I woke up frantically this morning after a series of weird dreams pertaining to me missing my interview, being late to the interview and one where I forgot about it all together. I was happy to see the clock read 6:30am when I actually woke up. Of course, I would wake up with a sore, scratchy throat. Bleh.
I actually put on make up this morning. It helps. And it's nice to make the scary circles beneath my eyes disappear.
I was nervous, because this is like a real job. With pretty good benefits and acceptable pay. Interviews are weird. It seems crazy that these people are going to meet me one time and then just decide if I'm good enough to be hired. Because, no matter what happens in that interview, I am good enough to be hired.
The drive wasn't too bad. It took me about 35-40 minutes to get there and that was driving pretty slow while watching the map on my phone and listening to the GPS trying to find the place, while also not killing the other drivers.
I got there 10 minutes early, of course. But they were 10 minutes late starting my interview. So the 20 minutes of sitting there was pretty boring. Except for, I was in the family/child service waiting room. So, pretty entertaining people hanging around there.
I was called back to a room where five ladies sat at a table. They introduced themselves and then asked for all of the stuff I had for them. I had an application, 4 reference letters, resume and cover letter. Over-achiever? Nah... just prepared. After collecting my stuff they handed me a piece of paper with some questions on it and Lady 1 said, "Here are the questions we'll be asking you today. When you answer we are going to write down what you say. So, don't be bothered by us writing."
This made me more nervous. But, I smiled and said sure.
The first questions was simple. They asked, "Tell me about yourself and your qualifications for this position."
I answered simply, too. I told them about the depths of my degree, some of my classes pertaining to crisis family interventions, my internships that had prepared me for in-home support services, and that I was a motivated individual willing to learn new things along the way.
The second and third questions were, "How do you feel about professionalism/being punctual?" and "What would your past advisers/employers say about you in regards to being professional/punctual?"
I was honest. I told them that professionalism was very important in the work place, because it doesn't just set the tone for a specific interaction, but it speaks about the individuals within a company, too. I explained that I felt it was important to be representative over your profession, so that you do have a credible reputation and people will view you as a credible source. I went on to express my belief that it speaks volumes about a person's integrity, of which I have a high degree of.
I then told them, I felt I had built a positive rapport in this area with previous advisers and employers and that they would say I'm an upholding employee of both.
The fourth question was, "How would you handle an irate client, who is expressing themselves angrily, if your supervisor wasn't around?"
I answered that I would let them express themselves, and validate their feelings. I would want to make their opinion feel important. I would inform them of any policies and procedures I was aware of regarding whatever situation had them upset. I would then stress that I would be in touch with my supervisor immediately to see how we could work with them to achieve an outcome that everyone could benefit from. Depending on the issue at hand, I might be able to direct them to other personnel or community resources. Most importantly, I would want them to feel like their concern was a serious priority to me.
The fifth question was, "This job is constantly having routine switches and unexpected things come up, how will you cope with this?"
I told them that I was an organized person. That I believed in knowing company policies and procedures to follow for a variety of situations. And that if I could be prepared for something, then I would be. I said that just because things can't be planned for, doesn't mean they can't be handled efficiently. I told them I could think fast on my feet, and I could handle things in a professional way, following appropriate guidelines to achieve an end goal. I also commented, that I would learn more about how to cope with these kinds of situations through trainings and colleagues, who could prepare me to handle situations effectively.
I don't remember what the sixth question was right now...
The seventh question was, "Office hours are 8-5, but say a case comes in at 4:30pm. There are three kids living in a house that is filthy, with roaches, the kids all have lice, they haven't been fed in days... what do you do?"
I answered that I would follow whatever standard procedure is for a case like this. That the time of day doesn't matter as much as the priority of servicing a family in an extreme crisis and in extreme need of help. I told them I would do whatever was necessary, sacrificing my own time at the cost of it, because the families that I serve would deserve no less.
The last question was, "Why should we pick you for this job?"
I told them that I had gained a variety of skills and perspectives that I felt made me an ideal candidate for this job. I explained that I had learned a lot about local community resources that I could apply to this position, and that I was an extremely motivated individual who would learn new things specific to each case and situation. I told them, "You should pick me because I'm compassionate towards these children and families, with a passion to help them."
After that they told me there was one last question, but that it was a written response. Before they handed it to me they asked me if I had any questions. And I've always heard that it's good to ask questions, so the following are things I asked them:
What benefits does this position provide?
What trainings and evaluations will I undergo?
When could I expect to hear about their decision?
I went back to the little waiting room to fill and completed the written question.
It asked, "What are your feelings towards a parent or parents who abuse or neglect their children. How will your feelings impact your ability to work with these families."
I answered, "Honestly, it's sad and frustrating to hear about parents who abuse or neglect their children. Overwhelmingly, I feel that this is a situation that occurs out of frustration and lack of education regarding the situation a parent is dealing with. Though I have disapproval for a parent's choice to take it out on their children, I have sympathy for their lack of ability to handle it appropriately. I feel that this perspective will positively impact my ability to work with these families. My goal will be to educate and inform, to train and support. At all costs, my implementation will be shaped around the very best outcome for the child and utilizing whatever resources to achieve that. The process goal will be to correct a parent's behavior, so that they can feel more confident in their ability to appropriately handle the crisis situations.
I have no idea if they will hire me, but I feel I answered all the questions acceptably.
My thoughts and feelings about the interview:
It was awkward. It was short, but not very sweet. The ladies were completely emotionless, expressionless and monotone. They wrote nearly the entire time I was in the room so making eye-contact wasn't even an option. I just stared into the faces of five women as they vigorously wrote down the answers I had to their questions. There wan't feedback or a back-and-forth exchange. No 'conversation' at all. No joking, no small talk. All business. Like a test.
Granted, that's basically what an interview is, but geez. Make your candidates feel a little welcome, eh?
BLARGH!! Now it's the hideous waiting game. Stay tuned.
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