Top Tips to Boost Your Employability and Ace Your Next Job Interview
- Maud Vanhoutte
- Oct 19, 2016
- 5 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Career Coaching: Develop your employability skills
Last updates: April, 2025
Looking for work or thinking of changing roles? Whether you are just starting out or re-entering the workforce, strong employability skills are crucial to standing out.
Today’s job market is competitive, but the good news is with the right mindset, preparation, and support, you can approach your next job interview with confidence. Here are some of our top tips to help you boost your employability and prepare for your next big opportunity.
Whenever you see a pencil icon ✏️ in this article, it’s your invitation to pause, reflect, and explore the question. Take a moment to write down your thoughts. And if you feel you’d like support along the way, I’d be happy to hear from you.
Looking for a new Job and Changing Career
Changing career can be:
Exciting, motivating, and a new adventure
A chance to implement positive changes in your life
Something to look forward to
But It can also bring:
Stress and self-doubt
Drop in confidence
Bring doubts
Financial uncertainty
Facing these challenges, you have a choice: Avoid the situation or deal with it head-on.
✏️ What is your natural tendency?
When we avoid these challenges, we often experience:
Procrastination
Loss of sleep or appetite
Unhealthy coping mechanisms
Irritability and stress-related health issues
Clearly, dealing with the situation head-on is the way forward. Let us guide you through the steps to confidently navigate this process.
How to Stand Out Before The Interview
Build a compelling CV and cover letter
Tailor each one to the role. Show how your skills and experiences align with what the employer is looking for. Keep it clear, easy to read, and focused on outcomes – what you achieved, not just what you did. Canva is offering great modern templates if you are still contemplating your Word template from 1990.
When was the last time you updated your CV to reflect who you are today?
Polish your online presence
Recruiters often check your LinkedIn before they call you. Make sure your profile is current, includes a friendly photo, and reflects your career goals and experience. Share or engage with content related to your field to show your interests and expertise. Ask for references and endorsements and maintain those efforts constantly, including once you secure your next role.
What does your online presence say about you right now?
Research the company
Look at their website, values, recent news, social media, and reviews. Research their heroes and teams. This helps you align your answers with what matters to them and prepares you to ask meaningful questions during the interview.
Do you know what matters most to the companies you're applying to?
Thoroughly prepare your interview
Preparation is vital to your success. This step will ensure you are ready to answer questions confidently, demonstrate your competencies, and leave a lasting impression.
Contact us to practice interviews with our career coaches
8 Steps to Develop Your Employability Skills and Nail Your Job Interview
Step 1: Set clear goals
Know where you want to go before you start your journey. A clear vision ensures focused actions and a stronger drive to pursue opportunities. If you are uncertain of your goals, it can make it easy to be distracted and miss out on the best paths to success. You may also be less passionate and convincing in interviews.
Step 2: Enhance your communication skills
You may have all the qualifications, but without strong communication skills, you risk missing out on key opportunities. Whether written or spoken, clear communication allows you to articulate your value effectively, increasing your chances of getting hired or promoted.
Step 3: Be aware of your body language
Your body language speaks volumes. How you carry yourself, your posture, facial expressions, and even your tone of voice can impact how others perceive you. Remember: it's not just about what you say but how you say it.>> Find out more
Step 4: Focus on personal presentation and first impressions
Your appearance plays a big role in making a great first impression. Do you know how to dress for the role and company culture? Understanding the expectations around professional attire can help you feel confident and ready for the interview.
✏️ What first impression are you currently making — and is it aligned with the role you want?
Step 5: Build your self-confidence
While confidence is key, be careful not to come across as arrogant. Recruiters need to see that you trust yourself – your skills, experiences, and abilities. Confidence demonstrates that you are the right fit for the role.
✏️ How confident do you feel when talking about your strengths?
Step 6: Manage stress effectively
It's normal to feel nervous before an interview, but managing visible stress is crucial. If you can handle stress during an interview, you show potential employers that you are capable of dealing with high-pressure situations.
✏️ How do you usually handle pressure or uncertainty in a professional setting?
Step 7: Prepare using the STAR method
This is a proven way to answer behavioural interview questions.
Situation – set the scene
Task – what you had to do
Action – what you did
Result – what happened
Step 8: Prepare your stories to share
Have 3-4 strong examples ready that highlight different skills – leadership, initiative, teamwork, problem solving.
✏️ Do you have examples ready that truly showcase what you bring to a team?
Core Employability Skills Employers Value
Beyond qualifications, employers are looking for:
Communication – written, verbal, listening
Teamwork – can you collaborate and support others?
Adaptability – how do you cope with change?
Emotional intelligence – how well do you understand and manage your emotions (and others’)?
Time management and reliability – can you plan, prioritise, and deliver on time?
✏️ Which of these employability skills do you already feel strong in? Which ones need attention?
There is no need to feel anxious if you are well prepared. Preparation is the key to your success!
✏️ If you were the recruiter, would you hire yourself? Why or why not?
New Reflections 7 steps interview preparation process
No matter if it is your first job or the 10th one, if you feel like you need guidance, our career coaching program is made to meet your needs.
Define or confirm your professional project
Polish your personal branding and positioning statement
Enhance your personal presentation & 1st impression
Practice job interviews with our career coaches
Develop advanced communication skills & body language awareness
Increase your self-confidence
Discover stress management techniques
No matter where you are in your journey, we can support you.
If you are a professional navigating change, check out our career coaching solutions.
If you work with underserved learners or communities, explore our employability skills programs to help them build brighter futures.
✏️ What is one small action you could take today to move forward?