YOU Session preparation checklist: before your Careers Coach call

Check your application tasks

Review the Candidate Hub and your appointment message. Confirm that requested information is complete or progressing and that your contact details are correct. Follow the official sequence for your application.

Prepare your role shortlist

For each preferred role, write why it interests you and what you know about the duties and training. Add a short list of questions. Keep the notes concise enough to find information quickly during preparation.

Choose personal examples

Think about work, education, sport and responsibilities that reflect your actual experience. Be ready to explain your contribution and what you learned. Do not replace your own story with an impressive example from someone else.

Arrange the call environment

Choose a quiet place and check your connection and appointment time. Have a way to record follow-up actions. Afterwards, review the tasks issued to you and organise any further information requested.

The day-before research check

Open the official information for each role you intend to discuss. Can you explain what interests you without reading the page aloud? Can you identify what remains uncertain? Put those questions on your preparation sheet. If two roles have similar titles, label your notes clearly so you do not mix up their details.

Do not attempt to memorise every sentence on the website. Focus on understanding the information relevant to your choice and knowing where a detail came from. This makes it easier to correct your notes if you receive updated guidance and to avoid repeating something you have not verified.

A compact document and task check

Use your actual invitation and Candidate Hub tasks as the checklist. Confirm which items are complete and which remain outstanding. If a document request is unclear, resolve that through the official contact. A general guide cannot tell you that your personal paperwork is sufficient.

Keep your appointment details and a way to take notes available. Store sensitive records securely and use the instructed submission channel. The goal is to remove simple organisational distractions, so that you can focus on the conversation rather than search through unrelated files during it.

A personal examples check

Write a few short prompts about real experiences from work, education, sport or other activities. Include your role in the situation and what you learned. Choose examples you can explain comfortably and accurately, not stories selected because they sound more impressive than your actual experience.

Try saying an example aloud and listen for unnecessary detail. Can someone understand the task and your action without a lengthy introduction? If not, simplify the explanation. You are preparing to communicate, not writing a performance script. These prompts are optional reflection tools, not an official list of questions.

A final call and follow-up check

Check the appointment time and any time-zone detail. Arrange the environment according to the format you have been given and reduce avoidable interruptions. If you cannot attend or encounter a problem, use the contact information in your instructions rather than simply missing the appointment.

Afterwards, write down the agreed actions, unanswered questions and any next appointment details. Update the checklist with what actually happened. This closes the loop between preparation and follow-up, and gives you a useful record for the next conversation instead of leaving the details to memory.