Job Interview & grant interview training course

'We offer a personal, individually tailored and educationally focussed journey of excellence.'

Preparing for a job application interview or grant interview is a challenging and time consuming process. Our focus is on making this process as enjoyable and as stress free as possible - for all individuals that we work with.

This course has been designed for researchers who are wanting to enhance their grant interview skills and competencies and/or skills and competencies for job applications (in preparation for future interviews).

The course can be taken for: (1) grant interviews, (2) job applications, or (3) both grant and job applications.

If an applicant has already been invited to an ERC interview, please refer to our specific ERC Interview training services. 

If an applicant has already been invited to another grant body or job interview, please refer to our specific Interview training services. 

All of our work is also educationally focussed. I.e. the applicant learns much more than just how to prepare for an interview. We teach researchers how to better review their own work and further enhance their presentation and strategic analysis skills.

A hallmark of the way in which we work with applicants is the numerous interactions throughout the support process - allowing for a fully personalised trajectory for each applicant that we support.

The support is directed towards candidates who:

• Want to be better prepared for prepare for future interviews in a way that is as stress free as possible

• Want to receive personalised one-on-one and in-depth support with numerous interactions, supporting and guiding you throughout the process

• Want to be able to deliver a clear and powerful presentation

• Want to be prepared for all types of questions (including unexpected and potentially irritating questions)

• Want to be able to answer questions in a crisp, direct and informative manner

Format of the support:

• Our support is provided in 8 online one-on-one private training/coaching/presentation/mentoring sessions over 2-4 months. For those wanting to prepare for both grant and job interviews, the course includes an additional 2 coaching sessions.

• In addition to this, we provide the candidate with specific ‘homework’ research/tasks to help them with their interview preparation.

• Outside of the training sessions, we interact with the candidate via email for questions, queries, and review queries etc.

The method of delivery is via personal ‘one-on-one’ online training sessions with either Fire Sanders or Willem Bouma, both highly qualified and highly experienced senior trainers. Both Willem and Fire have experience working with all panels and areas of research, and have worked with a host of  applicants and institutions throughout around Europe and beyond. We do not outsource any of our work.

As part of our support, applicants that we support will also receive:

• Strategic advice and assistance in the development of presentation content, and in-depth preparation and coaching on how to prepare for the question and answer component of interviews.

• Critical review and feedback on the presentation delivery (identification of potential weaknesses/advice on how to remedy them).

• Feedback on how to anticipate potential areas of concerns (criticism) from reviewers/panel members in order to better prepare for the Q&A session.

• 'Homework' tasks to better prepare for all potential Questions that may be faced at interview, minimising the chance that the applicant receives an unexpected question at interview that they are not prepared for.

• Q&A Practice sessions, including a list of critical and in-depth questions.

• Presentation, communication, interview and life skills coaching.

• Mentoring and personal development coaching.