Interview Preparation for Graduates

Interview coaching and interview preparation is standard in 2023. Competition is tough with increasing numbers of great applicants competing against you. The Coronavirus hasn't helped, bringing many experienced people onto the graduate job market. 

Just getting an interview is a tough marathon. You have to make every interview count. I help you tell your story better at every stage in the interview process: in your CV (the "paper sift" is the most brutal), in telephone interviews, in Zoom interviews, in face-to-face interviews, in panel interviews and at assessment centres.

What does proven 1-2-1 graduate interview coaching cost?

I am sure that you have spent ALL your student loan money VERY sensibly - on books, courses, accommodation etc. Obviously.

Well, I was a skint student too once, so I offer Graduate Interview Coaching Clients a special discounted rate. This makes sense for me too, because former Graduate Interview Coaching Clients come back to me when they want to change jobs or get promoted. Your parents will be glad (delighted) about you getting a “proper job” they can brag about and, not least, get you out of the house. Go on – ask them!

To be honest, there is also a huge kick for me from seeing people get their first job! The excited text or call that I get when a client gets their first job is a huge buzz! I offer two interview coaching courses for graduates.

My coaching is bespoke and tailored for you. Depending on where you are and where we need to get you, here are some of the aspects of interview preparation that we may need to address. 

  • LinkedIn review and revision.
  • Assessment Centre Preparation.
  • Overview of best-practice, pre-interview research
  • Q&A homework plus homework review
  • Identifying your USP, identifying and articulating what you bring or could bring to the corporate table and helping you communicate your qualifications and potential as a candidate during the interview.
  • Reviewing your CV – this CV audit is an essential part of the process of interview preparation.
  • Work on voice and image projection.
  • Zoom or Face-to-Face in Sussex or London
  • Online interview assessment tips
  • Interview preparation role-play with video play-back as well as review of image, voice projections etc.
  • Plus bullet proofing you for all those tricky interview questions which are now more important than ever. After the session and having done your homework you will be on the road towards being “Paxman-Proof & Paper-Free” when you do get to the interview.
2 Session Interview Prep
Identifying your USP, identifying and articulating what you bring to the table and communicating your qualifications and potential as a candidate - including briefly reviewing your CV and Covering Letter.

You can check my availability and book and pay for your coaching in my diary directly via my Calendly Graduate 2 link.
5 Session Interview Prep
Everything in the first package, plus my 3 session 
Circles, Squares and Stripes process that I use for senior exec interview coaching. If we are working together in person you also get a copy of both my Filtered Out Interview books.

You can check my availability and book and pay for your coaching in my diary directly via my Calendly Graduate 5 link

Hear what other successful graduates have to say

Having recently left university with little experience outside of academia, the prospect of job searching and interviews, in what is being described as one of the toughest times for young people to do so, filled me with dread. Having got myself a telephone interview with one of the big four audit firms, I went to Peter to pre-emptively show me where I was likely to go wrong.In just one day he was able to tear down my hesitant, textbook approach to answering questions and really help build and convey the unique character and skills I should be emphasising, while highlighting the less desirable aspects of my responses.Now, having gone through all the phases of the graduate programme application, I have been told I have a position within the company. That was the first job interview I have ever attended. Not a bad hit rate, and I have no doubt that it is predominantly down to Peter.

Ben Scully

Any graduate trying to secure a training contract with the top city law firms will know the competition is tougher than ever The number of applicants has soared even as contracts have become scarce. It’s not uncommon for a firm to interview 250 applicants for 50 places. For my top-choice firm I knew I had to do something special. In the week prior to I-day, Peter gave me two telephone interviews. The first took me to pieces: it showed me all the gaps in my knowledge and the inadequacies in what I’d genuinely thought was my in-depth interview preparation. I had to go away and do some serious work. By the end of the second interview I felt like I could handle whatever trick questions a panel of partners could throw at me. I knew what I wanted to say, what was special about me and how to get that across. The confidence he gave me was invaluable. The firm offered me full sponsorship and a contract within a week.

Ghislaine Lawless

Having to face roughly 4000 other applicants from all over Europe for 370 places, I knew that my 2.1 in International Relations from Royal Holloway was not sufficient to beat the competition and that I had to go the extra mile. For this reason, I contacted Peter, who used his experience to help me draft my CV, my personal statement and to refine my interview skills. When I finally got the letter confirming my place at the College, I knew that Peter’s professional touch on my application and his impact on my interview skills had been fundamental to my success. I truly cannot thank him enough and I would strongly recommend anyone in my position to take full advantage of his interview preparation services.

Edoardo Troina – MA Candidate, College of Europe

After recently graduating from a Russell group university I knew what direction I wanted to go in but was uncertain how to get there. I had got the experience but didn’t know how to present this. Peter completely re-worked my CV and covering letter into a far more concise format that targeted exactly what employers wanted. In addition Peter prepared me for interviews and gave me a huge amount more confidence for when I found myself in that situation. Within only a few weeks I had secured the summer internship and graduate job that I wanted. Overall I cannot recommend Peter’s comprehensive interview preparation service enough.

Simon Brown

You are investing in a bespoke and interactive series of 2 or 5 career-building sessions delivered remotely by Zoom*. This is NOT a webinar. This is you and me working 1-2-1 on your story. 

These course rates are only available to graduates with NO full-time corporate experience - apart from work experience or internships.

Book the best option for you and email your current CV (as a PDF so the formatting doesn't wobble) as well as a copy of the JD (Job Description) and/or advert (if you already have a "live process") to grad@peterbotting.com. 

My standard interview coaching rates are significantly higher so get me at this rate while you can. Invest in your career and maximise your career chances for the price of a (very) good weekend away.

*If you are in London, this could be in person.