IT'S difficult not to notice a difference in the two remaining candidates of the Clydebank Post's pilot scheme to help people who had been made redundant get back into the working world.

As the candidates began session five, there was a noticeable difference – not least because our third candidate Anthony determined he was unable to carry on with the programme due to prior commitments – in our candidates themselves.

In week one, our career expert, Alison Spencer, all four candidates struggled to identify strengths during the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats exercise - which Alison explained was expected from workers who had went through the loss of a job.

Yet this week, both Anna* and Michael* were noticeably more optimistic and able to pinpoint their best features.

Alison kicked off the session with two mock interviews - a good and a bad - for the candidates to judge aspects such as body language, preparation and skills.

She said: "In an interview it's important to keep an eye on your body language.

"Interviewers – or anyone you meet – makes up their mind about you in seconds so you have to be wary of how you come across.

"People have their own habits – such as fidgeting, playing with your hair or sitting funny – but it's important to try not to put them across in an interview."

Then the careers author shifted the focus to the candidates themselves by asking for their answers to some of the mock questions, emphasising the importance of Alison's top interview rule – preparation is key – their answers sparked a surprising change since we first sat down with the pair.

Michael listed off his ability to time manage and his high accuracy and efficiency, while Anna described her hard-working nature and ability work well whether in a team or on their own.

To keep the deserved self-praise momentum going, Alison asked the candidates to complete an elevator pitch - a short pitch between 60 to 90 seconds where a job seeker details who they are, what they're doing and what they've achieved - which got its name by the amount of time one would have to chat if going up a storey in an elevator.

It's a daunting task for many, as Michael highlighted: "I've never spoken about myself for a minute in my life so it's hard."

But the duo, took it in their stride and both managed an impressive minute-long pitch each – conquering a new, but necessary skill for the dreaded interview Alison explained.

*Our candidates have chosen to remain anonymous. Their names and some personal information have been changed.