About - Next Steps

Claire Bain - Executive and Career Coach

2020 has been a storm year with many of us facing major disruptions? Now more than ever we appreciate it is the people around us that carry us through. Now is the time to appreciate and develop a sustainable performance from you and your team.

Let me help you. I’m Claire Bain – the owner of Next Steps – the thread of my 30 year career has been working with businesses and individuals to improve performance and get results. I specialise in staff development aligned to company objectives. I do this through coaching, training and facilitation with clients in Northern Ireland and beyond.

Clients include large organisations (e.g. Northern Ireland Electricity, Farrans Construction , The Institute of Chartered Accountants, Newry Mourne & Down District Council), businesses (including the Horatio Group and Trackars Healthcare) and individuals from a range of backgrounds (council staff, university lecturers, solicitors, nurses, doctors, civil servants, bank staff, engineers, contractors and students).

My expertise is staff development, career and interview coaching. Providing my service virtually and face to face for clients in, County Down, Belfast and Northern Ireland.

Staff development coaching

Services for organisations include:

Career and interview coaching

Services for individuals include:

Why choose me?

Here are five key reasons to use me:

I’ve extensive practical experience gained in large companies (including 15 years’ operational management in GlaxoSmithKline) and SMEs
I’m a fully qualified/accredited coach, and my approach to coaching and facilitation is backed up with 20 years’ experience
I challenge in a supportive way – underpinned by a focus on outcomes and business results
I’ve high levels of perception and will quickly gain an understanding of your situation
I’ll give you tools and techniques that you can use on an on-going basis

Want to know more?

Get In Touch

Claire is a pleasure to work with and has a great way with her by using everyday language and simple terms to ensure you understand the competencies. Claire shows you how to identify your strengths and how to demonstrate your skills effectively during the interview.

Claire offers an extra service by providing feedback with preparing your answers, this is a valuable add on service which helps you to understand if your answers are complete and that you are answering the question in the correct way.

As a result, I secured my permanent role, if you have an upcoming interview I highly recommend using Claire, you will have no regrets.

Thank you once again for everything and…..

Competency based interview coaching

I got word that I was going to be interviewed over Zoom! Added to that pressure I had not had an interview for many years. I knew I needed help. I found Claire through google search and so glad I got in touch with her and got interview coaching.

With Claire’s assistance, I felt better prepared and more focused to answer the questions. Working with Claire over Zoom helped me get over my Zoom phobia and I felt more comfortable and relaxed.

Claire showed me how to prepare which saved me lots of wasted preparation time. Thank you.

Much appreciated.

Senior manager, Civil service.

Virtual interview coaching

Claire is definitely the person to go to for career coaching.

She is genuine, honest and most importantly, interested in really listening to help the mentee connect with their own thought/action process.

I found the sessions challenging, both mentally and emotionally and Claire was caring and kind. I have worked with others previously who have not had the same level of comprehension as Claire regarding just how much impact the emotional side has. Thank you for your time Claire, for great listening and thought provoking questions. For challenging and for supporting with ideas for me to further explore where and what I want to do.

Career coaching testimonal

Claire Bain’s educated and considered approach to keeping Trackars’ management and its people on track to meet the businesses time-based objectives, has been /is a key component to our strategy and success. P.Casement, MD, Trackars Healthcare.

Business owner coaching

I went to Claire in order to develop my interview skills and whilst working through various elements, I realised that I needed to focus on personal development prior to making any major career based decisions.

By completing different exercises Claire has helped me rediscover my strengths, reveal new ones and also identify what is important to me.

The result has been to instil a new found confidence which will allow me to progress to the next stage of my life. This was all achieved through Claire’s ability to put me at ease, help me see things from a different perspective and her positive attitude.”. Wendy F, H.R. Co-ordinator

Building interview coaching

“Claire has a forensic ability to cut through your self doubts and mental inertia in order to make you identify and analyse your strengths and abilities. Through the process you gain confidence to formulate your own strategy for getting that promotion!

I’m so glad I enlisted Claire’s help.” B.Mason, Educational National Manager

Executive coaching