Executive Interview Coaching
In today's competitive job market, securing a senior-level position can be a challenging task. While having the right skills and experience is important, presenting oneself effectively during an executive interview can make all the difference in securing a coveted job offer. That's where executive interview coaching comes in. Executive interview coaching is a specialized type of coaching designed to help senior-level candidates prepare for and perform well during high-stakes interviews.
But is it necessary for everyone? In this article, we'll explore the benefits of executive interview coaching, who can benefit from it, and whether it's worth the investment.
What is the Difference Between an Executive Interview Coach and Any Other Interview Coach?
You can google interview coach and you’ll find hundreds of them. You can go to any social media site, and you’ll find hundreds of them. Not all of them are equal and not all of them are equipped to coach you through your executive interview.
The difference between an interview coach and an executive interview coach is their level of skill. Interview coaches are trained to help you build confidence and improve your communication. An executive interview coach is not going to help you practice canned answers to the toughest interview questions. They are going to help you think through your message and how you deliver that message. They’ll point out underlying messages that you may not be aware of.
Executive interview coaches are highly skilled and highly trained in multiple communication styles and can help you finesse yours. After all, an executive interview is one of the highest-stakes situations you will encounter. As Sarah Johnston from Briefcase Coach states, “You may only get one shot to interview for a VP role at your target company.” Executive coaches are accustomed to dealing with high-stakes situations.
How Is An Executive Interview Different From Any Other Interview?
The biggest difference in an executive interview is that it can be more high-stakes. You may only get one shot to interview for a VP role at your target company. Executive-level positions don’t turnover frequently. There are fewer of them and when a position is filled, there is a chance you won’t see it open back up anytime soon.
Because these roles also often come with extra benefits and a prized salary, they are often much more intensive than interviews for other management roles. This is a large investment for a company. Not including the recruitment costs, this is most likely a multi-million dollar decision. You can expect the process to be much more involved with several stakeholder interviews and a thorough vetting of your background.
All of this means you will need to present a unified message throughout the interview process, but also tailor that message to each individual stakeholder you will meet. Different stakeholders will need you to help them solve different problems and they’ll have different requests for their next executive. What you communicate in your interview with the Sales Director may not be relevant in your interview with the Product Management team.
In an executive interview, you will be required to uncover each team’s needs and tailor your message to each interview throughout the process. Some companies may also perform panel interviews which can complicate it more. In a panel interview, you’ll still need to try and speak to each individual, but also to the group as a whole.
Signs You Need an Executive Interview Coach
If you are getting interviews, but not receiving job offers, this is a tell-tale sign that it’s time to invest in an executive interview coach. Of course, at this point, you’ve already lost out on openings that you may never see again in your lifetime because of how rare these openings can be. We recommend executives hire a coach before they get to this point.
An executive interview coach can help you tell your unique story in an engaging way that connects to each stakeholder’s problems. Many executives also have told us that they were unaware of “hidden messages” they were communicating during interviews. Words have meaning and your word choices have a great deal of influence. By working with an executive interview coach, you’ll be able to identify areas of concern and improve your delivery of the message you want to deliver.
You can find great executive interview coaches for around $200 per hour. Considering an executive job offer could increase your annual earnings by tens of thousands of dollars, it’s an investment that always pays off. Even the best communicators have room for improvement, and you will want to pull out all the stops before you interview for an executive job.
How to Select the Right Executive Interview Coach
Selecting the right executive interview coach is important. There is virtually no barrier to entering the coaching market and there is no governing body that regulates individuals. Anyone with a phone and a computer could start a coaching business. This can make it challenging to wade through the noise to find the right coach. To help you, we’ve compiled a list of questions to ask when you vet an interview coach.
Ask Them About Their Process
If they have a cookie-cutter approach to every client, that’s not a good sign. They should have a process to identify your areas of improvement and customize a session to meet your unique needs.
Communication Style
You have to work with this person intimately. You need to feel comfortable being candid and open with them if they are going to be able to coach you. When you speak with them, ask yourself if this is someone you can work with. Trust your gut.
Communications Focused
An interview coach is a communications coach. They need to help you tell your story in a concise and engaging way. They need to have a deep understanding of different communication styles. If they have a background or formal training in psychology, that should be a major plus.
Personal Experience in High-Stakes Settings
Working with someone who has been where you have should be taken into consideration. This doesn’t mean they have to have been an executive themselves. That doesn’t always equate to success in coaching. Ask them if they’ve been involved in hiring executives. Ask about how much they’ve worked with executives. You want to work with someone who understands the pressure involved and the communication dynamic at this level.
Best Executive Interview Coaches
BriefCase Coach
Led by Sarah Johnston and her former CHRO, Lis Evensen, these coaches have been on the other side of the table as corporate recruiters and talent leaders. Together they have a combined 50 years of talent experience in healthcare, retail, financial services, universities, and oil & gas. They’ve been helping leaders across the globe prepare for high-stakes interviews for nearly six years.
They have a completely custom coaching setup and will work with you before your session to ensure you are working on areas that will help you be successful. They don’t take a cookie-cutter approach.
What we love about BriefCase Coach’s process is that they charge by the hour starting at $219/hour meaning that you only pay for what you need.
When you work with us, we will unearth your value proposition, help you nail “tell me about yourself” and other common interview questions. We will practice questions like, “well, what do you think they are really looking for in this opportunity?” and “how does that experience meet their pain point?” We will help you think beyond cookie-cutter answers and tell impactful STAR stories.
- Sarah Johnson, BriefCase Coach Founder
Please note that we are not affiliated with or collect any money for referring you to Briefcase Coach. This article is based on our opinions and does not equate to an endorsement either.
Dee Powers
Dee has worked with hundreds of executives over the past few years. Dee is trained in behavioral science and STAR methodology. She works with all levels of candidates to build customized frameworks that fit your personality, work experience, and unique value proposition.
She’s an expert at uncovering blind spots and overcoming barriers in high-stakes interviews. Beyond her formal training, she’s taken place in countless executive interviews as a Chief of Staff and C-Suite Executive Assistant.
What we love about Dee is that she offers same-day/next-day service for interview coaching. She charges a flat rate of $297 for a ninety-minute session and she uses a custom process to evaluate a baseline of your behaviors and responses before your session.
The session with Dee was thorough, it was enlightening, and it was a game-changer for my interview.
- Olivia G., Optim Member