3 Post-COVID Reasons to Hire an Experienced Job Interview Coach
Currently, there are over 20 million Americans without jobs. Competition is steep with numerous job candidates possessing the same experience and skills. Countless people have been laid off and now that it's been months since the COVID19 pandemic began, candidates understandably are getting a little desperate to find a job. Some organizations, feeling financially despondent, are shaking their crystal ball, hoping for solutions while trying to hold on for one more month or quarter before having to seriously consider layoffs or worse, shutting their doors. The pandemic has forced every company to truly consider their future, adapting, rethinking and reimagining their organization for this new future.
Companies that are still hiring are filling vital positions that are critical to the future existence of the company. Hiring managers will be laser-focused to find the candidate that will be integral to the new, more stream-lined company vision.
In order to have the hiring manager realize that YOU are the absolute best choice for the position and company, I suggest hiring a job interview coach. A job interview coach provides clients with a set of tools to best prepare them for optimal performance during the job interview process. Focusing on an individual's skills, talents, and abilities, the interview coach acts as a guide, providing instruction in various strategies for the candidate to build the best case as to why they should be chosen for the position. The job interview coach assists clients with practice and mock interviews while providing authentic, genuine coaching feedback.
Below are three fundamental coaching techniques that I use with each of my clients to facilitate their best performance in the job interview process.
1. Assessment
Assessment of the client’s work history. Understanding their specific, unique needs, timeline and where they want to go professionally.
Assisting the client to identify and verbalize their professional talents through properly crafted individualized work experience stories in order to articulate the value they bring to an organization.
Assessment of personality characteristics. Encouraging conversational, not robotic answers. Answers that fit their unique personality.
2. Personalized feedback and practice
A client’s tone of voice, energy level, body language is assessed during practice sessions and mock interviews. Authentic, honest feedback given throughout the coaching period.
Discussions regarding proper networking procedures and how to research an organization to develop questions for interviewer
Instruction relating to different methods of interviewing like STAR etc., different mediums of interview (video, Zoom, asynchronous, phone) and face to face methods, (panel, day-long with several people etc.)
Reinforcement of the need to practice at home aloud.
Homework involving texts and video responses to interview questions sent throughout the coaching period.
Negotiating techniques
3. Sustained learning
Debriefing after each interview to ascertain learnings, both good and bad. Adjustments made if necessary.
Follow up text assignments between interviews to keep up learned skills for a period of time.
Check-up calls to evaluate progress.
Now more than ever, it’s important to demonstrate to the hiring manager how your skills and expertise perfectly mesh with the position you’re applying for. A job interview is centered on you as the candidate but in these COVID19 times, it is more important to prove to the manager that you are the solution, filling the position to assist the team in moving their company forward. A job interview coach can serve you well with this effort!
As a job interview coach with over 30 years of experience, I offer a free 30 minute coaching consultation. I’d be happy to serve you!