It's a fair question: What can I expect from this program that an English class would not give me? When is coaching more appropriate, and when is coaching more appropriate?
Within coaching there is a lot of teaching; within teaching, there is a lot of coaching - so what sets the two apart?
But when you compare the goals of teaching and coaching, the differences begin to become apparent.
Coaching (noun): "A partnership between clients and their coach in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity, and leadership."
The Goals of Teaching vs the Goals of Coaching
Professional and personal development both have specific moments best supported by coaches, as well as specific moments best supported by teachers.
Simply put, a teacher's goal is to expand his or her students' knowledge. A teacher wants his or her students to learn and apply new information.
A coach, on the other hand, has the goal of expanding existing knowledge.
The International Federation of Coaching (IFC) defines coaching as a "partnership between clients and their coach in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity, and leadership."
Having had the experience of working as an English as a Foreign Teacher for several years transitioning into coaching, I think that one of the key differences between a coach and a teacher is the mindset that comes with those two goals.
When working with a professional who is teaching you in your interview preparation, a program will be designed on the assumption that your teacher knows more than you. That is, that the teacher is more knowledgable on how interviews work, what type of questions are asked, and how you should answer them.
When working with a professional who is coaching you in your interview preparation, a program will be designed on the assumption that your experiences have informed you how to conceptualize interviews, but that focused practice and activities should expand your existing knowledge.
A teacher teaches you how to "do well" on an interview. The problem with this strategy, though, is that there are no widely accepted rules or rubrics on what a "successful" interview is - that all depends on the organization and the interviewer.
A coach guides you towards an understanding of what you consider successful interview performance, and then (through Guided Practice and Discovery Activities) helps you discover and understand what content you can share during your interview.
How OmniInterview is Different
Ultimately the goal is not that you become an expert on structures, but that you can mechanize the structures you learn with OmniInterview to deliver spontaneous responses in your job interview.
OmniInterview is different because we involve both teaching and coaching in our method.
The ultimate goal is an efficient, time-effective, yet challenging program.
In order to do that, OmniInterview does not expect our clients to "self-discover" strategies and structures that can be used to communicate. OmniInterview does not expect our clients to "self-discover" the most appropriate way to speak concisely.
Instead, OmniInterview teaches the most essential components of the job interview, such as structures to answer behavioral questions, strategies to deliver well-balanced answers, basic theory of persuasion and communication.
Then, through our Coaching Sessions, we coach our clients on their use of those structures and strategies. Ultimately the goal is not that you become an expert on structures, but that you can mechanize the structures you learn with OmniInterview to deliver spontaneous responses in your job interview.