I recently took part in a full-day assessment center that started at seven in the morning and ended at five in the afternoon. There were fifteen of us. After breakfast, the team explained how the day would go, collected our phones, and gave us tablets for the exercises. Everything felt serious and organized. During the day, we worked on different kinds of tasks. Two of them stood out to me: one individual case and one role play. They tested completely different sides of me and both stayed in my mind after the day ended.
1. The Individual Case — Thinking Under Pressure. The first assignment was a business case about merging two companies. It sounded simple at first, but when I saw the time limit, it didn’t feel simple anymore. I decided to stay organized. I wrote down the main questions and set a time for each one. I also left ten minutes at the end to check everything. That small plan helped me stay calm when it got stressful. When it was time to present, I realized they weren’t looking for a perfect answer. They wanted to see how I handle time, pressure, and how I structure my thoughts when things move fast.
What helped me:
— Don’t get lost in details. Keep your logic clear.
— Finish on time, even if it’s not perfect.
— Take a breath before presenting. It changes how you speak.
— Explain your reasoning, and if there are risks, say how you would deal with them.
— Mention any framework you used. It shows how you think, not just what you know.
Working under pressure wasn’t easy, but it helped me focus. I stopped overthinking and just made decisions.
2. The Role Play — Leading Through Discomfort. The second task was a role play. I had to act as a new manager talking to an older employee who had lost motivation and was spending too much time online. At first, I thought it would be easy, just a short conversation. But when I entered the room, it suddenly felt real. The “employee” was a middle-aged man, maybe fifteen years older than me. For a second, I didn’t know how to start. He was there to challenge me. Sometimes he looked tired, sometimes annoyed, sometimes completely silent. My job was to handle it like a real conversation: stay calm, listen, and still lead it to a clear point.
Things I learned:
— Don’t focus too much on the acting. The point is your reaction.
— Read the situation description carefully. It matters a lot.
— Don’t take it personally if the other person seems distant.
— Be kind but stay professional. Acknowledge what they do well, but clearly explain what needs to change and what comes next.
The role play showed me how hard real communication can be. You can’t just say the right thing — you have to say it in the right way. It’s a balance between listening and leading.
Final Thoughts. These two assignments were very different, but together they said a lot about how I work. The first one tested how I think when time is short. The second one tested how I handle people when things feel uncomfortable. Both reminded me that what matters most isn’t being perfect — it’s being steady, clear, and honest when the situation gets tough.