Leadership Interview Coaching
I help ambitious teacher-leaders become post holders and senior leaders, interested?
Does this sound like you?
- You know that you are a COMPETENT and CAPABLE leader and you know that you are on the path to a middle or senior leadership role in your school.
- You are DEDICATED to the GROWTH and WELL-BEING of your students and staff and you can explain how you do that in your own unique way.
- You have built strong relationships with your colleagues and you know that you have more to offer at the next level.
- You have thought about what you’d love to change about your school or bring to this new school and you are excited about the difference your vision could make.
- You have already undertaken CPD in leadership, time management, conflict resolution, SSE, whole school planning and you’re implementing your ideas into your school and sharing useful tips with your colleagues.
- You know that interviews are an important opportunity to showcase your qualifications and articulate what kind of leader you are.
Hi, I’m Orla,
As The Teacher Promotion and Development Mentor, I’ve coached lots of people – just like you to secure the leadership role of their dreams. These teachers are excited for this change to their life and career and they are ready. In fact, they were born ready.
They are already leading others and are making a difference. They know that it’s their inner skills and competencies that makes them the best choice – they just need a strategy to help them to communicate that.
They are great listeners and they know the LAOS document and how to use the STAR technique (though – they could do with a little help to use it effectively).
That’s why these teachers come to me. They know that having a strategy and feedback on their interview answers will equip them with the skills to do a great interview.
What if you felt prepared and assured that you knew what the panel were really looking for?
If you're aiming for excellence, doing mock interviews for leadership roles is the way to go.
Imagine if..
- You knew that when you sat in the interview seat – they were so impressive you would knock their socks off.
- You knew that you could come across as confident, composed and authentic in your interview answers.
- A little feedback would confirm what you already knew – that you can do this and with a few small techniques you will change the way you think about the interview.
Client Testimonials
“Having secured a deputy role recently - I would recommend Orla’s interview services. The 90-minute session with her got me thinking about how best to structure my interview answers and I learned a lot from her about the different ways to conduct yourself in a professional interview. Also, Orla showed me how to wrap up my interview answers in a timely manner which helped me know when to stop. I felt confident in my interview answers – and I didn’t learn off my interview answers by heart because Orla guided me to see the difference between a 'learned off' answer vs a knowledgeable answer. It was a worthwhile session. Thanks, Orla!”
- Joanne, Primary School Teacher, March 2022
"Just to let you know that I got the DP job!! Thanks so much for all your help! I found the video really useful because I went through the video multiple times after our session. It gave me confidence and I felt that you believed in me. The best part was you showed me how to make my answers short and snappy and they had great impact. After our session, I felt that I couldn't have done any more. I'm looking forward to the new challenge. Thanks, Orla!” - Lisa, Post Primary Teacher, March 2022
“Thanks a million, Orla, I got the job! I was so afraid of waffling before our mock interview but after working with you, my answers had a clear structure and crucially you had a strategy to get back on track when I did start to waffle.
The interview panel were seriously impressed with my interview. They said I blew their socks off!
I hate putting myself out there and always felt before our session that I was always acting in interviews but you showed me how I could be authentic in my interview. I'm thrilled with how I performed and that I secured my job! Thank you!” - Sarah Jane, Primary School Teacher, July 2020
Here are some of the ways you've developed your leadership capacity
- You have a supportive group around you and aside from colleagues who support you – you also have connected with people in professional organisations and you’ve remained in touch with old classmates who share your leadership ambition.
- You’ve been mentored and guided by others who have seen you grow and helped you along the way.
- You have groups outside of school that share your interests and you maintain your connections with associations closely linked with your special interests including music, public speaking, coaching, community organisations and more
- You are well known as a person who can connect others with people who may be able to help them with a query.
Leadership Interview Coaching - is my unique way of blending coaching with my passion for helping teachers secure great jobs.
Why I’m confident that I can help you
I use a blend of mentoring and coaching with my clients to help them increase their confidence, gather a greater awareness of what they can do to improve their interview storytelling and equip them with tools and techniques to communicate their effectiveness and value as a school leader.
As a teacher myself, I have a unique insight into the vocabulary, challenges and rewards of our education system. This insider view means that all current terminology and changes in education are included in your interview preparation and we can get straight into preparing a top-class interview.
What People Are Saying About my Mock Interview Coaching for Leadership Roles
“I placed first in the panel and got the job! Thanks, Orla. I feel that our mock interview was informative and I got great pointers to counteract the fact that I was rusty after years of not doing interviews. It was great to brainstorm and improve sample answers so that I honed my answers for my post-primary interview. Though we worked together for just a short time, it made a huge difference to my interview performance. I found your service very helpful. I would definitely recommend Interview Preparation Coaching with you to my fellow teachers”. - Eoin, 3.7.21 Post-primary teacher.
Which teachers are a great fit for leadership coaching?
- You know that an AP1, A2 position, deputy principal or principal position is coming up and you’re preparing well in advance.
- You’re clear on what your vision is for the role, how you might bring others on board and what you’d love to change when given the opportunity.
- You’re quietly calm and confident that you can do a great interview and make a big success in the role.
- You’ve prepared thoroughly – the official documents that you’ll need and you know that even if you’re confused by a question -your calm demeanour will help you deal with that if a curveball arises.
- A little voice inside is saying to you “go for this” and you know that you’ll either win or you’ll learn.
Practice questions such as:
- Describe how you would work with the BOM, department and other stakeholders involved in the school?
- If there was a serious behaviour incident- how would you deal with it as the principal?
- What would you do to involve parents?
- Please explain your vision for this school.
- How would you manage an underperforming teacher?
- How would you involve a reluctant teacher in a new initiative or a change?
What does the session involve?
- Resources: Upon booking you’ll start a fantastic process where I’ll share with you my top resources – via email and Google Drive. These are for you to take note of, revise the content and pull the resources that you need most.
- Mock Interview: You’ll also get your Zoom link for our 90 min mock interview session. During this time, I’ll ask you to describe the school setting to gather the most pressing talking and awareness points that may inform me of the most important interview questions.
- Video Recording: A recording of your interview will be sent to you. This is optional but highly recommended. It’s a brilliant tool in the run up to your interview to revise and re-learn.
Management Position Interviews (90 mins) - €379
Ready to Book in NOW? See the Next Available Sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it too soon for me to practise my interview skills, I’ve no interviews coming up right now?
You’ve been preparing for your whole life for this role.
I see you. You’ve developed the relationship skills, the tact, you’ve developed personally and professionally for this role. You’ve done it because you’re a natural leader.
If you’ve an interview on your mind – then telling your career stories and getting feedback on them is of utmost importance. You don’t want to leave that until the last minute and find that there’s no time available on your calendar. I suggest doing your interview preparation session – WELL IN ADVANCE.
How do I know whether I want your online courses/membership or if it's better to work with you 1-1?
Determining whether to choose online courses/membership or 1-1 coaching depends on your learning preferences and specific needs. Online courses offer self-paced learning and broad content, while 1-1 coaching provides personalised attention and targeted guidance.
Factors: Consider factors like budget, time availability, and the level of individualised support you require to make the best decision for your growth and development.
Impact: If you're tight on time - I've created Help! I've an Interview in a Week with all my top leadership tips and The Teachers' Promotion Club has a broad focus with tonnes of brilliant information that you'll need to develop your career.
Is one session enough?
Yes teachers with many years of experience behind them are confident in their leading and teaching capacity and they have many experiences from which to reference - it is reassurance and tips for interviews that is required mostly. Coaching can really help with this and coaching sessions aimed at increasing your self-confidence will bring about better results.
Do you coach second-level teachers too?
Yes, I do! Approximately half of my clients are second-level teachers. If you’re applying for AP1/2, Deputy Principalships or Principalships I have recommendations, feedback and tools to help you too.
Management Position Interviews (90 mins) - €379