Having been an expat spouse since 2003, I had to decide from the onset what I would do with my career in tandem with my husband’s. It was clear that I had to establish a portable profession to support my own development and growth while moving from country to country. It was all about exploring the possibilities and I used the mistakes I made along the way as a learning curve and gain deeper understanding of what matters to me the most. It has been an adventurous journey that has taken me to a few places including living in Denmark, the U.S.A and working in Ghana, Kosovo, Zambia and Kenya with a work experience that extends work throughout Africa ranging from supporting new graduates to senior executives. Organizations I have worked with include The World Bank, Passport Career and The Global Employment Initiative which is part of the U.S Department of State.
With a background in Communication Science and a post-grad in HR Management and International development, it was not clear which path would open professional doors for me. It took some soul searching and strategic decision making to attain results that would encompass doing what I enjoy and love in order to discover fulfilment in what I do. My emphatic nature and desire to effect positive change in the lives of others, helped me to make an informed career choice, effortlessly. I fell in love with helping people reach and exceed their potential- there was no doubt that to be able to do this professionally, coaching would be the avenue to make a lasting impact on people’s professional lives.
As a certified career coach with extensive experience in supporting job seekers and families in global transition by blogging, writing & editing, workshop facilitation and face-to-face instruction in the public and private sector, I believe in collaborating with clients, helping them to articulate their development goals and understanding what they truly value. I am passionate about getting clients focus not on just the destination but to also enjoy the journey. Like most coaches, I do not subscribe to the ‘one size fits all’ approach, accordingly my technique is to begin by understanding the clients learning style while respecting that I am a thought partner, but the client leads the process.
In a highly competitive and rapidly ever-changing world, I recognize that utilizing strategies, practices and tools that are current is critical for meaningful and satisfying careers. My coaching goals are geared towards ultimately effectuating transformation for career balance and fulfilment. One of those strategies is to ensure success in interview performance. With a variety of interview formats ranging from competency based to behavioural interviews, it is critical to prepare adequately once a candidate submits their application package. Practicing at home or working with a professional to learn about a variety of techniques for interviewing success can have considerable effect on interviewing success.
I will leave you with five actionable hacks to use for your next job interview:
- Note that the job interview begins when you respond to a job posting. Targeted responses in your CV or cover letter, can help you to prepare for possible interview questions and how you would respond to them. It is therefore, of utmost importance that you understand the role and duties of the job.
- Invest time in a mock interview to help you prepare for responding to unexpected or difficult questions. Mock interviews are useful conversations that simulate real interviews with a professional where you receive feedback on your interviewing abilities, including non-verbal transmission. It also helps you to develop some stress coping techniques.
- Refrain from memorizing responses to possible interview questions. Memorizing responses can be counteractive and set you up for failure. Not only do the answers sound rehearsed and unnatural but it is also impossible to rehearse for every possible question.
- Formulate between 3-7 practical examples for competency-based questions that can organically address how you have employed your professional skills and abilities in a previous situation. The hack here is to ensure that these responses are suitable for and can help you to confidently answer any interview question.
- Make sure that you understand the question before you attempt to answer and ensure that your responses are in line with and directly translate into how your past experience, competencies and skills can bring success to the position and the organization overall.
- By Chibesa Angela Mwape
We are proud to have Chibesa Angela Mwape as a career coach with Impactpool!
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If you have questions regarding career coaching, send us an email to careercoach@impactpool.org