Because we are convinced that internships are a real asset for any student, we wanted to share Mélanie’s experience that allowed her to confirm her professional aspirations. Mélanie joined Apostrof at the beginning of 2016 on a part-time basis for a few weeks, during her studies in occupational psychology. Today, she is continuing her studies with an MBA in Human Resources Management, on the Lyon campus of the MBWAY school.

 
So how did it work in practice?

 
“Well, I split my days between the photocopier and the coffee machine… No, I’m kidding, that’s a cliché. In fact, I was involved in many aspects of the firm’s work. From the start, I wanted to do this placement in a recruitment agency!

During my research, I discovered the company Apostrof. I was immediately attracted by the qualitative aspect of the recruitment process. I was also keen to discover headhunting, because no one learns that at school! As Apostrof is a small company, I was quickly involved in the current missions.

So I went with the Apostrof team to discover the aspects of the recruiter’s job and then I discovered the Assessment Center. Indeed, I had never heard of this assessment system before.

I was lucky enough to participate as a peer and assessor in the work situation exercises. This particular approach seems impressive at first, as the team of consultants has no information about the candidate being assessed or about his/her professional or academic background. At each session, we start with a blank sheet of paper. »

 
Was that really the most impressive thing?

 
“I didn’t always feel very legitimate, as the participants are mainly executives and managers, who are necessarily more experienced and older. However, the team of consultants always made sure that I found my place.

On the evaluation side, I relied on my ability to observe and analyse different situations, developed through my studies in psychology. As for the roles to be played in the different evaluation exercises, my years of theatre practice helped me a lot to put myself in the shoes of the various characters I had to play!

The Assessment Centre is a competency assessment technique that may be experienced as intense at the time by some candidates. It is true that it highlights the participant’s potential and areas for improvement. On the consultants’ side, the benevolence and the necessary detachment, throughout the exercises, will allow an objective evaluation, without judgment or prejudice.

This is why this assessment is a highly effective recruitment technique that is beneficial for candidates. It also allows them to take stock of their key skills, strengths and areas for improvement, ideal for getting to know and understand themselves in a professional context. »

 
What do you take away from this experience as a “recruiter / evaluator” trainee?

 
“Once I have completed my studies, I would not hesitate to refer potential candidates to this system in my career in Human Resources! The diversity of tools used during the Assessment Centre and the professionalism of the consultants make it an excellent assessment technique in my opinion.

For my part, my internship at Apostrof has allowed me to meet new people, to apply the knowledge I have learned in class, to learn new things, but it has also allowed me to define a little more precisely in which type of missions I feel most competent.

This is another step in my career path, which has led me to strengthen my experience in human resources. I am therefore looking in this direction for my professional future, which I hope will be rich and in line with my aspirations.

About the Assessment Center

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