Top Tips for your Assessment Day
Top Tips for your Assessment Day
So, you’ve decided you want to embark on a winter season and have been invited to an assessment day. That’s fantastic, assessment days are vital tools for both candidates and employers to get a good feel for each other and the applicants suitability to their chosen role.
We have put together some top tips for your assessment day to help you shine and showcase yourself in the best possible way. Enjoy and good luck!
Our top tips for thriving on your assessment day
- Dress to impress – first impressions do count! They are almost instant judgments we make about others when we first meet them and they can’t be undone. Put some effort into maintaining good eye contact, start with a confident introduction and a handshake. Make sure you dress appropriately for the weather, job role and sector you’re applying to work in. It’s easy to do and it makes a big difference.
- Be prepared – before leaving home to attend your assessment day make a list of things you should bring with you. You’ll never look silly for bringing a few extra copies of your CV and application, but arriving without these vital pieces of information could spotlight you negatively to your potential employer.
Think – are there any role specific activities you need to complete, have you been asked to bring anything with you as part of the assessment day?
- Ask questions – asking questions is integral on an assessment day, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if you’re not entirely sure about a task. Your interviewers don’t want to trip you up, and are often trying to get the best from you. Additionally, asking well thought out questions shows a genuine interest in the company and that you’ve done some extra research.
- Speak and listen equally – the goal of an assessment day is to stand out and be noticed, however, they are often used to assess how you interact in a group setting. Communicating your ideas and opinions effectively is an essential skill, alternatively talking over other candidates and not listening will not reflect well. When you’re part of a team, negotiating and supporting your teammates is integral to a happy working environment, therefore everyone in the team must have an opportunity to speak. Remember – being louder doesn’t always equal being better and your interviewers know this.
- Prepare well for your individual interview – try to plan for questions you think may arise in an interview. How is your experience of work relevant to the role you are applying for? Do you have gaps in your CV that could be explained? What do you want to get out of a ski season? By planning framework answers to a few basic questions you can communicate yourself effectively.
Generic answers like ‘I need the money’ or ‘I just love to ski’ will not inspire a positive image to your interviewer. They know that you love the mountains but do you have a goal that the season could help you achieve? Are you looking to push yourself? Have you dreamt of doing a season ever since you watched Chalet Girl? All of these examples provide genuine positive outcomes from your season and highlight that it is something you’re committed to seeing through for the whole duration of the season.
- Market and company research – why have you chosen to apply for this specific company, what is their unique selling point? Good knowledge about the company, the clientele and how the company positions itself in the market can help you think about how your experience makes you an ideal candidate for the company. When you have good knowledge about the company, you can tailor your experience and service expectations to perfectly fit them and their target market.
How did you hear about the company? What has piqued your interest, has there been new development and growth within the company or are they a stable and reliable company that you’d like to personally grow and develop in?
- How to stand out in a group – be assertive, not dominant – in most jobs in ski resorts you will be a part of a team therefore illustrating your ability to work well in a group on your assessment day is key. A simple ‘I see where you’re coming from’ or ‘that’s a really good point’ can go a long way in a group discussion. Highlighting yourself as a good team leader and delegator by asking other, quieter applicants to provide their opinions will make you stand out. Assessment days are your opportunity to illustrate and evidence what you have said about yourself on your CV.
Now you know our tips and tricks to acing an assessment day, why not apply to Ski Famille and take your new skills for a test drive?
Ski Famille and Ski Vertigo have chalets and hotels spanning the French Alps. If you fancy a winter in The 3 Valleys, Tignes, Val-d’Isère, La Plagne or Les Gets then we are the company for you. What makes us different? Well, since Brexit many seasonal employers will only accept EU passport holders but we review all applications regardless of your passport. We have an experienced office team here who will do all of the hard work and support you through obtaining your VISA!
We have been operating since 1990 and have valuable experience in recruiting fantastic teams and wonderful applicants who continue to surprise us with their skills year on year.
Here is a link to our jobs page with all of our available roles – www.skifamille.co.uk/ski-jobs/
Apply now to [email protected] to get your application started today!
Chalet hosts are required to submit a 2 minute video answering some questions (which can be found at www.skifamille.co.uk/ski-jobs/) along with their CV.
Come and join us for the best winter of your life!
