Career Development in Action: the Next Era of CIC

When I first earned my PARWCC interview coaching certification in 2019, it was called the Certified Employment Interview Professional.  It was a classic self-study program: a 122-page online manual and an inspiring one-hour session with Program Director Jay Block before a written exam. It was insightful, practical, and gave me tools I still use today. That version of the CIC, first introduced in 1998, set the bar for professional interview coaching in our field. 

After Jay Block’s retirement, I am honored to step into the role of CIC Program Director and guide the CIC into its next era.  Jay’s pioneering work defined interview coaching as a professional discipline long before the field recognized its value.  He challenged the career services industry to understand the centrality of interview skills to a candidate’s success: the resume gets the interview, but the interview gets the job.  Jay reframed the job interview as an exciting opportunity to identify and articulate one’s own value. He imagined interview coaches guiding clients through a preparation process that was engaging, confidence-building and even fun. For decades, the CIC has elevated interview skills training from a coaching add-on to a recognized professional specialty. He showed us that interview preparation deserves its own rigor, tools, and standards. I want this next chapter of the CIC to honor that vision and give interview coaches the skills and the practice to guide clients through realities of today’s interview landscape.

I’ve seen job interviews change dramatically in just the past few years. Employers care less about credentials and more about proof of real skills.  Interviewers expect sharper storytelling, deeper self-awareness, and a presence that feels both grounded and genuine. And as AI quietly begins to influence how competencies, communication, and engagement are evaluated, our clients need to show up authentically in every setting, to connect with the technology and with the humans behind it. 

Every day in my work, I stay mindful of this reality: A silver medal in the competition for a job is still a rejection letter.  When a client hires me as their interview coach, they are placing enormous trust in me. They are not paying me to get them to the final round. Clients count on interview coaches to help them outperform every other candidate and win the offer. That is a responsibility we must take seriously, and the new CIC is designed to prepare us for it.

Launching on January 8, 2026, the new CIC program is a live, six-session cohort built for mastery and practice. It’s about learning what makes a great interview coach while getting the hands-on experience to be one.

Here is the difference:

• Instead of studying alone, we will learn together in community.
• Along with frameworks and strategies, we will coach each other, assess real answers, and practice the tough calls.
• Training is grounded in the latest data and hiring trends so coaches are always aligned with what employers value today.

Coaches who complete the new CIC will be able to help clients:

• Communicate value with concise and focused clarity.
• Deliver fit propositions that resonate and differentiate them from the competition.
• Build rapport with an authentic and confident presence that inspires trust.
• See real results by moving forward in processes, hearing better feedback, and getting offers.

And there is another huge benefit clients will get from working with CIC coaches: interview skills are communication skills that impact an entire career. A client who learns to articulate value, demonstrate fit, and build presence in an interview can also use those same skills to negotiate a raise, win over a boardroom, or step confidently into leadership. At the heart of my work is my deep conviction that interview skills — and the coaches who teach them — have the power to catapult careers and change lives.

The original CIC gave us the foundation. The 2026 CIC relaunch builds on it and brings it into the present, with a format designed to give coaches real practice and evidence-based tools.

Stepping into the leadership role for a program built by a mentor whose work and philosophy have shaped my professional thinking comes with gratitude, excitement and deep sense of responsibility. My commitment is to carry forward Jay’s legacy and ensure the CIC remains the gold standard for interview coaching. I cannot wait to learn, practice, and grow alongside those of you who join me in the first cohort.

Registration is open, and seats will be limited. As we enter National Career Development Month, I hope you will join us in shaping the next era of interview coaching.