If you are attending an assessment centre it is likely that you will take part in a group exercise. It is also likely that you will not have met the other candidates before and will have no idea how they will react on the group exercise. It would be useful to know whether they are likely to want to dominate the group, as they have taken part in so many group exercises before - or are unlikely to say a word as they are so nervous and really want the job.

If you have an idea of how they will act in the exercise you can start to think about if you will need to draw them into the exercise - or work hard to manage their dominant contribution. The way to get some idea of their personal style is to chat to as many candidates as you can at the coffee break or over lunch. Ask them questions about if they have taken part in such an assessment before and if so how they found it. Keep your questions open and friendly as it will help to ease the tension in any case.

Teamwork is the most common competency to be measured in the group exercise and you need to demonstrate it in many different ways - before and during the exercise and even after the exercise. Tell those candidates that you enjoyed working with - that you did. It will make you feel positive for the next exercise and will no doubt be spotted by the assessors.

Good luck - tell us about your tips for excelling at interview by posting your suggestions on the 1st-step message board.