EX-02 and EX-03 coaching is also available by special appointment.

The application and interview for EX-level competitions in the federal government evaluate experienced public service employees—and occasionally exempt staff or external applicants—to qualify for permanent executive-level positions. Internal candidates may already be acting managers in an EX-01 or EX-02 assignment, or may be attempting to reach this level for the first time.

Whether from within or outside the system, many individuals are unsure about the workings of the promotion process and how to prepare effectively to succeed. This is particularly true for those coming from policy or program work that is not management-oriented, and for candidates outside Ottawa in the regions or abroad.

Personal Application Coaching

In interactive coaching with you, either face-to-face or by telephone depending on your location, we prepare you thoroughly to satisfy EX-Minus 1 and EX-01 application requirements.

This entails:

• Review of the job poster and merit criteria particular to your competition
• Templates to use in constructing your cover letter or online application answers precisely to follow the screening format
• Analysis of your background from documents you send us (current CV/resume and a previous application(s)), followed by a conversation to identify aspects of your experience that best suit competition criteria
• Instruction showing how to frame your experiential examples for clarity, for the brevity needed to meet possible word or character count requirements, and for impact
• Detailed discussion of sample cover letter and CV/resume materials we provide to demonstrate key features to use in your application

Our Personal Application Coaching can be carried out in three ways that vary in time and cost, depending on your needs. We can provide a critique of your materials followed by personal coaching with samples, after which you do follow up work alone; or we can deliver the critique, coaching with samples, then edit your draft outputs; or we can do all cover letter and CV/resume work, checking in with you throughout the process until final versions are completed for you to submit.

Personal Interview Coaching

To address typical concerns about the interview’s substance and form, relate the process to the previous experience of applicants, and significantly improve performance, our coaching and materials cover: instruction to clarify assessment methodology, essential background reading, diverse question types and how to prepare for all of them, pitfalls to avoid, and proven advice to develop the knowledge, skills and comfort level needed for your interview.

The 6-hour consultation is prefaced by advance assessment by us of your original application material to extract information helpful for you to use at the interview, and entails two face-to-face or telephone meetings that cover every aspect of preparing you to encounter the interview board. You will receive:

• A revealing explanation of what government "executive competencies" actually mean, and an understanding of the way to reflect them in your answers to attain high scores
• A picture of the ideal world underlying and influencing the interview, and guidance on appropriate behaviours for you to demonstrate in this context
• An incisive overview of specific, high-level government policy and management materials you must understand and interconnect to answer broad-based and department-specific questions in a strategic way
• A series of conceptual tools—and training in how to use them—to respond effectively to any mix of past experience and knowledge-based and situational questions
• Expert coaching to develop and deliver your personal “sales pitch” laying out career highlights that connect your background to requirements
• A comprehensive run-through of sample interview questions and answers you craft based on the information and techniques we provide
• Helpful tactics you can use along with possible questions to raise at the end of the interview
• Informed, personal answers to special concerns you have about your interview opportunity

Who Can Benefit from Our Coaching?

Clients for our EX coaching have included first-time and previously unsuccessful candidates for individual positions or for qualifying pools in a wide array of departments and agencies. All information about our clients—past and present—is kept confidential.

Our success rate in helping individuals for EX applications and interviews is over 70%, much higher than the low general pass rates, depending on the competition.

We receive referrals from senior EX- and DM-level officials, current and retired, as well as from former government colleagues and past clients who have used our services.

Why Use Our Services?

We are the only career coaching firm that specializes in helping candidates understand and advance in government, multilateral organization and international NGO hiring and promotion competitions—from entry level to executive level.

No service offered by government, universities or the private sector—past or present, in North America or abroad—matches our expertise or placement record over the past 25 years. The success rate of our clients in institutional hiring and promotion processes attests to the high quality training we provide. Please take the time to read the testimonials sent to us by clients and supporters displayed under Client & Supporter Comments [click here].

For additional information on what we do and why we know how to help you, see our List of Standard Programs and Services [click here], About Us [click here], and the Profile of Our Director [click here].

Fees

Application Coaching One-on-one counselling in person or by telephone: In Canada $495 minimum + $150/hour editing work if requested + applicable taxes (materials included) From U.S. and Abroad $495 minimum + $150/hour editing work if requested (materials included/no taxes)

Interview Coaching

Two one-on-one sessions and materials, in person or by telephone:

• In Canada $995 Cdn + applicable taxes

• From outside Canada $995 Cdn (no tax)

Long distance consultations are carried out only on calls placed by clients. Times can be arranged to take advantage of discounted rates, Canadian and international time zones, and client availability.

Further Information

Please Contact Us [click here] to receive further details on Application or Interview Coaching or to set up an appointment to discuss your needs and how we can help you.