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Amy Wiggins & Natalie Smith, Careers and Employability Service
Social Workwww.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm
What we will be covering:
• Applications • What employers look for • The STAR approach• Personal statements
• Interview skills • Typical questions• How to handle difficult questions• Presentation• Body language• Group interviews
RTFQ!
Re-read and highlight the main points
Write your answer
Check you have covered each point
Include key words
Please let us know why a career at Deloitte appeals to you compared with other career options? (max 100 words in bullet point format).
An application form could include various questions…
For questions where you are asked to ‘explain a time when…’, it is useful to use the STAR approach:
Situation – set the scene
Task - what needed to be done/achieved?
Action - this should take up the main chunk of the answer, what action did YOU take?
Result - this is the ‘proof’ that you succeeded, try and give evidence such as statistics if possible
You may not always be asked questions, you may need to write a personal statement…
You can find lots of tips here, including the ‘point and evidence’ technique
The main thing is to ensure you have covered everything they are looking for
Structure – can be in essay form or use headings from the person specification
MINIMUMQUALIFICATIONS
Degree in Social Work (Dip HE/Degree or Post Grad) and registration as a social worker with the Health Care Professional’s Council
EXPERIENCE
Relevant experience to demonstrate the competencies required.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Good interpersonal skills in order to communicate effectively with clients and colleagues, and when working in groups Ability to prioritise and to work effectively on own initiative as well as within a team Good report-writing skills and the ability to communicate clearly in writing Ability to work within a court setting Computer literate
KNOWLEDGE
A working knowledge of child development and demonstrate an ability to underpin practice with a theoretical base, including attachment theory and the needs of Looked After Children/Children in Need/children in the Child Protection system A working knowledge of national policies, frameworks and regulations. Working knowledge of Quality Protects and Working Together A working knowledge of County procedures relating to Looked After Children/Children in Need/Child ProtectionA knowledge of family court proceedings Knowledge of family relationships Good knowledge of assessment frameworks
PERSONAL QUALITIES
Emotionally resilientWillingness to attend regular training opportunitiesCommitment to equal opportunitiesDiscretionFlexibilityAbility to travel across a wide geographical area in a timely and flexible manner at various times of the day
COMPETENCIES Competencies are set within the Competency Framework for Children’s Social Services.
Example job specification…
Always put your answers in Word first, as not all application forms will spell check (and you can save your answers)
Use the word limit as a guide to how much you should write
Keep in mind the qualities the employer are looking for – they will ‘tick off’ each quality as they see evidence of it
37% of employers decided against hiring someone because of what they were wearing
80% of interviewers think it is inappropriate to wear red to an interview
99% of bosses interviewing female applicants say they would be inclined to mark them down if they wore dangly jewellery
95% find low-necked tops and no tights unsuitable interview attire(The Ladders)
Tom: Audit SupervisorBaker Tilly
Alison, Vanessa, Caroline, LizCanterbury Christ Church PGCE
We look for how the candidate is presented. They need to be professional. We also value
communication skills and confidence. The thing that annoys us most in the interview process are the ‘know it all’
candidates!
Tips for women: http://www.channel4.com/4beauty/style/what-to-wear/what-to-wear-to-an-interview
Tips for men: http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview/interview-appearance/mens-interview-fashion-tips/article.aspx
Be familiar with the employer website
Re-read employer information
Remind yourself why you find this employer attractive
Keep up to date with current affairs – know about any changes in social work/be aware of relevant news stories
Interview questions may be:
▪ Hypothetical (what would you do if…)▪ Competency based (describe a situation where you…)▪ ‘Traditional’ interview questions (tell me about yourself)
In your answers, keep in mind the skills the employer will be looking for.
Be honest.
Why did you choose to study Social Work?
Why should we employ you?
What do you know about the organisation/role?
Tell us about yourself
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What do you do in your spare time?
What is your greatest achievement?
Tell me about a time where you have worked at the edge of your comfort zone? How did you manage?
What has been your biggest challenge in your experience so far?
How is your experience relevant to this position?
Describe a situation where you had to .....
show leadership make a difficult decision overcome a difficult obstacle refuse to compromise work with others to solve a problem
What would you do differently?
Take turns to be the interviewer/candidate
Interviewer – take notes identifying how the answer fits into the STAR approach (list the situation, task, action and result)
You have 5 minutes so make sure you split your time accordingly
5 minutes
End
What would you do you felt threatened during a home visit?
How would you handle a psychotic outburst in the clinic waiting room?
What would you do if you disagreed with something your supervisor was doing?
What would you do if a person became aggressive when talking to you?
Used precisely because it's impossible to work out your answer beforehand
Tests your ability to think quickly, logically, produce practical solutions
Don't panic! Take a few seconds to think - this shows confidence
There may be many possible solutions.
Ask for some thinking time
Tell them you would need to research the answer
Ask if you can come back to that question later
“I’m afraid I don’t know” is better than waffle
Keep the answer short if you are operating at the edge of your comfort zone
Shake hands warmly, but wait to be invited to sit down.
SmileTry to relax - don’t sit on the edge
of your chair, but don’t slouch.Speak clearly and not too fastDon’t fidgetKeep up good eye contact with the
interviewer
Body language at interviews
Get back into your pairs and take it in turns to be interviewer/candidate
Interviewer – take notes regarding the candidate’s body language using the assessment form
You have 5 minutes
5 minutes
End
Will I have a mentor in the workplace?
How many people work in the team?
Is there room for progression?
How did you progress to your role?
Some local authorities use group interviews, examples have included:
Applicants were given a case study and were given questions to answer in a small group. Selectors were looking for understanding of the issues, relevant law and guidance, communication skills, the ability to argue their point and respect views of other candidates
In tray exercises – candidates were given 8 different circumstances and were asked to prioritise them.
