Application Process & Interviews at CSL

It was a little daunting but was expected

Comfortable and sociable

Online application and aptitude testing, followed by video assessment, half day assessment centre and in person interview.

Online tests, assessment centre, 1:1 interview, meet the GM

Although I didn't particularly enjoy the graduate recruitment process (mostly because it was quite stressful at the time!), I thought it was very professionally executed and found the activities very appropriate given the level of experience of us candidates and the nature of the work that the organisation undertakes.

After the usual video interview and online assessments that is conducted as part of most graduate recruitment process, there were two 'rounds' of assessments - first round included an assessment centre followed by a panel interview for shortlisted candidates.

Application - submit resume and cover letter Psychometric testing (numerical, logical and personality tests) Video Interview Assessment Centre Final individual interviews.

Stressful and long

Graduate program required resume application, then online testing for literacy, mathematics, and logic, then recorded video interview, then a group assessment workshop, before 1:1 interview.

It was a fairly lengthy process which involved general online questions, resume & cover letter submission, verbal/logical/numerical aptitude tests, personality assessment, a video interview, a group assessment centres and a face-to-face interview.

When I applied, the selection process was five stages. The first involved submitting a resume and filling out a questionnaire detailing previous experiences and outlining why you would like to work for the company. The second was an aptitude, logic and reasoning test (online cognitive ability test). The third; an automated video interview. Fourth was a group assessment with other candidates and finally a face to face interview with prospective managers.

Why I wanted to work for the company, what I knew about it and where I see myself in the future.

Behavioural questions like 'tell me a time you were innovative/solved a problem etc.' Why I wanted the job, what I know about it etc.

The questions were largely related to how my past experiences demonstrated me living the cultural values of the business in addition to a few questions that gauged my interest in the business and the wider industry.

Questions revolved around previous work experience, team-based activities and career goals.

Long term goals, experiences which I could leverage/use in the role

Conflict solving in previous roles, achievements and expectations, "Tell us about yourself".

Situational questions; describe a time when X occurred.

Primarily non-technical questions. Mainly around motivations and situations in the past where I had exhibited particular characteristics.

What would be your areas of interest for potential rotations. Why would you like to work for the company. When have you experienced conflict in the workplace and how did you approach it.

To be truly passionate about people and making a difference to their community.

Practice makes perfect

Understand why you would want to work for CSL.

Research the company, come prepared with questions to see if it suits you as well as them.

Learn about what the business does, its products, its core principle values etc. Refine your interview techniques and have a bank of experiences / accomplishments that demonstrate your suitability for the advertised role.

Research about the company prior to applying to ensure that it is the right fit for you - and if possible, attend any networking events offered beforehand.

Ensure you do enough research on the company before going in, especially the company values and culture, why they do what they do, what they do, the departments within CSL etc.

At assessment centres, ensure you're able to establish a balance between sharing your ideas and opinions and listening to others and incorporating their ideas. Be yourself, try not to overstep your role but also try to show that you're present. In the individual final interviews, be yourself. Practice behavioural-based interviews and choose scenarios that would best answer the question. Ensure you use the STAR response as interviewers want to see how you handled a situation and what the outcome of it was. Don't focus too much on the technical stuff, as long as you're able to explain a situation that you were in and how you were able to showcase what the question is asking, then that's all they want. Don't be scared or nervous, they're all very friendly, it generally ends up being a nice two-way conversation rather than an interview. Ensure you ask questions that show that you've researched the company well.

Understand your strengths and weaknesses/opportunities

Specific tip would be the background research on the company. Have an understanding of what the company does, why they do it and who is the CEO.

Research the company before you apply

Be genuine and comfortable being who you are, everyone here is. Preparation can involve going through common interview questions with friends to build up your pool of experiences to draw from and improve the relevance and clarity of your responses.

Use interview techniques such as "STAR" to organise your thoughts. Don't be afraid to pause and ponder your responses before answering a question. Practise answering common interview questions. Do some high level research on the company and its history.