In today’s competitive job market, it can be hard to stand out from the competition in your interviews. The landscape of the job search has changed significantly over the years, and many employers are introducing more complexity and formality to the interview process. If your interview performance isn’t getting you the offers you want, you may be considering hiring an interview coach to help you.
But what does an interview coach actually do, and what difference can this service make in helping you stand out in your job search?
At Bold Career Talk, we help professionals who are high performers in the workplace gain the tools and strategies they need to make the strongest possible impression in their job interviews. Interview coaching may not be right for everyone, but we want to give you all the knowledge you need to make the best choice for yourself.
In this article, we’ll explore the three main functions of interview coaching, as well as who can become an interview coach. We’ll give you a peek behind the scenes at the specific strategies used by interview coaches, and how they can transform your performance.
What is interview coaching? What does an interview coach do?
Interview coaching is a personalized service aimed at improving your interview skills and increasing your confidence. An interview coach will offer best practices and strategies, as well as tailored advice to help you stand out from the competition.
At a high level, an interview coach’s role often includes:
- Upleveling your interview communication:
- Providing structured practice and actionable feedback
- Helping you manage nerves and project confidence
1. Upleveling your interview communication
One of the core aspects of interview coaching is improving your communication skills. This includes mastering various frameworks, techniques, and strategies to communicate more effectively during your interview.
Crafting Compelling Stories: Your interview coach will help you develop engaging stories, examples, and talking points that highlight your experiences in a way that deeply resonates with hiring managers. They’ll work with you to figure out which specific moments of your career to highlight, ensuring you focus on the most impactful stories and examples.
Preparing Stronger Answers: An interview coach will help you prepare better answers to common interview questions, for example, “Tell me about yourself” and “Why did you leave your last job?”. They’ll also ensure you’re ready for questions specific to your role or industry, such as “Tell me about a time you had to deal with conflicting stakeholder requirements on a project.” A great interview coach will not only help you improve your answers to specific questions, they’ll also equip you with frameworks and guidelines for talking about any topic thrown your way, even questions you may not have anticipated.
Nailing Behavioral and Situational Questions: Regardless of your comfort level with interview frameworks such as the STAR method, an interview coach can help you go beyond the basics, point out gaps in your stories, and take your answers to the next level. They provide customized guidance and suggestions for how to phrase things in a way that not only demonstrates your competence, but also projects confidence in your skills and abilities.
Thinking on your feet: No matter how much you prepare for an interview, there’s bound to be one or two questions you don’t anticipate. A good interview coach will teach you how to figure out what the interviewer is looking for in any question you get, as well as how to stay calm enough to be intentional with your answer, rather than blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. This ability to stay calm and think on your feet can set you apart from other candidates, showcasing your adaptability and problem-solving skills.
2. Practice and actionable feedback
Mock interviews with feedback: Let’s face it – the feedback we get from mock interviews with friends or family is rarely helpful. These folks may have wonderful intentions to support you, but unless they work in recruiting or regularly train job seekers on interview preparation, they likely don’t have the vocabulary themselves to tell you what’s really wrong (or give you insights on how to take your performance to the next level).
Think of mock interviews as though they’re a figure skating performance: any audience member can point out when an athlete trips and falls on their butt. But only a highly specialized coach will be able to tell that athlete exactly what they need to do to fix the issue so that it doesn’t happen again.
Your interview coach will help you identify blind spots or gaps in your performance. They’ll be able to point out issues that only someone with specialized expertise can spot. A mock interview will also allow them to suggest ways to improve verbal and non-verbal communication, so you can speak clearly and reduce rambling.
Hitting the right level of detail: Many job seekers find it challenging to strike the right level of detail in their interview answers. They either leave out important details and keep their answers too vague, or give too much information and end up losing the interviewer’s interest because they’re rambling.
This is where an interview coach can really make a difference. They’ll provide personalized feedback on your mock interviews, helping you understand which details to keep and which ones to cut. They’ll help you focus on the most impactful parts of your story, making your responses clear, concise, and compelling. A good interview coach will give you ideas on how to refine your talking points, helping you deliver answers that not only showcase your skills and achievements, but also keep the interviewer engaged and interested. This type of targeted feedback in your practice sessions can significantly boost your confidence and performance when it comes time for the real interview.
Suggestions on how to articulate your answers better: One of the biggest challenges in job interviews is talking about ourselves effectively. It can be really hard to see the forest from the trees when it comes to our day-to-day work and contributions. This is where an interview coach can be incredibly helpful.
A great interview coach will help you workshop your talking points and find ways to take your answers to that next level in a way that still feels authentic to you. This is especially useful around tougher subjects like layoffs, gaps in employment, or negative work experiences, which you’re expected to talk about in a positive (or at the very least neutral) tone.
Your coach will also provide suggestions on how to explain your experiences in a way that is more relevant to the hiring team, offering fresh perspectives you may not have considered on your own. This guidance can help you articulate your answers clearly and confidently, making a stronger impression on potential employers.
3. Improve performance and manage nerves
Getting into the right headspace: Let’s face it – even the most well-planned talking points and answers won’t be enough if you’re so nervous that you start rambling as soon as you enter that interview. That’s why a top-notch interview coach also helps you address the performance aspect of interviews. This means they won’t just help you plan what to say, they’ll also give you the tools for getting into the right mental and emotional headspace, so you can execute at your best when it matters most.
Managing nervousness and projecting confidence: Interviews can stir up nerves, self-doubt, and anxiety in even the most qualified candidates. A skilled interview coach will help you tackle these challenges head-on. They’ll work with you to address any fears, perfectionism, or self-doubt that’s holding you back. More than just offering generic advice (think of all the times your friends told you to “just be confident”), an experienced interview coach can provide practical techniques to manage nerves and give you new ways of thinking that will help you stay calm under pressure.
While a decent coach might offer generic confidence-building tips, a truly exceptional coach will take it a step further. At Bold Career Talk, we leverage psychology and performance principles to tailor guidance to your unique needs and adjust our coaching to what resonates most with you. This type of personalized approach ensures that you’ll not only perform better in interviews, but you’ll also feel more confident and empowered throughout the entire process.
What’s the typical format of interview coaching?
Many interview coaches offer their services virtually, connecting with clients on platforms like Zoom. This is great, because it means you’re not restricted by geography when choosing a coach that suits your needs.
The frequency and cadence of interview coaching will depend on the service provider you work with. Some coaches provide single one-off sessions, while others offer multi-session programs designed to give you more comprehensive skill training. Coaches typically create their own robust curriculums that cover various aspects of interview preparation, and will often assign homework outside of sessions.
At Bold Career Talk, we believe that a comprehensive approach to interview prep is the best way to make sure you have everything you need to succeed in your interviews. This is why we offer multi-session coaching packages, as opposed to one-off “a la carte” sessions.
Who can become an interview coach?
Unlike medical services like therapy, coaching is an unregulated industry. This means becoming any kind of coach (including an interview coach) doesn’t require specific education or certifications. Since there are no official requirements for becoming an interview coach, there’s a wide range of expertise among coaches, ranging from seasoned pros who do this full-time, to those offering services as a side hustle to supplement their income.
Because of this, it’s essential to work with a professional who has taken the time to obtain relevant credentials or certifications, and continues to advance their education to make sure they are teaching the most relevant techniques. Look for interview coaches who have credentials or certifications from reputable organizations – and make sure those credentials are related to interview preparation, rather than broader categories like career coaching or life coaching.
A few examples of credentials relevant to interview coaching include the Certified Interview Coach (CIC) certification from the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches (PARWCC), as well as the Certified Interview & Compensation Negotiation Coach (CICNC) certification from Career Thought Leaders (CTL). If you’re not sure if the coach you’re considering is credentialed, don’t be afraid to ask!
Some interview coaches come from an HR/recruitment background, and others have worked in the industries or roles that they coach on now (for example, project management or technology). Many of these professionals started working in the corporate world, and ended up transitioning into coaching later in their careers.
For more guidance on finding the right coach for you, check out our article on what to look for in an interview coach or resume writer.
What makes interview coaching unique?
Interview coaching provides a level of personalized feedback that’s hard to find elsewhere. When you’re navigating the interview process, it’s easy to get lost in the details of your broader career or overlook important perspectives. That’s where an interview coach comes in—they help you see the bigger picture, offering insights and advice that you might not have considered on your own.
Unlike career coaches, job search strategists, or resume writers, interview coaches specialize solely in the art of interviewing. While other professionals can be a great support to your overall career development, interview coaches specialize exclusively in the nuances of the interview process.
When looking for professional help with your interviews, pay attention to whether your service provider focuses exclusively on interviews, or if they offer interview prep as an add-on to other services, such as resume writing or general career coaching. Of course, there are exceptions to any rule, but when it comes to services, you’re more likely to get better results from working with a specialist than a generalist.
Is it interview coaching right for me?
If you’re not feeling confident in your interview skills, or you haven’t had luck in past interviews, interview coaching could be a game-changer for you. It can be especially helpful if you haven’t interviewed for many years, aren’t making it past the first round of interviews consistently, or if you need help standing out in the final rounds of interviews.
Still unsure whether interview coaching is the right choice for you? Take a look at our article, “Is Interview Coaching Worth it for Me?” for an honest evaluation of the pros and cons of working with an interview coach, as well as specific situations in which interview coaching is (and isn’t) worth it.
Remember, you don’t have to go it alone. With the right support and guidance, you can shift job interviews from nerve-wracking experiences into opportunities to land a job you’re truly excited about.
Our goal at Bold Career Talk is to help you take your interviews to the next level by giving you the communication skills and confidence to perform at your best. If interview coaching sounds like it could be a helpful option for you, book a free consultation to learn more about how we can work together to support your interview success.
