SOMETIMES, how you respond to an e-mail can speak volumes about your work habits.

With that in mind, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) launched a centre yesterday to help students understand the importance of seemingly mundane office communication such as e-mail writing.

'Apart from academic results...there is a growing need to test and diagnose our graduates' behavioural competencies,' said NTU Associate Provost Professor Er Meng Hwa.

He was speaking at the launch of the $1 million Assessment Centre, which aims to give 5,000 final-year students a head start in the working world.

The assessment includes two sessions of role-playing, where instructors examine the students' interpersonal skills.

Instructors will also analyse their e-mail writing, which could be an indicator of how detail-oriented office workers are, said Ms Charmaine Ng, assistant director for career services at NTU.

The centre currently caters to engineering students. It will expand to include other industries such as accountancy and maritime, said Mr Ng Boon Hwang, director of NTU's career office.

Mr Ng said the centre will also help employers hire the right people.

'Most companies fall back on interviews and reasoning tests. But it's a hit and miss method. I interview you, I like you, I employ you. But it might be wrong because it is very subjective,' he said.