Interview Coaching for Public Sector Candidates
I work alongside Bernie Stevenson, an experienced interview coach and career-transition specialist. We support candidates preparing for Civil and Public Service interviews across Ireland and have helped thousands to interview success.
Our coaching approach is supportive and clear. We take a practical and encouraging approach that helps you strengthen your answers and performance. Our coaching focuses on the gap between what candidates think they are communicating and what the interview panel are actually hearing and scoring. Our sessions are thoughtful and constructive, helping you feel prepared and in control. Are You Feeling Anxious About Your Application Form or Interview?It's normal to be nervous when you're tackling an application form or preparing for a Public Sector interview. Stress can mount when you're:
A customised interview coaching session, focused on your application form or interview preparation, tackles these issues more effectively than general hints and tips. Our one-to-one sessions are tailored to your role, your experience and your unique challenges. Our coaching style is calm, supportive and clear. We take a practical and encouraging approach that helps you strengthen your answers and performance. Our sessions are thoughtful and constructive, helping you feel prepared, confident and capable. Topics Covered in Interview CoachingEach meeting is tailored to your needs. We help to demystify the interview and shortlisting process and focus on the areas that will make the biggest difference for you. Depending on your role, grade and stage of preparation, we may work on several of the following areas:
Afterwards, you will receive a practical report summarising the main discussion points and key recommendations. One-to-One Interview Preparation Coaching for Job Interview SuccessIf you want to focus on preparing for the interview, we can help. We have extensive experience supporting candidates in open and closed competitions across the Civil Service, local authorities, academic institutions, and a wide range of public sector agencies. Tailored Interview Coaching Focused on Your StrengthsThrough this tailored one-to-one interview training, we help you focus on the bigger picture, clarifying your key messages and "selling points" so they come through clearly in your interview answers.
We work through interview questions and answers with you and make sure you are able to answer them and to articulate your fit for the role. Capability and Competency Coaching Aligned to Role and GradeWe explain what interviewers are really looking for in answers and then work with you to help you decide what parts of your experience would work best at interview and for that grade and role.
How the Interview Coaching Meeting WorksBefore your interview preparation session, please send your application and job description or candidate information booklet. This allows us to tailor the meeting to your role, your experience and the likely question areas for your grade.
Your interview preparation session is practical and fully tailored to your needs. Some clients arrive with draft answers they want to strengthen, others prefer to shape answers together from scratch and others choose to complete a realistic mock interview with targeted feedback. We adapt the session to the approach that will make the biggest difference for you and your upcoming interview. What Clients Say about the Interview Coaching ExperienceClients tell us our advice has really helped them see where additional improvements can be made to their answers and performance, and that this made the difference in them being successful at interview.
Frequently, clients tell us that working with us helped them improve their self-confidence and they felt more ready for their interview afterwards. Read the testimonials from previous clients on this page to learn more about their feedback. Mock Interview Practice with Targeted FeedbackWe can work with you to help you improve your interview skills by conducting a practice or mock interview, where you get to answer questions candidates are most likely to encounter for your grade and role. This helps you build confidence and improve your performance. It's a safe space to refine your responses, receive constructive feedback and get interview ready with an experienced interviewer.
A mock interview offers you real-time interaction, tailored follow-up questions and nuanced feedback specific to you and your responses. A mock interview reflects the natural flow and unpredictability of real interviews, helping you to improve not just your answers but how you deliver them. Interview Presentation CoachingIf your interview includes a presentation, we help you to clarify what the board is looking for, shape your content and delivery and rehearse with feedback.
We also anticipate likely questions your interviewers might ask you and help craft strong answers. This will leave you feeling prepared, polished and confident. Follow-Up Tailored ReportAfter the meeting, you will receive a brief, practical report listing the main discussion highlights. It includes concrete suggestions to enhance both your answer quality and interview technique.
One-to-One Application Review to Secure Your Public Sector Interview
If you want to focus on your application form or CV, we can help you. We have extensive experience supporting candidates with their application forms or CVs in open and closed competitions across the Civil Service, local authorities, academic institutions, and a wide range of public sector agencies. Application Form or CV Strengthening for Shortlisting SuccessThrough this focused one-to-one review session, we help you clarify your key relevant skills and experience and ensure that these are suitably reflected in your form or CV.
Form or CV Refinement to Meet Role and Grade ExpectationsWhether you're starting fresh or working from a draft, we’ll help you refine your CV, cover letter or application form to highlight your relevant experience for the role and grade.
This includes helping you write compelling answers to competency, capability, or achievement sections on a public service application form to ensure those answers make best use of your experience and reflect the seniority of the role. How the Application Review Meeting WorksBefore your application review session, please send your draft application form or CV and the job description or candidate information booklet. This allows us to review your materials in advance and make the best use of the meeting time.
During your application review, we go through your answers together, identify gaps, strengthen structure and content and ensure your examples reflect the seniority of the role. The session is practical and focused on the sections that will make the biggest difference to shortlisting outcomes. Most application forms can be fully reviewed within the session. For longer forms, we focus on the priority answers you identify. The feedback provided can usually be applied to other answers on the form to maximise the meeting time and value for you. Shortlisting Insights for Stronger ApplicationsWith first-hand insight from interviews and shortlisting, we know what scores well at shortlisting.
If you have been asked for a CV and Cover Letter, we will help ensure your documents provide the information interviewers expect to see at shortlisting and interviews. If you are submitting an application form, we will work with you to strengthen your answers so they align with what shortlisting panels typically look for. Follow-Up Tailored ReportAfter reviewing your application form, you will receive a concise report listing the main points needing revision. It includes actionable suggestions to enhance the clarity, relevance and strength of your responses.
Civil & Public Service Interview SuccessesInterview coaching clients have been successful in a wide variety of civil and public service roles:
Gift Voucher for Interview Coaching
Frequently Asked Questions About CoachingHow do I book interview coaching? You can choose your own date and time for coaching here. You can also select whether to work with Tina or her colleague Bernie. The online booking system shows available dates and times over the next two months. To book a meeting beyond two months today, please email or complete the contact form. Do you offer mock interviews? Yes. A mock interview gives you realistic practice and focused feedback to improve your performance and confidence. How long is an interview coaching session? Each session lasts one and a half hours. We include in the fee the time we spend reviewing your materials before the meeting, like your Candidate Information Booklet or Office Notice and your application form or CV. Also included in the fee is the report you receive after the meeting. How soon should I book before my interview? As early as possible. The online booking system allows you to change your meeting date, provided you do so more than four days in advance. Many candidates book as soon as they apply, but we also work with people at short notice when availability allows. Can you review my application form before I submit it? Yes. We provide practical, specific suggestions to strengthen your examples and improve clarity, structure and impact. Most application forms can be fully reviewed within the session. For longer forms, we focus on the priority answers you identify. The feedback provided can usually be applied to other answers on the form to maximise the meeting time and value to you. Do you work with candidates at all levels? Yes. We support candidates from entry level to senior leadership roles across the Civil Service, Local Authorities and wider Public Service. Do you hold meetings online or in-person? All of our meetings are held online. This reflects what most of our clients have asked for and provides flexibility, since our clients are based all over Ireland. Do I need to prepare anything before my coaching session? No formal preparation is required. For application reviews, please send on your draft application form or CV and the job description in advance. For interview coaching, some clients like to prepare questions they want to ask, drafting some or all of their answers or getting ready for a mock interview. Can I prepare on my own instead of doing coaching? Yes. Some people prefer to prepare independently and if you'd like to do that, you can use my workbooks and e-course. They can be used on their own or alongside coaching. They cover the same core templates, hints, tips and advice that I use in coaching, but without the review of your answers or personalised feedback. Do you offer gift vouchers for coaching? Yes. You can buy a gift voucher for a full coaching session or as a coaching credit. Vouchers can be used for interview preparation, mock interviews or for reviewing an application form or CV. Can you help if I'm very nervous about interviews? Yes. Many candidates feel anxious before interviews. Our approach is calm, supportive and practical, helping you understand the process and prepare in a way that reduces nerves. What if I need to reschedule a coaching session? You can change your booked meeting online, provided you do so at least five days before the original booked date and time. Do I need to pay a deposit when booking? Yes. A deposit is taken at the time of booking to secure your session or you can choose to pay the full fee upfront. If you pay a deposit, the remaining balance can be paid at any time before the meeting or, at the very latest, within 5 days afterwards. If the balance remains outstanding after that, the card used to pay the deposit will be charged for the remaining amount. What if I need to cancel a coaching session? You can cancel your booked meeting online, provided you do so at least five days before the original date and time and your payment will be refunded. Any later than that and the booking deposit paid at the time of booking will be forfeited. How do I contact you if I have more questions? Please use the contact form for any further questions or enquiries. One-to-One Interview Coaching for StaffWe have been engaged directly by public sector organisations who have contracted us to deliver a number of interview coaching sessions for a group of staff (working with each person on a one-to-one basis). The coaching sessions are as outlined above on this page, either focused on interview preparation or on application form completion. Feedback from the individuals and the client organisations has been excellent. |
Client CommentsJust to update you on the interview – I got panelled – no. 3. So, I am delighted and over the moon. Thanks a mill for your help. Thanks for all your help Tina. The interview was really tough but your advice paid off and I was offered the job (which I accepted!). Many thanks for your help with the application form. I was shortlisted for interview. I can't recommend Tina's interview coaching enough. She is great at demystifying the process. She walked me through what to expect, helped me improve my answers and made me feel more prepared and confident for my interview. I know I wouldn't have done as well without her support. I wanted to let you know that I was successful at interview and placed 1st in both competitions. I am just delighted and I wanted to thank you - you really helped me to focus on the bigger picture and what my message was and I really feel it helped me in my successful interview. Hi Tina, Thank you very much for all your great advice and tips yesterday. It was lovely to meet you and thank you for understanding and identifying my needs in a wonderfully relaxed, informative and professional way. I feel more confident now in my preparation for the interview. Tina, You have no idea how profound your brilliant guidance and honesty was in preparing for a 2nd interview. You bring succinct clarity to thinking, planning and focus! Hi Tina, I actually was placed 1st on the panel and I know hand on heart it was down to you that I was focused and articulated my answers well. Thank you so much for your guidance and advice. Number 2 on panel Tina! I passed my interview for the Garda! I'm absolutely delighted. Thanks for your help, I wouldn't have passed it without the session we did, it really helped me! Thanks a lot. Got first on the panel! Just to let you know that I placed first on the EO panel and I am absolutely thrilled! Thank you very much for your help, it was invaluable. I'm delighted to have found out that I came 2nd on the panel for the Grade V. Many thanks for all your advice. I signed contracts yesterday for permanency to commence. Absolutely thrilled as is my colleagues and family. Thank you for your help again. Thank you for the help and advice you gave me. I was successful for the job we prepared for. Many thanks for your help and couldn't recommend your services highly enough. Just wanted to let you know that the interviews went well and they offered me the job! Thank you so much for your help preparing for the interview. A huge thank you to both of your for the help and guidance prior to my interview. I have passed the interview and I'm pretty delighted with that!! Just wanted to thank you both and let you know that it all worked out! Hi Bernie, I had the interview and got the placement. Your coaching helped a lot with my confidence going into it, thank you. Hi Bernie, I am delighted to let you know that I was successful in my interview. I placed at Number 2 on the panel and have been offered a post. I had not had any success at interview in the past. I would put lots of effort into preparing but not the right kind. Many thanks for your guidance in this regard. I would not have had the confidence to even do the interview without it. Again, many thanks. Hi Bernie, thanks so much for the extremely helpful interview preparation session. Almost everything we went through came up today and I'm delighted to tell you I was successful! |
