Essential Social Work Interview Preparation Guide

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Practice. Practice. Practice.

► How many social workers do you employ? What is the average length of time social workers have worked for this agency?
► What is the typical career path of social workers within this field/agency?
► To what extent will I have the opportunity to network with other agencies, or other professionals in the field?
► How would you describe the organizational culture?
► What do you think would be the most challenging experiences for a social work intern in your agency?
► What do you think would be the most rewarding experiences for a social work intern in your agency?
► How are expectations for students different from those for agency staff?
► To what extent do students have an opportunity to offer input into administration and planning?

► What do you like best about working here?
► How often, and by whom will I be supervised? What types of supervision are available? Is case consultation available?
► Are there opportunities for professional development within and beyond the agency itself?
► What can I count on from the agency to assist me in my professional development?
► With what other staff members will the person in this position work [for example, marketing department director]?
► What are the opportunities for advancement?
► Is the staff on call, and how is that handled?
► What are the agency's service delivery strengths and weaknesses?

► How do you handle shifting priorities and working in a fast-paced, pressured environment?
► What is your experience with writing quickly, under pressure?
► What do you do to keep track of a lot of information at once?
► What type of research skills/computer skills do you have?
► What specific policy issues are you interested in?

► What is your understanding of service delivery in [a particular field or region]?
► Tell me about a time you were in a disagreement over a treatment plan.
► What has been your experience with agency paperwork and how do you feel about it?
► How will you deal with the dual-relationship issues of working in a small community?
► How would you go about locating community resources in a neighborhood in which you have no relationship?

► Are you a leader ... a follower?
► Describe the process you go through in developing a [case plan, budget, workshop, contract, or marketing plan, for example].
► Describe your supervision experience? Supervision style?
► What is your ideal position and career path?
► Is there anything you would like to say to close the interview?
► Do you have any questions? YES-You should always have questions.

► Have you done this type of work in the past?
► What issues might you have with [adoption, for example]?
► What schedule will work for you?
► What are your career goals? For the next 3 years? The next 5 years? The next 10 years?
► What are some of your strengths? Some of your weaknesses?
► How do you define success for yourself?
► How do you plan?
► What is your work style?
► How do you work with others?
► Tell me about a time when you had to juggle your regular responsibilities and deal with a sudden priority?

► Why are you interested in this agency?
► How does the work in this organization fit your professional mission or experience?
► Why do you want this job? Why do you want to work for this organization?
► What are your experiences with the target population?
► Why do you want to work with this target population?
► What are your qualifications?
► What kind of supervision do you expect?
► How has your education/work experience prepared you for this position?
► What do you hope to accomplish at this agency?
► What would you like to learn here?

► What are your opinions on the current welfare system?
► Where do you think the field of social work is heading in the next five years or so?
► What is your theoretical orientation regarding family therapy?
► How would you go about locating community resources in a neighborhood in which you have no relationship?

► What do you believe are some of your biggest accomplishments in your fieldwork?
► Tell me about the most difficult case you ever worked on?
► Tell me about something you would do differently in the management of one of your previous fieldwork cases?
► Have you ever been faced with an ethical conflict in your experience as a social worker? How did you handle the situation?
► What techniques do you use in crisis intervention?

► What do you hope to accomplish as a social worker?
► Our agency serves XYZ population. What interests you about serving this population?
► How do you feel about supervision? What type of supervision do you prefer?
► How do you balance your work and personal life?
► What types of clients do you find the most difficult to work with? Why?

► What is your opinion about young generation?
► What do you consider as good topics to talk to old people about?
► How would you get closer to our target group, as a human being?
► If a client does not understand even a simple language you use, what would you do?
► Are you prepared to make home visits?
► Are you prepared to work overtime?
► Here is a problem we have. Prepare a solution and describe it to me. You have ten minutes for preparation?

► What do you consider to be your major successes and accomplishments in your last job? Who did help you the most to achieve it?
► What was your biggest failure in social work so far?
► Think of an aggressive/angry client from the past. How did you deal with the situation?
► Think about conflict situation form your last job. How did you solve the conflict?
► Describe a situation when you did something more than expected from you as a social worker?
► There are always cases we can do nothing about. Describe me such a case from your experience. What have you tried before giving up?

► Why do you want to work on this position?
► What do you hope to accomplish as a social worker?
► Why did you decided for this specific filed of social work and not for another one?
► Why should we hire you for this position?
► What characterize a good social worker from your point of view?
► What do you consider your strengths and your weaknesses as a social worker?

► Family agencies
► Children's aid societies
► Hospitals
► Mental health settings
► Addiction treatment facilities
► Correctional facilities
► Schools
► Seniors' services
► Grassroots social action organizations
► Government offices
► Social planning councils
► Employee assistance programs.

Social workers provide a variety of services, including:

► Individual, family and couple assessment and counselling
► Psychotherapy
► Mediation/alternate dispute resolution
► Custody/access assessments
► Employee assistance programs (EAPs)
► Adoptions
► Career/employment counselling and placement
► Vocational assessments/rehabilitation
► Stress management
► Counselling for eating disorders
► Grief, loss and trauma counselling
► Addictions counselling
► Mental capacity assessment

People from all age groups and all walks of life consult social workers. Social workers provide services to individuals, couples, families, groups, communities and corporations.

Social workers are found in many settings, including private practice, mental health, health, schools, community agencies, public welfare, agency administration, legislative services and policy and planning. Social work's approach is unique among the helping professions because it focuses on people's problems in the context of their social environment. Social workers believe that people are influenced by the strengths and weaknesses of those around them - in their families, communities, workplaces, and organizations.

The Master of Social Work Program prepares students for advanced direct professional practice with individuals, families, households, groups, organizations, and communities. Students learn the clinical, organizational, policy and administrative skills necessary for promoting social and economic justice and enhancing the quality of life for all people through agency-based, culturally sensitive advanced professional practice.

According to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), social workers help people overcome social and health problems, such as poverty, mental illness, child abuse and neglect, emotional instability, illness, economic uncertainty, domestic violence, homelessness, and drug abuse. They work directly with individuals, couples, families, and groups to identify and overcome these problems. Some social workers also work with communities, organizations, and/or systems to improve services and/or administrate social and health programs. Social workers apply their professional knowledge and skills to help people make the most effective use of their own abilities. When adequate services do not exist in a community, social workers promote the development of new services and programs.

The Preamble to the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers states: The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. A historic and defining feature of social work is the profession's focus on individual well-being in a social context and the well-being of society. Fundamental to social work is attention to the environmental forces that create, contribute to, and address problems in living.

Assess for sincerity

► Someone who exudes confidence but not arrogance
► Someone comfortable jumping into new environments but also
► willing to ask for help
► Skills - be specific
► Training - be specific
► Experience - be specific
► Personality, personal goals, passion - describe

► Speak to supervisor
► Communicate regarding unfinished tasks
► Develop action plan to address unfinished areas
► Ask for help!

► Hobbies/interests
► Family, friends, social supports
► Leave work at work
► Know limits
► Maintain a sense-of-humor
► Talk to supervisor if feeling stressed or overwhelmed
► Exercise and eat a balanced diet
► Get enough sleep