you go there and they act like you are mates ... they are not your mates they just think they are too cool for school. they tell you about some guy who was amazing and its because he was sitting where you are.... sure.... you are one in a thousand .... of course some people in there with all due respect could not speak english well. "FOCUS ON THE COMMISSION" because basic its a little terrible. Be aware of parses like " i met lloyds, GSK" they were all impressed with our candidates" BLAH BLAH. I passed it and they did not convince me what so ever with their response and the jobs were on the slightly terrible track. Careful from buzz words.

OK assesment day, classic recruitment b.s like games and speaking out loud and a presentation infront of some 'clients' who were probably random people off the street. passed the interview day and now have pareto calling me every day offering me rubbish sales jobs. don't even want to me in sales - they put an advert up for a broker which is what I wanted! anyway, first interview they set me up with, I turn up and the company doesn't even know who i am!!! pareto said it was an 'admin error' and they were sorry for wasting my day and £40 in train fares. still havn't been paid back my train fare for their balls up. they can jog on

I attended a couple of months ago in Wilmslow. Before I went I had read so many negative reviews but for me it was a day off work so I went with a skeptical mind. I am 24, I have worked for 2 years but wanted a career change and they were one of the recruitment firms that rang me. Lord knows where they got my details from. Id imagine from a job website. I don't see that as a bad thing, recruitment firms are basically sales people so it's no different to any other recruitment firm ringing me up. So the phone interview was first. I was asked standard sales interview questions. I found it a bit patronising that the woman on the phone seemed like she wanted to be my bezzie within 2 minutes but that's sales for you! She wants to get me a job for her own benefit. And I wanted a job so I was happy with that. I have sales experience so I had a lot I could blag on about and that is what got me through the phone interview. Next was the assessment day. This was the part I had read so many negative reviews about so I wasn't hugely bothered about the outcome of the day. I thought I had nothing to lose. I arrived and immediately saw what everyone on here meant by the staff being young. Bless them. But so what?! Are young people not allowed to work hard? We were left in the lobby part for everyone to get to know each other. The thing is, a lot of reviews said that this was just an obvious attempt to make notes on you from the start, but that outlook is closed minded and pathetic. It is an interview, of course they want to see how you relate with other people. It's one of the most important parts of working life! There were some people in my assessment day who sat silently the whole time and my first thought was that I would never hire them in a million years. Other people were loud, others were chatty and friendly, it was a good mix of people, but I actually quite enjoyed getting to know the people there. We were taken into a room where this reallly hot woman gave us all an introduction to the company and to the day. There was no deceit anywhere, they were very honest from the start. They said it was for a sales role, they explained the characteristics needed to a) work in sales and b) enjoy working in sales. They explained what they were looking for. We then had to introduce ourselves with our most inspirational person and our best non-academic achievement. They even said that saying a half marathon or a bronze award of something wouldn't be wise because someone there might have a full marathon or a gold award in the same thing. So basically they wanted a high standard. I think that's fair enough if they have a reputation to uphold. Yeh it means people around you stand up and brag all about their wonderful achievements and yeh it is really really cringy but again, it. is. an. interview. what can you expect? We then had the group tasks. A lot of reviews on here have said that the successful candidates are the loud mouths who bully everyone. That is absolute nonsense as well. I am in no way a bully. I'm not shy but I wasn't as loud as this other guy there who didn't get through. I didn't dive head first towards the pen like most people wanted to do. Mainly because I thought that would be obvious and embarrassing. My dignity is far too important. The thing that made me stand out on the day was that I know how to work with people and I come across very confident. I was able to make myself heard. I moved around the room, I questioned things. By the way I'm not trying to sound arrogant, this is just the way it was. I've been to enough interviews to understand the process. Generally speaking, louder people are going to perform better in sales than a quiet person who will be scared to big up their product. It's just the brutal way the sales industry works. And like I said, they are very honest about the sales industry from the start. We then had the presentation to do. This was ok. All to do with why I want a career in sales. It was in front of 2 men,I cant really say much about that. Im pretty sure all graduates understand how to do a presentation. Finally the one-one. Again that was fine they just clarify what you're looking for, salary expectations and things like that. I was successful on the day along with 3 other people. That left something like 15 who weren't. Anyway these are my main points. 1. It is a sales role. That is why the interview is cringy. Sales is all a cringy act. 2. They don't hide from you that it is a sales role. 3. If you are quiet, you probably won't excel in sales. This isn't a bad thing. Be honest with yourself, if you are quiet, do you really want to enter the brutal world of sales? Honestly, there are so many other skills a quiet person will have that can be used a lot better away from a sales role. 4. Gift of the gab is the best thing the sales world has ever seen. This is why the talkative ones will probably be successful. 5. You don't need to be a loud mouthed bully on the day to succeed. Show your personality (like any interview). Show you can work with people. Show you are chatty and fun. Ask questions. 6. Don't criticise the day. If you are unsuccessful,you have had an opportunity to attend a day full of so many exercises and you get feedback from it. It is so rare to get feedback from an interview. 7. I really hope people reading this dont think I am a pareto employee otherwise I have just wasted so much time. 8. I just read another review complaining about them not paying your travel expenses. I have never had any interviewer paying my travel expenses. 9. This one is important. Sales isn't everything. If you don't get through this process that doesn't mean in any way that you aren't employable. It's just that sales is a very different kind of job to most other jobs. sales is about money and how you work with people, not so much about your academic ability. you should only attend this day if you either want a role in sales, or you want to use pareto for interview practice. There are so many employable skills you can have that are nothing to do with sales. There are also tons of interviewers who would kick you out if you came across 'salesy'. This day is designed for a sales role and if you dont succeed it really isn't a big deal for you at all unless you genuinely want a sales career. 10. I feel like I need to round off with a 10th point. Again, I am not a pareto employee JUSST because I am not slating them. I would absolutely hate to work for a recruitment company.

I applied to a job locally. Got many calls from them until I acted as the voicemail left said last chance to attend. Telephone interview was a bit easy to pass and general things anyone would say to make themselves get the assessment centre place. The assessment is as described above. I didn't do great in the 2 exercises with numbers or the moon challenge, but I made myself seem ALPHA in everything else and I passed. 30 phone calls from all different Pareto recruitment guys in the 1st week. I went to a few interviews and they were legit but in really sales is not for me. The consultants do really big you up like they know you personally and tell the employer your the best guy for that specific job. It's rubbish, I have no track record of anything sales'y so... Conclusion: Although I haven't been offered a job through Pareto and still havent worked in Sales, if you are keen on anything Sales related then Pareto is worth a try but I've heard theres some poor jobs waiting at the end of the rainbow.

I attended one in Wilmslow and can verify a lot of the negative reviews. They first of all big themselves up to the hilt then inflate your ego by saying you're one of only x amount to get this far. Then we had to introduce ourselves and give our star sign and greatest non-academic achievement and were then asked a few questions about it. There were 43 of us so this took a while. We were split into 4 groups of 10/11 and huddled into a small room where we had 10 minutes to perform a "group exercise". We were given a short NASA brief and had to rank the items listed in order of importance whilst being hawked by 2 employees. The basic idea ? Shout as loud as possible and bully people to get your voice heard. This is not something I excel at as I believe I'm a bit more courteous and respectful than that. We were then frogmarched into 3 or 4 queues to perform our presentation to a disinterested onlooker. A few people had to present to more people and they tended to be the ones who got through. After delivering our presentations we had an "interview" which was basically clarifying everything you did on the phone. And to top it off after a chaotic mock Olympic bid exercise to "test our creativity" we were split into 3 groups, yes, no, and job offers. I was in the rejected party which wasn't a surprise. In conclusion, I probably am not suited for a sales role but the way the process was handled doesn't seem to match up with the rhetoric they tell you of "personality matters" and "we look at each individual". My advise? Shout the loudest and youre in with a shot. Good luck!

Just had a assessment in one of their uxbridge centres, keep an eye out for a manchester man with a bald head and distinctive patches on his head. Utterly rude knocks your confidence to pieces with remarks that would should not be associated within a professional institute. A sexiest pig who thinks a lot of himself. He will knock your confidence if you say an answer out of place, Most people who have been to these assessments exactly know who I'm talking about. Luckily for me I didn't get pass through the assessment as I received offer from Audi graduate scheme. Having read all the past comments I defo vouch for those 1 star ratings. My suggestion will be that theres a lot mor efficient graduate companies out there that get you a Real future in business. Chao

I attended the interview at Pareto and would highly recommend that you don't waste your time. After driving 2 hours on the motorway I arrived in Leeds at 12.30 after receiving an email saying to get there 15 minutes early (12.45). After paying £6.10 to park for the day I made my way across to the queens hotel where the assessment was set to take place at 1pm. After standing around for half an hour we were greeted by an overly cocky young Pareto employee who introduced himself and took us up to the room we would be in for the day. After being given a name tag we were escorted into a small room and asked to take a seat they would be with us shortly. After waiting half an hour to find out what exactly was going on 6 Pareto employees walked in with clipboards and folders and talked about the company and what they have to offer. We were then asked to stand up and introduce ourselves with our names followed by an inspirational dead person and our best achievement to date. This was then followed by 2 group exercises where another Pareto employee was sat at the back of the room and one was stood over us making notes. There was a blonde girl they all seemed to take a fancy too as she was dressed like a hooker and had no class. Through the whole group task she was rude and spoke over everyone giving no one the chance to have input although people did try to get their points across (yes she was successful). Before anyone had the chance to say they wanted to be captain of the group she made her mind up and bullied the others into letting her (even though I wasn't too fussed about being the captain just getting the task done in the short space of time) After the group task we had to feed back to the other groups which took around an hour. We were then given a 5 minute toilet break before they started taking people for their interviews. Once in the room for my interview I had 3 mins to sell myself which I did to my best ability and for someone who gets 70% and above in any presentations done previously I was really looking forward too it. However the people we were presenting too had no interest in what we were saying and were very rude. After the presentations we were split into 3 groups and then told goodbye thanks for coming. My advice for anyone thinking about going to the assessment day would be to not look professional, look cheap, talk over everyone and don't be a genuine graduate looking for a progressive career because that's not what this company are looking for. Unfortunately I was successful but I have a second interview with sytner coming up which is a graduate role in sales and marketing.

THIS IS NOT A WASTE OF TIME!!! Having worked in the service industry for four years after university I felt it time for a change. I applied to a number of graduate schemes related to sales-based jobs as I felt it was a career that would suit my personality traits and aspirations. One of these schemes was Pareto. I got a call from one of there Account Managers a few days after uploading my CV and he discussed with me my goals and key motivations within the workplace. He called me back later that day to conduct a phone interview which took no longer than 30 minutes; it was more of a personality test. Although I felt I made a stuttered on a few of the questions I was invited to the assessment day in Leeds. James, my contact, instructed me that I needed to prepare a 3 minute presentation, stand out and most importantly be myself. Prior to the assessment day I researched Pareto and stumbled across a number of bad reviews but felt I owed it to myself to go along and see what it was all about. On the day, it is important to arrive promptly and well energised as from the minute you walk though the doors you are being assessed, even when sitting in the lobby it's important to stand out and be chatty with other participants. A few of the participants had clearly made no effort to present themselves in a professional manner....first impressions count so make sure you're well dressed, well groomed and give a firm handshake. The day started with a introduction from one of the Sales Managers at Pareto in which he fired questions at us about the history and background of the company so make sure you do your homework prior to the day. We were then asked to introduce ourselves and share our proudest achievement with the group. It's important here that you are confident and enthusiastic when talking to a group of 30 or more strangers. If you feel uncomfortable doing this you won't do very well on the day as you are trying to stand out from the group. After an hour or so we were then split into groups for a number of tasks. It is important during these tasks that you make yourself heard but don't be aggressive or over-confident (no-one likes a know-it-all). I was able to do this and felt that this was the strongest part of my day. Some people took a back-seat during these activities and were not selected so get involved! Then comes the dreaded interview, your best to treat the three minutes as a brief summary rather than a scripted presentation. Again, make sure you're confident and friendly and shake whoever you're presenting to (first impressions count!). After the presentation we had to wait a while which was frustrating but then our names were called out 'x-factor style'. 10 of the group were selected and two were directly recruited by Pareto. Looking back on the process it was easy to identify what they were looking for and it was clear that the people that weren't selected would not succeed in the a career selling. The day after (with a rather bad hangover) I was called by three separate account managers with job opportunities in a number of industries. I felt like I was in control of what I wanted to do. I went to a few interviews without success (all good experience) but was finally offered a position working for a telecoms company in Leeds with a very competitive salary and bonus structure. Without Pareto I would not have been given this opportunity and now look forward to work everyday with the prospect of carving out a successful career for myself. It is disappointing to read negative comments as I could not speak more highly of Pareto. It would appear that the individuals posting the negative comments were not successful on the assessment day but were not able to take on the constructuve feedback that Pareto provided to all the applicants on the day. If you are graduate with no workplace experience but are hungry for success this is the perfect route into a career where you are in control of your own opportunities and success.

I was very sceptical about using a 3rd party to get a job, I always have. However from the moment I started my process with Pareto, I was very impressed, Their drive to help you succeed was second to none and I could not have wished for a better firm. I like how they were with you every step of the way, and how they let you know everything that was going on behind the scenes to help you. The Pareto employees that I dealt with were very down to earth and were more importantly a friend helping rather than a person telling me what to do. I have recommended and will continue to recommend Pareto to my friends and family.

i don't even want to waste my time writing this but it was basically the worst day of my life and i feel like a fool that I even went... Do NOT waste your time.

Utterly clueless , Screening process was very poor

Like most people, I thought I'd research the company before I went to the assessment centre and came across this website. I thought I would give my 2cents worth. I was successful on the undergrad assessment day and when I graduate I will hopefully be sent to an interview with one of Pareto's clients!! I went in there thinking I'd just be happy with the interviewing and presentation experience but I got selected!!! This means anyone can. I've seen so many negative reviews on here some of them are quite spiteful, you should respect everyone's opinion, whether positive or negative, because they're trying to make the experience better for the upcoming people. So I got called three days prior to the assessment day, most people had the same notice, if not less. I was in contact with a lady and she had an informal telephone interview then invited me to the assessment centre, even though she wasn't there on the day. We had to prepare the dreaded presentation and speaking to others on the day you should try and get as much out of your contact within the company. Get them to read through your notes and suggest any amendments, I wish I did. Also read up on the company. Anyway on the day as others have said, you feel you are being graded from the moment you walk through the door. We got our pictures taken and then gave our little introductions. Try and ask good questions, it'll help you stand out. Easier said than done I know, but ask them obscure things about the company or their route to the company. We then did our group exercises, I didn't particularly present any major points, just small suggestions. It was a little cringy how everyone was shouting over one another to get heard though. After this the one on one interviews took place along with the presentation. This presentation gave me sleepless nights but just practice and deliver it we'll and you'll be fine. I tried to crack a joke in the meantime and had no response. In the mean time we had to ask one of the guys there questions about his job, it sort of felt like they ran out of things to do. A lot later we got our results, like X factor three groups were made. I was in the group that got through. out of around 40, 19 of us were successful. I would have liked the number to be lower so there is a sense of accomplishment but maybe we were all so good?. I'd say around half of the people, including me had little roles to play in the group exercises and people who were great in the exercises weren't there. So nail your presentation and you'll be fine. Also, there was a know-it-all who spoke about how he's already worked with massive tech companies and tries to brag all the time, he didn't he through. 6 further people were selected, these people could go on to work for Pareto, the rest of us were going to be put forward to their clients. It was a well run day on the whole. It's worth checking it out even if it's for practicing delivering presentations or interviews. They give you feedback so that's always a plus. Good luck!

I was successful from the assessment day and highly recommend using Pareto with your job hunt. That is not to say I would solely rely on them to place you, but instead I would heavily recommend using them to help you in your job hunting journey. I have never experienced a company that was more willing to help me. I understand all of you negative nancies out there will put that solely down to financial reasons but so what? At the end of the day, they are trying to make a living just as much as we are and their services helped me become an excellent interviewee. Although I did not end up with a sales roles through them (only because I was applying for other jobs apart from using their services) they provided me with multiple interviews after my assessment day for some awesome sales jobs. They also made sure that for each interview I was fully informed on the role and the company and would call me periodically leading up to the interview to ensure I was ready and comfortable. Included in the preparation was helpful sheets with example prep questions I could use during my interview to help me stand out to the potential employer. They also gave me feedback after every interview that helped me improve where I was lacking. The assessment day itself may be an absolute nightmare (my day had 55 people for instance - yuck!!) but if you've got nothing to lose and possibly want to pursue a career in sales, then I would highly recommend them. If anything, use them to help you get better at interviewing. I personally decided during the process that sales wasn't for me and I went with a job offer for a role outside of sales. If you are still questioning my review, as someone who has been unemployed for the last six months with a masters degree, I really valued what I got from Pareto and would really encourage you to try them out if you have any interest. At the end of the day, you won't lose anything from the experience and can only gain. I also can't be honest enough with you on how much I enjoyed working with various agents from Pareto. I know they are there just to do their jobs and not to be friends with you, but I experienced genuinely nice people. After I called and told them I would not be able to attend 2 interviews I had set up through them because I had gotten a job offer elsewhere, they were incredibly understanding and friendly about it. Say what you will about it all being fake, but fake or not, they helped me in more ways than anyone else throughout my 6 month job hunt and it was free!

As many keen graduates I received a call from Pareto, the call consisted of a brief review of Pareto, and a few questions to find out if your suitable for a potential job position ( However it was not very clear what the job was actually like, they used a lot of big impressive words, and I guess in hindsight was probably a job which consisted of a lot of cold calling) and if you were successful a telephone interview is carried out. The employees that work there are very kind, friendly and enthusiastic. Definitely have good sales techniques and good communication skills. If you are fortunate you are then invited to attend an assessment day. This was the case with me, now before going I was a bit skeptical, I read many bad and good reviews, so I figured the best thing to do was find out for myself. Prior to going you are asked to prepare a presentation, and research about the company. As I was keen, I did as advised. On the day, I arrived there on time, and was greeted by many other keen graduates who were all well dressed and smart. Every one was really friendly and I guess nervous, but I felt a little more relaxed knowing I wasn't the only one who was nervous. However as soon as you walk in you are observed, it is a little bit like an audition, they take your picture, give a name tag and your ushered into a business room. A short presentation is given about what Pareto is, the company, how to be a good sales person etc. There were also potential clients (employers) who were sitting in the same room. The Guy giving the presentation excepted people to ask questions (In the phone conversation I was encouraged to stand out, ask questions, be smart, make an impression). So I did, I simply asked Why use the Pareto law as a basis for their company? I was answered back quite abruptly, and made to feel a bit silly. He misunderstood what I said and replied "Sorry, where you not paying attention?" At this point I replied again, " I understood perfectly and I just wanted to know why use the Pareto Law as the company's basis? Is it proven to have a success rate? To which he responded "Oh I see, I don't know". He said this very bluntly and moved on to the rest of his presentation. I didn't take it personally at the time, I suppose I took it with a pinch of salt. Maybe the way I said the question was not the best way of wording it. Anyways each candidate had to stand up, you had to say your star sign, and were asked what your biggest non- academic achievement was. It was interesting to hear, but by this point you could see that the guy presenting had clear favorites. He asked a lot of questions for those achievement he found impressive and did not really ask anything for those he did not find interesting. In a way it was a bit like Apprentice, I noticed those that the good looking, well dressed were likely to get more attention. But its all fair enough, I guess it was for a sales position. We then had a group task, and this was even more interesting. All I can say is its exactly like Apprentice, each candidate talking over another, trying to make their point, not working as a team and being pushy and attention seeking. I guess its to be expected as every one was being observed. After lunch, each candidate had to do a presentation in front of clients and members of Pareto, this was good, I didn't mind this part, I just delivered the presentation I had prepared for. Then it became a bit like X-factor, candidates were separated and asked to go into different rooms. The three groups were unsuccessful, successful and those that were successful but not for the job position they were offering. I was the third one, I was quite pleased, but was exhausted by the end of it. They promised us that they would be in contact if any other positions came up. The experience was OK, but you have to take it with a pinch of salt. I went for experience which it definitely gave me, but realised sales is not for me and never will be. So bear in mind, if you want to push your self outside your comfort zone and have a go out it then by all means go ahead, but if you feel like sales is not your thing than think twice about going. It has its positives and negatives. I learnt want I wanted when it came to job, how to speak up, deliver presentations and build my confidence, and I would not have been able to do this if I did not go. On the negative side, it is very sales orientated, you have to be quite pushy, assertive and make an impression. They asses you all the way and the day is very long, I had such a bad headache after. They did contact me after three weeks, but I was disappointed as they kept promising me offers for a job, only not to call me back and they messed me around. A guy I spoke to told me he had found a job, then I was not contacted for a few days, only to be told once I contacted him the job was not available. (pretty poor communication) I was then contacted by someone else, who did secure me a job, but failed completely to find a position which suited me. It was Technology IT sales position (which I knew nothing about, I told the lady I spoke to I'm worried that I won't be able to do this, she was really nice but as I predicted when I went for the interview, the CEO did explain that he just didn't think I had enough IT knowledge, he was nice but to be honest it was a waste of both of our time) It is was it is at the end of the day. But if anything it was experience.

I was successful at the assessment centre and found employment through Pareto. For me and I suspect many others this was always going to be a stop gap job; I lasted 3 months in the job before being sacked at the end of my probation period. I'm an engineering graduate from a top university but found myself facing unemployment immediately after graduation. Cold calling and sales was never going to be a long term career for me, I'd be surprised if Pareto and the company that employed me thought otherwise given my academic background. Needless to say I'm now in an career that provides the intellectual challenging someone like me needs. I have no complaints about Pareto though. I even went on a week residential course all about cold calling in Wilmslow (looking back on the experience, I do laugh now)! It was a good course it's just that I had/have no interest in developing expertise in cold calling. It wasn't for me but if you've graduated with a fairly useless degree (it's important to be honest with yourself about that) and have limited employment options then you could do worse than Pareto Law and sales. At the company I worked at all of the guys and the manager in the 'business development team' i.e. cold calling team came through Pareto however, they don't stay there, they go onto better sales roles within the company. So if sales is genuinely what you want to do, Pareto Law can definitely get you where you want to be.

I was successful at the Pareto assessment day. Although the day lasted two hours longer than expected causing people to miss trains home, and was generally disorganised, I was really excited to have been successful. A week later I was sent to an interview....and then a second interview with the same company. After my second interview the recruitment consultant I had dealt with called me saying he would speak to the company and call me the same day with feedback. This was three weeks ago and I am unable to get in touch with him. It's been pretty unprofessional and I feel like my time was wasted.

I live in Scandinavia and I received a phone call from an over enthusiastic girl about a job opportunity in the UK. I told her I wasnt sure about the job because it didnt fit with what I was looking for. She assured me that if I didnt like it then there were other job opportunities we could discuss. She invited me to the assessment day which was less than a week away. I had to book a flight and hotel quickly. She lied to me and told me there were other Scandinavians flying in for the assessment day. I arrived to London and went to the assessment day which started at 9 am. I was greeted by an extremely arrogant blond girl. Over 30 people sat in a room (Turns out I was the ONLY one who flew in for this BS assessment day). We had to listen to him for ages.. he was super arrogant and just awful. Made fun of people and made mean comments. (His first comment was that if we didnt like Pareto then we shouldnt review it! WELL HERE I AM REVIEWING THIEIR BS) Then without getting any breaks and our lunch break was delayed.. we had to do some stupid group exercises. People were shouting and trying to get the attention of the employees who walked around and took notes about us. Then for hours we had to listen to him again.. going through the exercises.. Then we got to do our 3min presentations.. we werent allowed to ask questions and then we got to talk to the other employees quickly and answer few questions about salary and allocation. They didnt get to know us at all... WE GOT TO KNOW THEM TOO WELL.. in the end at 6.30PM they came in, split us up into three groups (1. group got the job, 2nd group were presented with other job opportunities and 3. group got NOTHING) the last group would not even be considered for any job interviews and that was it... WASTED MONEY and TIME going all the way to London for Pareto.

This was a terrible experience. I kept getting a phone call from Pareto saying what great jobs they have lined up so I thought why not go along. You will be wasting your time and money by going to this so called assessment day, it was so disorganised and a shambles in the group activities people just shout over you and push you out the way. The staff haven't got a clue what they are doing its a lot of sitting around for nothing. They say they pick people on science and that they are the best, more the like the worst and a load of rubbish, 7 hours of chaos and they don't even get to know you most of your day is wasted and get to talk to the staff for around 2 minutes if that. A real disappointment and waste of time

I attended the assessment day in Glasgow on the 19/11/13. Like a few others there I was sceptical after reading the majority of these reviews. With regards to content of the day I thought it was quite poor and a bit disorganised. Too much time was spent on the initial 'task' then we didn't even finish the group task. whilst everyone was going out to do their presentation, two of the recruitment consultants from Pareto (1 from Glasgow the other from Manchester office) talked through various things eg how to prepare for interview. This was pretty relaxed and the guys had a bit of banter going - so if you like a laugh and feel relaxed talking to anyone that's fine, but I got the impression some people in the group weren't impressed by this. At the end they split us into two groups - one successful and one unsuccessful. I was successful along with about 10 others. We filled out a couple of forms and they said they would be in touch with possible jobs that would suit us. True to their word I got a phone call the next day asking me to go to their Manchester office for an interview with one of their clients. In the space of a week I've had another interview with them and got offered the job. It's a really good position in a company that are well known around the world, so I'm pretty pleased. SO, overall I am going to say I am happy with what I've gotten out of Pareto (obviously I am going to say that - I got a job). BUT I can understand why people don't like them based on their assessment day. I think it also depends on where you are in the UK. They advertise for jobs based in Scotland, not in specific areas unlike in England, and there aren't that many that Pareto advertise. So I reckon there is less competition up here as they only ever hold them in Glasgow, and from what I gather, only a couple times a year. I've rated them 3 stars because I do think their assessment days could be improved - maybe invite less people along to them. The 'service' I received after the assessment day has been really good, can't fault that. The person dealing with me has been helpful throughout my two interviews. Although the job I've got from this is branded a 'sales' job, there is a lot more to it than that. There's a wide range of 'sales' jobs out there and I would advise people not to judge them too harshly! One month ago if someone said sales to be me I automatically thought - call centre, cold calling, horrible job. So read into the different roles that you can do before thinking they're all horrible low standard jobs, because they're not! For anyone that has been asked to assessment day and unsure, I would say go for it! That's the attitude I had, I definitely didn't think anything would come out of it and thought of it as experience if nothing else, but I was wrong. If you have just graduated unsure of what you actually want to do (like me), then you really have nothing to lose.

I had the distinct misfortune to attended a "Pareto Law" assessment day yesterday for UKFast. For beginning to end the entire process was, in my opinion, shambolic as it felt haphazard and mismanaged. There were 35 candidates and we were there from 8:45 am - 6pm - in that time we spent about a total of 1 hour not simply sat in rooms waiting for something. The worst part of the process was the Managing Director of Pareto. Quite possibly the most boorish arrogant and sexist person I have ever met. He referred to one girl as "Blondie" and said "Just look, there is 6 foot of her" The assessment itself involved some 'tests' that were so badly explained that not one single person out of 35 'got it right' - when one guy pointed out that they had been explained poorly he was basically told to shut up. They changed the schedule on the day and did not seem to have a clue about how long it would take. There was no interview, no chance to have a conversation - the entire process was around 20 mins - out of a day lasting over 9 hours. An aptitude test - 5 mins. Two group tests - 5 mins each - one 'survival test' that I remembered from primary school. The other a basic prisoners dilemma that was so badly explained that not one single person understood it (despite it being extremely simple). A presentation - 3 mins. I would say that Pareto Law are the epitome of style over content - the entire process was more like a "x-factor audition" than an assessment or interview, which laughably is something they actually aspire to! Here is a quick test for anyone thinking of attending. Please arrange the following words into a meaningful sentence. a, barge, with, avoid, pole