Imagine trying for over 10 years to get the job of your dreams. Imagine pursuing education in the field. Imagine taking all the tests and just missing the mark. Over time the hurdles to get to the interview stage are met and surpassed. The goal is in sight. One more hurdle to conquer. Two interviews which are different, but require similar skills. Not the time to make mistakes. Job coaching helped this individual to successfully meet the challenges of a multiple mini interview and a standard interview. In a southern Ontario city this firefighter was not only successful, but first in the recruitment process. He has now completed his training and loves his job! So the secret to his success? Hard work, hard work and job coaching. Here’s how job coaching helped:
- In-depth examination of potential interview questions, generating answers, practicing those answers and more practice. A balance between sounding rehearsed and having an appropriate answer was essential.
- Developing an understanding of the multiple mini interview. The MMI is a fast paced structure where an applicant enters different rooms with different interviewers to answer a question in 5-8 minutes. The applicant is given the question before entering the room and has two minutes to construct an answer prior to entering the room. Depending on the purpose of the MMI the questions typically do not have a correct answer, but are geared more towards ethics, values, decision making and critical thinking.
- Preparing for the standard interview. Identifying a subset of potential questions from the hundreds of possible questions. Developing an understanding of how to manipulate the prepared answer of one question to answer a different question. This was key as the multitude of questions could be reduced to a more manageable to number.
- Anxiety management. For this successful firefighter managing anxiety was essential. Reassurance and helping him get grounded before each interview experience increased confidence and resulted in a better performance.
If you need job coaching contact Annette Poechman. She can help with resumes, cover letters and interviews. Let her help you reach your dream job or make that next career move. Unclear about your next move? Career counselling is available. Listening. Guiding. Caring.
