For some, this thing can be very stressful and evoke feelings of anxiety, nervousness, and fear. But for others (me!!!), it’s our favourite part. The interview.
Interview coaching is my favourite aspect of career coaching to engage in with my clients. Why? Because this is where I can help my clients gain the confidence, knowledge, and skills to excel in their interview(s) and land that coveted job. I also find that clients learn the most through interview coaching and this is where those statements of “wow”, “I never knew about this!”, “This is going to change everything for me”, and “I finally feel confident in this” come into play.
I first became really exposed to job interviews when I was 15 years old in my high school Careers class. We had an assignment where we were given a job posting and had to complete our application documents and portfolio and “come in for an interview” with our teacher to try to secure the job. There were about 7 students assigned to each posting so you were competing against all the students applying to the same job.
It was a great activity that simulated what the job application and interview process would be like in the labour market. I genuinely enjoyed putting together my portfolio and preparing for the interview. After it was over, my teacher announced who the lucky candidates were who secured their positions – and I was the one that secured the job in my group! The teacher pulled me aside and told me how impressed he was with my ability to present myself and how prepared I was for the questions that came my way. It was a great feeling – especially because I knew this was a skill that would be extremely beneficial after all those years of schooling were done.
At the time, I didn’t realize that career counselling was a viable career path for me – nor did I really understand what that job entailed. I honestly used to think that career counsellors never figured out what career they wanted to pursue and somehow fell into that one. I couldn’t have been more wrong about this profession. This was no easy path – it’s quite the challenge to be well-informed about multiple different careers, what employers in varying industries are looking for, how to stand out across diverse fields, and how to build a comfortable and genuine rapport with people from all walks of life.
It wasn’t until I landed a work-study job as an HR Assistant during my undergraduate studies at McMaster that I really began to learn about career development. I was introduced to Organizational Development and Employee Career Services and learned about the value of employee growth, career satisfaction, and professional development. After working as an HR Assistant, I worked in the Office of Experiential Education (a career office for Social Sciences students) where I learned even more about career coaching as a profession and, upon completion of that contract, I worked as an Employment Counsellor/Job Developer at a non-profit where I was working mainly with at-risk youth but also as a Counsellor for community members. I never knew who was coming into my office to see me – what career they were interested in, what service they were in need of, or what resources I could connect them with. I had to always be on top of my game – always tailoring my counselling style to the client in front of me, considering multicultural competence and what experiences I could draw on to build a strong rapport, and ultimately knowing my stuff as best I could.
Throughout these jobs, I made the decision that career development was my path and I was hooked! I knew that there was nothing I loved more than helping others to feel confident on their career journeys, and specifically throughout the interview process. Having worked with diverse populations all with different educational and work backgrounds, I have genuinely seen every single person benefit from an Ace the Interview workshop or one-to-one interview coaching, whether they are just starting out in their careers or have already had a long journey in the labour market. We can always be improving, figuring out how to brand ourselves uniquely and authentically, and learning about new and upcoming labour market trends that could impact our interviews and job security.
Sand to Pearl Coaching provides clients with interview preparation and mock interview services. You will actually enjoy your mock interview and feedback session and have the confidence, knowledge, and tools to ace the interview and land that job! I will help you to conquer the anxiety and fears and thoroughly prepare for your interview.
Want to learn more? Reach out to me today via e-mail (hello@sandtopearlcoaching.com), send me a message on social media (FB/IG @sandtopearlcoaching), or head to the Book Online page and book your free consultation call or service.
I can’t wait to hear from you and make the interview process as enjoyable for you as it is for me!
Talk soon, Sabrina
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