Interview coaching
Interview coach and consultant
So, you have a great CV, resume, or job application and it has done its job and got you shortlisted for an interview. This is exciting stuff. You are now one step away from walking into a new job. Let’s make sure you get it!
All you have to do is get selected ahead of the other people on the shortlist. That’s about giving the right answers in the right level of detail, using suitable examples. I can provide the advice you need to perform well at the interview – making a compelling case for your selection. Often, it takes a single two-hour session and some preparation from me.
This expert interview coaching has been designed to help you secure the dream job that you have worked hard for. I have honed my ability to help you give the best possible account of yourself. I will help you to communicate your value.
If you have applied and been shortlisted, then you should know that you are amongst the top few candidates. And, for good reasons. You have met the criteria. Now, you can give yourself the best chance of being offered the job by optimally conveying those things.
How I help you succeed in interviews
I will help you to understand what you are likely to be asked and how to answer optimally. That means choosing the best content based on your career and offering and then structuring and delivering the answer as best you can. I’ll start by asking you what you’d like to cover to ensure that you feel prepared then we will develop a programme specific to you.
You can order as many hours of coaching as you need but here are a couple of packages that may be of particular value:
- Focused practice – covering all of the question topics you are likely to get. Using various question styles and answer structures. Immediate feedback and coaching on all aspects of your answers. A single two-hour session is often enough to transform your interview technique.
- Detailed advice and training on how to improve your answers. Further practice and perhaps a mock interview to rehearse a little more formally.
It’s usually about giving the right examples with the right level of detail.”
How my interview support works
- Send me the Person Specification for a job and the CV or application form answers that you applied with. Or your typical CV if this is in advance of an application.
- I write questions that are likely to be asked. Feedback shows a high degree of success here.
- I prepare model answers based on my knowledge of your career. (If I’ve already written your CV, then I will know this in detail.)
- We practice the answers.
- I provide feedback on how to make your answers better.
- I answer ALL of the questions and concerns you have about interviews.
- A written guide on how to answer the questions is optional. You may take your own notes instead.
*The session can be any mix of interview practice, advice from me, Q&A, and even my demonstration of how to answer the questions. We use the time as required to suit you.
Interview skills that you will develop
- Preparation
- Identify what a question is asking
- Choosing your content
- Structuring your answer
- Starting and finishing your answers effectively
- What to ask at the end
Competency-based interviews
I have had particular success preparing people for competency-based questions.
These are questions that sound something like this:
“Tell me about a time when you …”
“Give us an example of a time when …”
There is an ideal structure for this and it is not STAR.
I have developed my own, three-stage alternative to STAR which is easier for you to remember and easier for the interview panel to hear. It makes it easy for them to score you highly. And it stops you from getting bogged down in the background of your example – one of the common mistakes people make with competency answers.
The ideal structure for competency-based interview questions:
- What I did.
- How I did it.
- The outcome.
Optionally, you may also talk about learnings. It could involve things you would do better next time. Arguably, this is part of the outcome.
FAQ: How do you know what questions will be asked?
This is more predictable than most people realise. I will predict these based on the Person Specification and my knowledge of being on (and leading) interview panels.
Job interview coaching service
If you have an interview and want to give yourself the best chance, you can order the service here. NB – if there is less than a week to your interview, please check with me for availability first.
- Interview coaching – per hour (online by Zoom, Teams, Google, or LinkedIn) – £200*
- Interview coaching – per hour (in person) – £200*
*Interview coaching requires preparation time charged at a one-off £50.
** Optional: Personalised written guide to your interview questions and answers: £200
For best results, coaching sessions should each be 2 hours long.
‘Boss your interviews’ package
- ‘Boss your interviews’ package (includes preparation, 8 hours online coaching, including mock interview, feedback and personalised written guidance) – £1,000
- ‘Boss your interviews’ package – delivered in person – £1,200
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