Updated: December 2020

The job interview can be awkward, stressful and a huge stumbling block for anyone who hasn’t prepared both mentally and strategically for the various stages and encounters. Fortunately, there are resources available for getting past the interview and landing an offer. In this blog post we will share 7 key indicators that it’s time to hire an interview coach.

Interview coaching is one of the best resources available because it equips you with a hiring expert and addresses the key hang-ups including the often overlooked pieces like body language, voice tone and other red flags that are hard to capture on your own. While interview coaching can be a significant investment, it can also produce a significant return on investment in the form of a new job. The investment up front on coaching can save many additional months of job searching, not to mention produce a salary. So how do you know if/when interview coaching is right for you? Here are 7 signs you may be in need of an interview coach:

1. You’re landing interviews but not scoring job offers

The whole point of the interview is to eventually receive a job offer. If you are interviewing for what feels like an eternity but not hearing back or receiving job offers, something is clearly off and must be corrected. An interview coach can spot these things quickly and help you work towards fixing them with an expert eye and best practices.

2. You break into a cold sweat at the thought of interviewing

Interview nerves are normal, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be mastered. If the thought interviewing makes you nervous or inflicts anxiety, you might be self-sabotaging yourself before you even get to the interview phase. This includes not making it past the phone interview phase. An interview coach can help to spot the weak points and implement strategies for getting past them as well as start to build your confidence so that you remain in control!

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3. When you walk into an interview, you tend to ramble on and on

One of the biggest mistakes I find every client making is that of not answer the question that is asked or taking the answers on irrelevant tangents. Rambling can cause the interviewer to check out or peg you as a bad listener. An interview coach can help to point out your ramblings and construct stronger, more concise answers that will have you standing out as a polished and smart candidate. An interview coach can also teach you how to structure your answers in a way that concisely speaks to the interviewer’s hot buttons.

4. You need help with your “WOW” factor to stand out from the other candidates

Since you will be competing against other, potentially more qualified candidates, you’ll want to bring something stellar to the table. Interview coaching can help to identify the exact hiring need as well as the qualities you possess that will leave them wanting more. Strengths coaching can also be invaluable for better articulating your key strengths and personality traits.

5. You need help selling yourself and talking up your strengths

The interview is not the time for you to share every detail of your work history (despite the fact that you are being asked about it). Interviewing is the time for you to strategically guide the interviewer in your qualities most relevant to the job opening. It’s also the time for you to build trust, likeability and intrigue. In short, you must be selling yourself. Since not everyone excels in this department, interview coaching is a perfect solution. An interview coach can help to spot your key selling points and then give you the correct information to use (or omit).

6. You aren’t familiar with the interview process

Interviewing can be complex since every company has their own process, questions and timeline for hiring. Not knowing what’s going on throughout the interview can hinder your chances of getting the offer you desire or misalign your expectations. An interview coach can help to explain the process each step of the way, which will leave you feeling more in control. Furthermore your coach will help to prepare you to answer both standard and trick interview questions.

7. You don’t know how to answer those tricky interview questions with confidence

While no two interviews are the same, there are standard interview questions that tend to make the list every time. For example questions around salary expectation can either make or break your ability to receive the salary you deserve. Interview coaching will help you feel comfortable answering some of the most difficult questions and more importantly keep you in the game so you land the job!

If you’re hoping to ace your interview, check out the Job Search Accelerator. In this budget-friendly job landing program you’ll have access to all of Noelle’s expert job interview resources including thank-you email templates, answers to the toughest questions, interview strategy tips, panel interview question prep, interview answer scripts and more – everything you need to feel confident in the interview process and put your best foot forward as an applicant.