How to succeed in an Assessment Center without knowing the actual exercises

We’re constantly being asked by candidates if we could tell them what exercises we’ll be using for our Assessment Centers.

I’m really sorry, but… no, we cannot share the actual exercises with you.

I mean, could you picture sports coaches revealing each other’s game plans before the match…?

What I CAN share though is some generic information on the Assessment Center approach as well as some tips on how best to prepare for one.

What happens at an Assessment Center?

We use Assessment Centers – or ACs in short – to expose candidates to different settings and environments that allow us to see how they perform.

We have you face different tasks and challenges that allow us to see more of the real you.

Consider the AC experience your chance of showing us who you are and why you’re the best fit for a position.

That said, the ACs are also a great opportunity for you to find out more about us and see what it’s like to be part of adidas.

As part of the experience you will also get a sneak preview into our life at the adidas ‘World of Sports’ Headquarters or one of our amazing office locations worldwide.

Who will be in the room?

You will meet other contenders but also some of our employees.

Some of them are our Senior Managers; all of them have interesting backgrounds and are experienced in making sure we select the right players for the adidas team.

During the day they carefully observe the applicants and get to know each of them by asking questions that provide insights into everybody’s motivation to join the company.

How can I prepare?

Here are five tips to set you up for success for an Assessment Center:

1. Prepare mentally: Athletes sometimes close their eyes before an important match to picture their moves, revisit their winning strategy or simply focus. Do the same before taking you AC: picture what the day could look like and imagine the best possible outcome for you.

2. Listen to the instructions. We put a lot of thought into designing our exercises. Take the time to listen and reflect. Ask yourself: what is expected of me? What would be the best way to approach this task? We’ve seen many applicants jump right into a task without really paying attention to what we really want from them.

3. Don’t be too hard on yourself: We know you’re dying to get the job, now that you’re this close to the finish line. And yes, a little bit of nervousness really helps. But hey, we’re all humans. Nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes. To us, it’s important that we get to know you, so show us the REAL you.

4. Stay curious: This is also your chance to ask questions and find out more about us. The more you know the better you’ll be prepared when it comes to starting a career with adidas. Use the breaks to find out what you always wanted to know about us.

5. Have fun & grow: Here at adidas, we say: “When you love what you do it’s not really work; it’s just what you do”. Whether you just applied at adidas or going into an Assessment Center soon – have fun and be authentic. We can tell whether you’re truly enjoying yourself and whether you’re having fun throughout the day. Give yourself some praise for making it this far and look at the AC experience as an opportunity to learn and grow – personally and professionally.

At the end of it all, there’s a job waiting for you. But Assessment Centers are not about being the loudest or the most visible; it’s about being confident, creative and collaborative.

Take this advice to heart and chances are high we’ll be meeting on our campus soon.

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