By Shirin Khamisa, Founder & Practice Leader
last updated December 17, 2024
As Founder of Careers by Design, I’ve spent over 18 years helping clients master the skills to reduce stress and succeed in their careers. One of the most important skills we coach is interview preparation.
Interviewing for a new job can feel daunting. You’re competing against other qualified candidates. How can you stand out? As experienced interview coaches, our team provides the tactics and polish to help our clients rise above the competition.
At Careers by Design, our career counsellors specialize in key areas like:
- Negotiation tactics – I teach you to professionally discuss compensation, benefits, work arrangements, and more to get the best offer.
- Concise storytelling – You’ll learn to compellingly showcase your background in succinct, engaging stories.
- Interview etiquette – I ensure you know protocols for every interview format.
- Body language guidance – My coaches help you exude confidence through posture, eye contact, gestures, and more.
- Understanding interviewer goals – I help you discover what employers want to learn and how to provide it.
- Avoiding common mistakes – My coaches pinpoint habitual errors you may not realize you’re making.
With this boost in capability, my interview coaching gives you an undeniable edge over candidates who lack preparation.
Let’s explore some of the tangible benefits:
Mastering Salary Negotiation
I teach you to negotiate skillfully and confidently. You’ll learn tactics like:
- Researching competitive pay rates
- Considering the full compensation package
- Communicating your value professionally
- Capitalizing on multiple offers
With my expert support, you can capture the compensation that reflects your true worth.
Crafting Impactful Stories
We work extensively with clients on storytelling skills. You’ll learn to:
- Plan clear, concise stories
- Link background to employer needs
- Time responses even under pressure
- Answer behavior questions with relevant examples
Mastering Interview Etiquette
From prompt arrival to professional attire, etiquette matters in interviews. As your coach, I ensure you know the proper protocols for every interview format.
You’ll confirm important details like:
- Arriving 10-15 minutes early
- Dressing professionally from head to toe
- Greeting interviewers confidently
- Bringing clean copies of resumes and references
- Setting up distraction-free video interview spaces
- Smoothly addressing panel interviewers
- Sending prompt thank you notes
With my guidance, you won’t let correctable etiquette issues sabotage your chances. I help polish skills that make the right impression.
Optimizing Body Language
Even with perfect verbal responses, weak body language can undermine performance. As your coach, I’ll fine-tune your physical presentation.
You’ll learn to:
- Make sustained eye contact
- Square your body towards interviewers
- Eliminate nervous gestures
- Keep your head level and posture upright
- Use strategic hand gestures
- Convey confidence through relaxed posture
With refined body language, you can make the positive impression that secures the job offer.
Grasping Interviewer Motivations
Understand what interviewers want to learn, and you can provide it. As your coach, I reveal recruiter motivations so you can tailor responses.
You’ll discover how to:
- Showcase how your background fulfills the role
- Emphasize transferable skills
- Align with company culture and values
- Convey your work style and strengths
- Demonstrate key traits like leadership
- Help interviewers visualize you in the role
When you comprehend the interviewer’s needs, you can shape your answers accordingly.
Avoiding Common Missteps
Even seasoned professionals make interview mistakes that sabotage success. As your coach, I’ll pinpoint your pitfalls so you can correct them.
You’ll learn to avoid issues like:
- Rambling or failing to directly answer
- Using too many filler words
- Making negative remarks about past employers
- Appearing distracted or disinterested
- Providing vague claims without examples
- Fumbling questions about your background
- Answering too briefly without context
Becoming aware of your habits prevents easily fixed flaws from sinking your chances.
Practice builds the storytelling capability critical for memorable interviews.
Conclusion
With expert coaching from my team at Careers by Design, you can transform into a confident, polished interviewee. Our 19+ years of experience equips you with skills to boost your career success. Don’t underestimate the power of preparation to outperform rivals.
About the Author
Hi there, I am Shirin Khamisa, the founder and Practice Leader of Careers by Design, a career coaching company based in Toronto that provides career counselling, coaching, and training services to individuals and organizations.
With over 20 years of experience in career development, I am a recognized expert in my field, and I have helped thousands of people navigate career transitions, find meaningful work, and achieve their professional goals.
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