After bombing an interview due to anxiety, she joined a coaching academy that taught her to articulate her strengths, use strategic pauses, and speak authentically. She landed the job and now credits the live sessions and peer practice groups with rebuilding her confidence.
There was a time period where I thought that the interview was going to be quite close to where, you know, the closing date of the application. So I went with a different coach, and I, I did feel prepared for the substantive interview that I went in for. And I think on the day and the lead-up to it, you know, anxiety just got the better of me, and I just didn't showcase my experience. Yeah. I didn't showcase my USPs and examples, and unfortunately didn't get the job, which was pretty devastating for me, um, because I'd been in the locums for quite a long time and I, you know, I knew it was a level playing field. I didn't quite realize how difficult a substantive interview was going to be. My mindset going was very different. I, you know, I knew exactly what I had to say, um, I kind of knew that the first opening question was going to be tell me about yourself in this current interview, which it wasn't in my last one, and that really helped set the scene for the whole interview. And there were some questions that I was a bit taken aback for, but I just literally, I took a deep breath and I, I had a notepad in front of me and I just kind of took that pause and just write— wrote a couple of things before answering. And I made sure that my answers were just much more succinct. And in some of them, I, I prepared them in the academy. And I think what I really found helpful in the academy was The live sessions were really good. I always put myself forward for the live coaching, even though I felt very anxious about it. And I also connected with a few people that, um, and we did practice sessions together and we helped each other along. And, and that I found really helpful. And it's people that I would never have— would have met otherwise. I think what the Academy helped me with, which I, you know, I think the one-to-one coach before didn't, was really recognizing me and what I'm going to bring to the role and how to bring that out in an interview. I remember you saying, you know, at the very beginning, as you all have 5 USPs, and it's sometimes hard to know what those are. And I think for anyone out there, we are our own biggest critics. And actually, what I learned from the second interview was that I have to be myself. You can't pretend to be someone you're not. Part of me wishes I would have done it sooner. I think it's been really good for me in terms of my confidence. It does depend on the sort of person you are, but I think for me, you know, I think the first time round it was writing all these notes and trying to remember things. But actually, that's not what interview prep is about. It's really just about knowing yourself, knowing your SPs, you know, continuously going over them and kind of just honing in on what do you want to sell at the interview. And I say, if you're looking for coaching and if you want to connect with other people, then I, you know, I think this is a great forum in which to do it and really supportive.
