← Back to Wicklow Speaking Club
Practise the pressure before it counts

Interview Confidence.

Every meeting puts you through on-the-spot questions, real feedback on how you come across, and structured practice thinking clearly under pressure — the exact skills that interviews test.

Why this works

Interviews are a performance. You need a rehearsal space.

You already know your experience. What you need is practice saying it out loud, under a little pressure, to people who will tell you honestly how you land.

That is exactly what a speaking club meeting is. Every meeting has a round of on-the-spot questions where you answer something you haven't prepared for — it's the closest thing to an interview panel you'll find outside an actual interview. And unlike practising alone in your kitchen, you get real feedback from real people.

In a job interview

"Tell me about yourself"
Curveball question you didn't expect
Panel watching your body language
You have no idea how you came across
One shot, no feedback

At the club

Short talks about yourself and your experience
On-the-spot questions every single meeting
A friendly room noticing your presence
Specific, kind feedback on exactly how you landed
Practice as many times as you like
Three skills, one meeting

Every meeting trains the three things interviewers actually judge.

You don't need a course. You need a room, some pressure, and honest feedback. Here's what you build.

Skill 1

Think on your feet

Every meeting has a round of on-the-spot questions. You get a question you haven't seen, and you answer for one to two minutes. It's the single best rehearsal for "Tell me about a time when…" questions — and you do it every time you come.

In practice: a friendly question, a short answer, and no one judges you for stumbling. Most people are surprised how quickly they improve.
Skill 2

Know how you land

After every answer and every talk, someone gives you specific, kind feedback: what worked, what to try differently, how your body language read. You stop guessing how you come across and start knowing.

In practice: feedback is always structured — what was strong first, then one thing to try. It's encouraging, never harsh.
Skill 3

Project confidence

Pace, pauses, eye contact, posture — the things interviewers notice before you finish your first sentence. You practise them in a room where it's safe to experiment, not in the interview where it counts.

In practice: you pick up delivery skills naturally by speaking and watching others. Small changes, big difference.
What a few meetings looks like

A few meetings with the club can start to shift everything.

There's no fixed programme to enrol in. Come to a few meetings, take what you need, and walk into your interview sharper.

MEETING 1

Watch, listen, get a feel

Sit in and see how a meeting runs. Notice the on-the-spot question round, the feedback, the warmth. You don't have to say a word.

MEETING 2–3

Answer your first on-the-spot questions

You'll get a light, friendly question and give a one- to two-minute answer. You'll be surprised — it feels easier than you expected, and you get immediate, encouraging feedback on how you came across.

MEETING 3–4

Give a short prepared talk

Tell the room about yourself in four to six minutes — the same story you'll tell an interviewer, but in a room that gives you feedback instead of a verdict.

KEEP COMING

Sharpen the edge

Every meeting adds another round of on-the-spot questions and more feedback. Your answers get tighter, your delivery gets calmer, and the interview stops feeling like a test.

And you're not on your own. From your first night you can be paired with a personal mentor — an experienced member who can help you rehearse your interview answers, sharpen your story, and give you honest feedback before the real thing.
Questions

Fair enough — let's answer them.

No. Everyone's learning and confidence journey with the club is different. Come along as our guest to a meeting and see what you think. You can tell us then what you would like to focus on and how we can help. Some people come for a few meetings before an interview; others stay much longer because they enjoy it.
Only if you want to be. Your first visit you can sit and watch the whole meeting — nobody will ask you to speak. When you're ready (usually the second or third time), you can opt in to the on-the-spot questions round. You decide the pace of practise and progress.
Light and open — things like "What's the best advice you've ever been given?" or "If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be?" They're designed to get you thinking on your feet, not to trip you up. The audience is supportive, and you'll hear everyone else's answers too.
It's not a formal interview coaching service — it's a speaking club where the format happens to train exactly the skills interviews test: thinking under pressure, structuring a clear answer, projecting confidence, and getting honest feedback. Many members find it more effective than traditional coaching because the practice is live, repeated, and social.
Come along as our guest to a meeting and see what you think. We can discuss with you exactly what you want to achieve and how long it might take. We are a non-profit club and membership fees for those who want to spend a number of months with us are very reasonable. We also offer discounts for students and those currently seeking employment.
First, third and fifth Thursdays of the month, 8–10pm, September to June. We meet at An Tairseach Ecology Centre in Wicklow Town — plenty of parking, easy to find.
If you stay longer

The club can take you further — if you want it to.

Many people come for interview confidence and discover they enjoy the wider programme. If you choose to continue, you can work through structured levels and earn recognised credentials issued by Toastmasters International.

Share to LinkedIn

Digital badges

Each level earns a verifiable badge you can add to your LinkedIn profile in a couple of clicks.

Download

Certificates

A printable certificate for every level you finish.

The full journey

Our step-by-step path for anyone who wants to go further: ten speeches, three levels, three badges, and a personal mentor.

Do you want to be a

Confident Speaker?

Why not come along as our guest, meet some club members and see what you think? No pressure to speak.

Come along as our guest
← Back to Wicklow Speaking Club