So you’ve applied for a social work position and the hiring manager was impressed by your CV. You’ve now been invited to interview for the social work position.

Congratulations!

An interview is your chance to further demonstrate your strengths as a candidate, and land the job you want. We’ve written a guide packed with tips to help you do just that:

The Basics

Before any interview, be sure to cover the basics below:

Date, Time and Location

When is your interview, and where will it take place? You’ll need to know, so you can plan how to get there in advance and see what transport links are available. If you’re driving, plan a route and find a nearby car park. If you are taking public transport, see where the local routes and stations are. If possible, test your route before interview day to get a better idea of timings.

Format and Requirements

Interviews can take many different forms and it’s important to know what yours will involve. Will it be formal or informal? How long will it last? Will you be interviewed by an individual or a panel? Will there be any tests or exercises? Don’t be afraid to ask these questions – they will help to ensure you prepare properly.

Before The Job Interview

Taking time to properly prepare will help you to give the best account of yourself during the interview.

Research the Employer

Always research the council or organisation you’re interviewing for. Have they had any recent press coverage? Are they running any new initiatives or transformation projects in social services? Take time to look at their website, and look at their most up-to-date Ofsted inspection or other relevant reports. Ensure you take note of anything that may impact the position you’re interviewing for. It’s obvious to interviewers when a candidate has done their research, and having this information to hand gives you opportunities to impress.

Sharpen your Social Work Knowledge

Make sure you are up-to-date on recent news and developments in social work before the interview. Research any new or upcoming legislation that might affect your role. Being able to understand and discuss these topical issues will show you are knowledgeable, and will help you tailor answers to the interviewer’s questions.

Analyse your Strengths and Weaknesses

Your interviewer will likely ask plenty of questions about you and your abilities. Recognising your strengths and weaknesses means you can better anticipate and prepare for their questions. Take time to compare your CV to the job description and person specification and consider the skills and abilities you can showcase. Also, think about the weaknesses or areas of development your interviewer might ask about. If the job advert is very brief, ask for a full job description beforehand. It’s important to have examples and evidence of when you have demonstrated your strengths, so take time to think about real cases or situations which you can describe to your interviewer. Similarly, be critical and think of strategies to address your weaknesses. For example, if you think your interviewer might ask about a lack of post-qualified experience, point out your voluntary and placement work.

Anticipate Likely Questions

The questions asked in the interview will likely include general questions on social work as well as specific questions relating to your team or service user group. For example, they may ask you about what the importance of supervision is, or what you think makes an effective child protection social worker. Questions like these will give the interviewer a better idea of your ability, your approach to the work, and whether this approach matches up with the organisation’s own. By anticipating these potential themes and questions in advance, you can give a stronger answer if they are brought up in the interview. There’s no need to over-prepare or script your answers to all the individual questions that might come up. Instead, you should be prepared to discuss these topics in depth.

Expect Competency-Based Questions

Competency-based questions are popular in social work interviews. A competency-based question requires you to describe a situation from experience, showing how you acted, the reasons why and the outcomes. They are designed to demonstrate your skills and abilities in real-life situations. For example, the interviewer may ask you to describe a time when you had to build a relationship with a difficult service user.

To prepare for this, remember the STAR technique.

• Describe the Situation you were in (S)
• The Task you needed to complete (T)
• The Action you took (A)
• And, what the Result was for you and others (R)

Prepare your own Questions

The interviewer shouldn’t be the only person asking questions. Preparing your own questions can help you gain crucial information about the role, the team, and the way the organisation is run. This will allow you to decide whether the job appeals to you, and to tailor your responses to fit the interviewer’s requirements more closely.

Intelligent questions will also impress the interviewer and demonstrate your insight into the role. You could ask about the team’s work – what computer system they use, what their thresholds and assessment timeframes are, and the challenges they’re currently facing. You could also enquire about what CPD and support opportunities would be available if you took the post. Make sure these questions are intelligent, and not just about your salary or holiday allowance.

You may even wish to write down these questions on a notepad in advance and take it into the room with you. Not only will this be a useful guide, it will also show that you value the role enough to visibly prepare for the interview.

If you would like a new career as a Social Worker, or would like to discuss your options, then please make contact with our friendly team today and send us your CV here. We have lots of great Social Work, Support Worker,or Scheme Manager / Supported and retirement living coordinator positions available across Liverpool, Wirral, Merseyside, Knowsley and surrounding areas.