Competition for the best jobs is fierce.  If you want to make the most of your talent and get the best positions to advance your career, you need to be able to nail your interview.  It’s a do-or-die situation.  For any in-demand position, you’ll be up against dozens of people – or more – who all want that job just as much as you do and will be saying whatever it takes to get it.

Either you win, or you fail.

One of the surest ways to fail the interview is to go in without proper interview preparation.  HR managers and other interviewers know what they want to hear, and they’re expecting to hear it from you.  People who try to “wing” the interview probably aren’t going to do very well, and they’re going to be shown up by those who’ve put in the time and effort needed to excel.

If you’ve had this happen, if you’ve failed to get a job that you know you were qualified for, you don’t have to let it keep happening.  You can win those jobs you know you deserve with the proper interview preparation, guided by a qualified interview preparation coach.

An Investment in an Interview Preparation Coach Is an Investment in Yourself

Has a football team ever won the Superbowl without a coach?

Have you ever heard of a great musician who never had an instructor?

Have you ever seen a tennis pro without a coach on the sidelines?

Of course not.  Almost no one is ever truly self-taught.  To truly excel at any task, you need a teacher, coach, or another instructor who can help you improve.  No matter what amount of natural talent a person has, the right coach will take them to the next level.  A great coach helps people identify their flaws, improve their technique, and learn how to handle unexpected situations without choking.

It’s no different when talking about interview preparation.  Nobody is born a great interviewee.  Even if someone has fantastic interpersonal skills, they won’t have the detailed knowledge of what interviewers are looking for – but the right coach does.

Just like for professional athletes, musicians, and other people of talent, interview coaching isn’t an expense – it’s an investment.  It’s an investment into your skill, allowing you to excel for years to come.

How an Interview Preparation Coach Prepares You for Success

There are three primary ways an interview coach can help you:  Practice Interviewing, Interview Coaching, and Behavioral Analysis.

Most coaching sessions start with Practice Interviewing.  Practice interviewing is precisely that, practice.  Your coach will ask you typical questions you’re likely to hear from a job interview and evaluates your responses.  These could include questions like:

• What assets will you bring to our team?
• How did you handle a situation where you disagreed with your manager?
• Why do you want this position?  
• Why should we hire you?  

Interview Preparation will then transition into Interview Coaching.  A good coach won’t only be evaluating what you say but also how you say it.  Demeanor, body language, and other non-verbal elements of communication are at least as important as the words coming out of your mouth.  A person who projects confidence and charisma could provide shaky answers and still impress.  A person who appears hesitant and uncertain will look weak, even if their answers are excellent.

A great interview preparation coach knows how to help you improve your positive traits while reducing or eliminating any problems in your interview technique.  By practicing interviews and refining your skills in this way, you’ll soon be ready to pitch yourself for competitive positions.

For further coaching and self-analysis, interview coaches can also engage in Behavioral Coaching.  Behavioral coaching includes looking at aspects of your personality, work style and job fit and whether they will attract or repel interviewers.  You may also take a behavioral quiz, such as the Birkman Method, to help you better understand your personality.

In addition, you’ll discuss your behavior at the job and what employers are looking for.  Whenever you’re asked a question like “Describe a time you had to go above and beyond to excel,” there isn’t a single right-or-wrong answer.  The interviewer is looking to learn about your thought processes and how you behave when confronted with challenges.

A great coach can help you understand what today’s employers want and expect from their employees so that you can tell them precisely what they want to hear.

Career Upside Helps You Be the Most Successful Version of Yourself

Whether you’re a student looking to get a great job straight out of school that will launch your career or an experienced exec who needs to keep their skills sharp in a competitive market, Career Upside has the tools and coaching techniques that will build your skills.

To learn more, click here to see an example of a report that can help you hone your skills!