1) Forms. - standard, vetting.
2) Telephone interview
30 mins - competency based questions - 'tell me about a time when'
3) Assessment Day
I was so so nervous. Don't be. Once you're there it's a tough but enjoyable day.
Approx group of 10 people all going for different roles potentially, make the time to get to know these people, it'll help at the end of the day.
The day contains the same parts for everyone however not in the same order. You will get an agenda with times and suggested breaks, however they make it clear that you must manage your own time. REMEMBER TO EAT! Keep your energy up, it's a long day:
A) 30 minute intro to the day and overview of Deloitte. You'll be given some tips for the day eg make sure you pull from past experience and expect explain why you came to a certain conclusion.
B) case study. 1 hour to read a case study and write a presentation.
My advice - read the last part first to see what they are after eg 'write at least 3 slides, cover two problems, draw a plan etc etc' it'll help when you read the main part of the case study, knowing what you're going to be pulling together at the end. Manage your time well here. I split it 30 mins absorb case study, 20 mins make notes & plan slides,10 minutes draw slides on flip chart.
C) present your presentation to one of the assessors.
You'll be taken into a side room with your presentation and asked to present it as if the assessor is the client from the case study, you have just 10 minutes- keep to that!. C) may not follow B) depending on your day agenda so keep it fresh in your mind during breaks if your presentation ends up being much later in the day. Introduce yourself, speak clearly, there will be a clock so be mindful of how long you are spending on each slide, and at the end don't forget a short summary or wrap up.
You'll then get some questions for 20 mins on your slides. These were pleasant enough - how would that team run, how did you come to that conclusion.
The final 15-30 minutes are competency based questions 'tell me about a time when' 'why Deloitte'
ASK QUESTIONS. I was interested here to hear about what sort of projects this individual had been on, and what Deloitte community is like.
Mine overran and then impacted time for a break, watch out for this, but still remember to have time to recharge.
D) Written Excercise - a case study and slide deck to read.
Once read, write a summary on two sides of A4 that can be sent to the management team outlined in the case study. Look out for things that are sensitive and should not be shared in your summary. From what I could gather it's about your grammar, ability to form sentences and spelling. Don't worry about your handwriting however I did split my hour into three and gave myself time to rewrite it neatly. No questions on this, you just give this back at the end of the day for marking.
E) Director led interview. 1:1 1 hour
This was an enjoyable part of the day, no case study etc just a traditional interview. The person who interviewed me was so friendly, asked some great questions that led to discussions on technology rather than scripted interview answers. It felt like a natural conversation in parts. Expect to be asked again - why Deloitte, why consulting. Expect to explain your CV, make it engaging. There may be some questions here that are looking to see your understanding of the business and its market place, so do some prep beforehand, the website is a great place to start but check out the Twitter and you tube channels, and have an idea of why you chose Deloitte and not any of the other top 4.
F) Group challenge - this is a good laugh, and if you've spent time chatting to the others in the group it makes it easier. You're not fighting for the same role.
10 minutes to read a fun fictions case study on a community of people that are in dire straights. List of 10 things that would help to fix their economy. You have to apply 1 every month, order these 10 in your preference. Think about a few reasons why you've chosen some either in the top or bottom 5
35 minutes to then, as a group in front of a few assessors watching, choose the order, aim is to get 3 of your top 5 in the group top 5. Few options here, you could be the leader with the board and pen, you could keep time, you should definitely make sure if some one is quiet to encourage them to speak. As there is some logic in the order of the list you'll find quite a few people will have similar in their top 5 so don't panic about this becoming a battle to win. Have fun, provide some reasons to the team to show you're pitching the case for one of yours in the top 5. Be friendly. Don't shout. Make sure you speak. Listen and compromise. Usual group exercise stuff.
It was a fantastic opportunity and one I am glad I have had the opportunity to experience.