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“I Don’t Have Time” - Why That Might Be the Very Reason You Need a Coach

Let’s be real—life as a teacher is full on. Between the demands of school, family, initiatives, and everything else stacked on your plate, it probably feels like there’s barely enough time to breathe, let alone focus on your career.

So when you hear someone say, “Maybe you should get a coach,” it’s easy to think, “Yeah right. When exactly would I fit that in?”

I get it. Completely.

But here’s the thing no one tells you


You don’t have to take time to develop your career.

But if you do? It w


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Mar 28, 2025 07:54am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #AP, #AP2, #AP1, #applications, FAQs, #career, #careercoaching, #cpd, #CPD, #DeputyPrincipal, #Education & #Interview
3 min read
Blog Covers

“Do You Do Job Applications for [X Type of Role]?” — Here’s My Honest Answer

This is a question I get asked a lot, so let’s clear it up with love and honesty.

Yes, I do support job applications
 but only for teachers inside The Confident Career Leader Programme.

And I’d love to share why - not to gatekeep, but to genuinely give you the best experience possible.

Job Applications Aren’t Just Paperwork

Most people think it’s as simple as handing over a form and getting a quick edit. But that’s not how real support works  - at least, not the kind that actually lands in


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Mar 27, 2025 08:27pm
By Orla Dempsey
Under #AP, #AP2, #applications, #AP1, #careercoaching, #Education & #DeputyPrincipal
2 min read
Blog+ Podcast Quotes by Guest Speakers

Key Leadership Interview Questions and How I Mentor Clients to Answer Them

1. Tell me about a time you faced a challenging situation. 

This is one of the most common leadership questions, and it’s designed to assess how well my clients can navigate tough situations on their own or while leading a team. 

How I Approach This in the Mock Interview:

  • I start by helping my clients identify a meaningful challenge they’ve faced. Together, we focus on how they approached the problem, engaged their team, and ensured a positive outcome.

  • Then, I guide them to use the STAR method (Situ


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Dec 23, 2024 11:17am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #AP, #AP2, #Interview, #Interview Preparation, #Interview questions & #Education
8 min read
School Leader Quiz (1920 x 1080 px) (Instagram Video)

How I Went from Class Teacher to 6 Figure Leadership Mentor

In 2014, I took a career break. Applying for it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. the last 9 years have been an incredible journey and step by step I've hit my target for 2023. I'm thrilled. 

In terms of the start of this journey - I procrastinated about asking for the time off until 😆 my principal trumped me and asked me a few days before the deadline if I was taking a career break. I stumbled and stuttered and said "yes maybe -  that was something I was thinking about. I 


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Dec 25, 2023 06:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #Career Change, #Confidence, InspiringSchools, #Education, #powerofvisualization, #BoostYourFocus, #EducationCareers & #CareerInspiration
4 min read
School Leader Quiz (Instagram Video)

If I Was Applying for a Principal Role in 2024 This Is What I'd Do

Making the move to senior leadership is a significant life step - to say the least! Developing your career is different from developing your job, however. So, how can you foster your career and apply better for senior leadership roles? 

Here's what I'd do if I was applying for a principalship in 2024. 

1. I'd review the 16 LAOS competencies and see if I have an example for each competency. Your interview and your job application form will be based on them - so it's a fantastic use of your time


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Dec 13, 2023 12:35pm
By Orla Dempsey
Under #DeputyPrincipal, #principal, #Post Primary, #Mock Interviews for Primary, #Mock Interview Preparation Primary, #Education & #applications
4 min read
Showcase Your Skills and Experience

How to Showcase Your Skills and Experience as a New Teacher

As a new teacher, you may feel overwhelmed by the challenge of establishing yourself in the competitive field of education. It's essential to know how to showcase your skills and experience effectively to make a lasting impression on potential employers, colleagues, and students. In this blog post, we'll explore different ways to demonstrate your capabilities as a new teacher and help you stand out in your profession.

Create a Comprehensive Portfolio

A well-organised portfolio is an excellent 


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May 1, 2023 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #Career, #careercoaching, #CV, #CV Writing, #applications, #Job Applications, #Education, #jobs, #MĂșinteoir, #How to SAF, #CPD, #teachers & #TeacherIreland
3 min read
Further questions from recent leadership interviews

Interview questions for Principal Jobs in Ireland

Are you searching for potential questions for leadership positions? If you’re reading this - I’m betting that you are!

Working 1-1 with 100s of teachers each year - puts me in a great position to hear what the latest questions are that are being asked. I hope you find them useful!

  • Intro: What have been three achievements in your teaching career to date?

  • What was a teaching and learning initiative that you introduced?

  • How do you self-evaluate?

  • What makes you ready to take on 


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Mar 29, 2022 03:13pm
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News, #Teaching, Learning, #EdTech, #Primary, #Lookingatourschools, #Education, #Leadership, #Post Primary, #principal, #TeacherIreland, #Teacher, #Interview, #Interview Preparation, #AP, #AP1 & #AP2
2 min read
How can I be more confident in interviews

How can I be more confident in interviews?

You are a great teacher and you are confident in your abilities, but what do you do with the dreaded interview fear? Are there ways to get past this and shine in your teaching job interview? Of course there are and I am here to help you.

Develop self-compassion and improving your self-talk

So many of my clients come out of an interview and do a postmortem of it! They berate themselves for the bits they slipped up in or couldn’t answer well and focus mostly on that. Try refrain from doing that by d


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Aug 18, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #Interview Preparation, #Confidence, #Education, #Mock Interviews for Primary, #Post Primary & #Primary
4 min read
Looking at Our School The Leadership and Management Domains - Skills Development

Looking at Our School 2016: The Leadership and Management Domains - Skills Development

The ‘Looking at Our School 2016: A Quality Framework for Primary Schools’ outlines 4 domains as guides for teachers to step into management roles. 

These 4 Domains are:

1.    Leading Teaching and Learning

2.    Managing the Organisation

3.    Leading School Development and

4.    Developing Leadership Capacity

While I have already written blog posts for each individual blog post (linked below) today’s blog focuses on the skills development necessary for stepping up to the next level in your career.

I ha


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Aug 13, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #Career, #Teacher, #Education, #Primary, #Quality Education, #education, #careercoaching & #Teaching
7 min read
Preparing for interviews

Preparing for interviews: Ask yourself ‘What else?’

There is one particular question I love to ask my clients when we are trying to figure out all of their talents and capabilities. That question is; What else? As many of the educators I meet are hardworking, modest professionals who show up and get the job done, they often find it hard to declare what is so great about themselves. Once we start to delve into their capabilities and strengths together, I ask them to delve deeper.

Identifying your strengths

Brainstorming is a great way to start to di


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Jul 26, 2021 08:00am
By Mary Dillon
Under #Teacher, #Confidence, #Education, #Psychometric Testing, #Growth mindset, Strengths, #careercoaching, #education, #primaryschoolteacher, #leadership, #jobapplications, #sellingyourself, #whatcanido, #postprimaryteacher, #primarymockinterviewpreparation & #primarymockinterview
3 min read

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