You’re going to a job interview. How can an executive coach help you prepare?

Executive coaches work with alot of leaders and so have a perspective on how to convey your leadership presence. More importantly they can help train you on how to tell stories about your experiences that prove that presence too. Overall, you will need to prepare and practice stories that highlight you as the leader, and discuss how you think strategically, coach, provide feedback, delegate, and hold others accountable. Leaders talk about work differently than individual contributors.

A coach can offer practice and feedback to improve your responses and delivery. A coach provides techniques to manage interview anxiety and stay focused. Prepare you to discuss salary and benefits effectively. Another tiping point on interviews are strengths and weaknesses. A coach helps you assess your strengths and weaknesses and how to enhance those during the interview.

An executive coach can help you prepare yourself, both emotionally and mentally, ahead of an interview. They can work with you to identify any potential derailers - negative self-talk, for example, that may get in the way of owning your full value and potential for a role. They can also provide candid, constructive feedback to support your working through the practical aspects of how you are presenting yourself, to ensure maximum clarity and impact of your delivery style.

As an Executive coach if I am to prepare my client for just one single thing it would be owning the top three achievements relevant to the interview and knowing to leverage them without sounding like a CV on repeat. The second very important thing would be researching not only the company but also the person who is conducting the interview. While there is no such thing as 100% readiness, being prepared enough is a requirement.

An experience coach can help you understand what questions you may be asked, increase your confidence, give you feedback on your answers and help you position yourself in the best way possible to pass the interviews

Part of interview preparation is anticipating and proactively choosing strategies for stress management and self-confidence. Self-confidence is a complex multidimensional skill, and a great executive coach can break it down with you and help you strengthen all aspects of self-confidence so that you can feel calm and focused under pressure.

The debrief post an interview is extremely important not only because the coachee would learn how to follow up if needed but also to perform even better in the next interview. People are requested to be genuine of course during an interview yet it is extremely important to acknowledge the fact that an interview is indeed a performance that gets better with time.

A coach will help you convey the right message. The most crucial factor in preparing for a job interview is yourself. Your personal drive is key, and if you have a genuine interest in the role or the company, your body language will also play a significant role. A coach can help you craft a compelling story; effective storytelling and positioning yourself as a leader. Furthermore, you will be able to consider what you bring to the table, emphasizing your value and outlining the contributions you will make, rather than focusing solely on what you expect from the job.

Your company benefits might include access to professional coaching. Check with your HR partner and your Learning & Development HR lead.

Mock interview! It works. Of course there is no universal script for a job interview yet there are common things across the board. Prepping the client for an interview is indeed beyond "practicing" Q&As, it is about helping the client unveil their best version and tapping into their real potential. It is also about knowing how to have their personal branding stand out and leverage their unique achievements through it.

Got an interview? Practice. Practice. Pratice. Working with an executive coach can make a significant difference. They can help you craft a concise message reflecting your unique strengths and value you bring to the role. I sometimes leverage AI tools to record interviews with my clients, allowing them to go back and listen to themselves speak. This not only helps refine their message but also in addresses issues like speaking too quickly. The transcripts also highlight the frequency of filler words like "um," providing valuable insight for improvement in that area.