About Purple Patch Interview Skills Coaching

Julie Irwin

Julie Irwin, Director of Purple Patch, is a highly experienced interviewer having recruited and interviewed at all levels from placement / junior / graduate entry level to senior positions over the last 20 years.

This included organising and preparing job descriptions, devising interview formats and questions, selecting &training interview panellists and compiling interview scoring templates.  She is passionate about taking individuals and students and giving them the tools to recognise their unique qualities, build up their confidence and enable them to effectively compete with their peers.

Julie is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel with over 20 years experience as a  Human Resources Manager in various roles and industry sectors across Northern Ireland.

She has an in-depth understanding of what employers are looking, specialises in all types of interview coaching and training to ensure you are well prepared for telephone interviews, competency based panel interviews and group assessment scenarios.

Diane Whitehouse – Associate

Diane is an experienced HR professional, with over 10 years working in the Utilities sector in England, holding various senior positions, including HR Business Partner.

Diane has designed and implemented company-wide resourcing processes, which have included developing detailed person specifications and a wide range of selection processes, such as graduate assessment centres and internal and external recruitment across all levels in the organisation.  She knows what is expected at each stage of the selection process and is able to support candidates through their recruitment journey.

Diane is a psychology graduate and a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Amanda Carson, Associate

A Marketing Professional with over 20 years experience across various sectors including soft drinks, food and transport. As Marketing Manager with Cantrell and Cochrane Belfast held responsibility for marketing Pepsi, 7UP, Club Orange, Ballygowan and C&C across Northern Ireland.

Currently a Member of The Design Group at Invest NI in a Project Partnership with Queens University, Amanda provides marketing and branding advice to Invest NI Client companies across a wide range of sectors and organisations. She also has extensive experience planning and implementing marketing strategies for SMEs within Northern Ireland. Purple Patch are delighted to have Amanda on the team, providing extensive marketing insight to enable individuals, pupils and teachers to maximise their CV and interview performance.