get ready for any test
Assessment centre exercises
Employers will put your qualities to the test using group and individual exercises. You’ll need to both collaborate with other candidates and work independently to convince them of your abilities.
Beyond answering questions
During interviews and assessment days, employers will be looking at whether you come across as polite and easy to work with, and your level of interest in the role, company and industry. Make sure to dress for the part, be enthusiastic and have your own questions to ask lined up.
Break into the sector
Career-specific tips
See the sector you’re applying to listed here? Then head to the article to get the lowdown on the interview questions you’ll likely be asked and how to respond to them.
Free online mini-courses
Interactive learning
Pathways are targetjobs’ expertly created short courses to get you graduate career ready featuring informative videos and tasks to check your understanding. Make sure to create your targetjobs profile to be able to access them.
FAQs
More careers advice
Browse by category
Advice for school leavers
Discover the world of options open to you on finishing school or college and get tips on how to make the right decision for you.
CVs, applications and tests
Find the tools and tips you need to help you apply for graduate jobs or internships. We cover every aspect of the application process, from writing a CV to answering online application questions and sitting psychometric tests.
Career ideas
Find advice for figuring out your dream career, including what options are available to you after graduating and how to choose the right graduate role.
Finding a job
Finding a job isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Here we help you to jump potential hurdles, giving essential advice for home and international students: from applying in tough economic times to getting a top graduate job with a 2.2.
Internships
Completing an internship allows you to sharpen your skills, improve your CV, prepare for the world of work and potentially land yourself a graduate job. Discover what internships actually involve, how to apply for them and how to make the most of them.
Interviews and assessment centres
You impressed on paper; now it’s time to show the employer in person that you’re the right hire. Learn how to do this with our expert advice for answering interview questions, developing interview techniques and acing assessment centre exercises.
Job descriptions
Discover the qualifications, skills and experience you’ll need for more than 300 job roles and find one you’ll love.
Job offers and working life
Job offers, rejection emails and stepping into the working world with your first graduate job can pull you in a million directions. Fortunately, we’ve curated advice on how to accept job offers, bounce back from rejection and make an impact in your first job.
Skills for getting a job
Discover the skills that major graduate employers seek and how you can demonstrate them on your application form, and at interviews and assessment centres.
University life
Wanting to leave uni with a degree is a given. But what do you want from the other bits of student life? Discover how to combine study, rest, work and play with our insights from students and graduates.
advice by sector
