Tips On Conducting A Successful Social Work Interview Essay.

Briefly summarize your client and the reason for their visit to the agency.

Briefly describe the setting of the interview and its impact on the client.  (HR office? Social agency? School office?)

What were the social phenomena present in this case? Explain any cultural issues.

Explain how you handled your personal biases (if any). Provide some tips for social workers on how to handle personal biases regarding your client’s situation:

Explain some effective physical attending behaviors you used to help the process move toward positive responses with the mock client.

Explain how you used reflective listening to help your client feel valued.

Summarize the engagement strategies and questioning techniques you used to glean more information from your mock client.

What were some measurable goals you suggested for your mock client? How could those goals be measured and evaluated?

Summarize how you utilized verbal and nonverbal interviewing techniques. Explain how you dealt with any barriers to communication.

Explain a possible treatment plan (resources, interventions, possible groups, etc.) for your client or explain if termination is more appropriate.  What might be some possible aftercare plans for your client?

Citing two scholarly sources, in 200-250 words, take into consideration the autonomy of the client and explain how a social worker might handle a client rejecting a social worker’s aftercare treatment plan. Why is it important for a social worker to understand the client’s autonomy?

Now that you have conducted the mock interview, what part of the intake interview process proved to be the most challenging?

Explain how this assignment can help prepare you for the intake interview process when you become a social worker.

Client Summary and Reason for Visit

Briefly summarize your client and the reason for their visit to the agency.

My client is a middle age man who seems quite outgoing and composed. His main purpose for visiting the agency is seeking for a job opportunity to work in the social work programming department

Briefly describe the setting of the interview and its impact on the client.  (HR office? Social agency? School office?)

The setting of the interview is occurring in the HR office

What were the social phenomena present in this case? Explain any cultural issues. (40-50 words)

Some of the social phenomena include the urge to serve the community welfare and giving back to the society (Horejsi,  Horejsi,& Sheafor, 2010).  There is need to help the disable people, aged and poor people by providing them with care and resources. Some of the cultural issues are the traditional values and beliefs of helping the community and societal harmony and unity

Explain how you handled your personal biases (if any). Provide some tips for social workers on how to handle personal biases regarding your client’s situation:

Unconscious personal bias involves the areas where our individual  background, personal past experiences, societal stereotypes and various sub cultural context can affect our decision making process and several actions in a  meeting without knowing. During the interview I did not expose my personal bias to the client as it is highly complex. I handled my personal bias through opening my mind and reviewed my internal conversation. I also gave attention and time to the client throughout the interview to reinforce important values. I also utilize inclusive language technique. I relaxed and maintain a comfortable posture (Horejsi et al 2010).

Social workers change lens, beware of existing personal bias and take immediate action to address the issue that will benefit all clients. They should also focus on developing a vital system that incorporates aspects of fair treatment and respect for clients. They should also empower mentors for the existing underrepresented clients.

Explain some effective physical attending behaviors you used to help the process move toward positive responses with the mock client.

I used an effective reflective listening technique in order for the client to reflect his own personal thoughts and feelings. This helped me achieve positive outcome. Good attending behavior shows that the person is respectable hence making the client be free to communicate.

I maintained eye contact during important points like question and answer session to show interest on the client’s communication. I slightly leant towards the client in a relaxed manner. I also used verbal behavior where I directed my comments and several questions on the main points offered by the client. I also utilized gesture and facial expressions. This indicated ability to respond positively.

Explain how you used reflective listening to help your client feel valued.

This revolves around the ability to literally focus to the important content and feeling shown in the client’s communication. I utilized this particular aspect by hearing and understanding the client’s conversation through phrase and use of body language technique. I also used reflective listening by providing response to the client by correctly contemplating my thoughts and personal feelings that I listened to from his voice. I used a medium tone of voice, maintained a relaxed body posture and used gestures such as show of hand to demonstrate and emphasize on a point. I did this to encourage and capture the client’s attention. I this way I was able to understand what the client was saying

Setting of Interview and Its Impact on Client

Summarize the engagement strategies and questioning techniques you used to glean more information from your mock client.

Some of the engagement strategies used included:

• Getting personal and identifying the client’s goals in future. This was aimed at understanding the client’s views in order to balance life and activities thus creating a connection to gain more information from the client
• Taking the client through the company goals to identify the client expectations and strengths.
• Kenly listening the client with empathy.
• Learning what really matters to the existing client.
• By promotion of engagement through asking various important questions. This was meant to make the client comfortable and be in a relaxing mode so as to make him open up and provide more information
• Connection and encouraging the client to actively participate in various reviews.

Questioning techniques

It is evident that asking the clients the right question during the interview is an important communication system and information swap

Some of the techniques used were;

Gathering more information, learning, designing greater relationships in order to manage the client effectively.

Use of open and closed questions

Us of funnel techniques. This involves beginning with general questions and then digging deeper at each specific juncture.

Probing questions

Lead questions. They assisted the client to go to my way of thinking. This is by asking a questions with a yes response and offering him to choose between to options.

Use of rhetorical questions

What were some measurable goals you suggested for your mock client? How could those goals be measured and evaluated?

Some of the measurable goals that I recommended to my client included the following

• Documenting the client progress and job operations with the executive management in order to make sure that he is meeting the long term, short term goals and company expectations within a duration of one year.
• Having the capability of measuring objectively the overall performance per weak and progress by keep record of how many customer she bring while at the same time maintain the previous clientele base.
• During responding to customer calls, they will be answered within 2-3 rings of the line. The support chat services that helps customers will run on daily basis (remain open for 24 hrs.)
• To enhance loyalty and improved review of client service experience
• Helping the company to increase revenue or earnings by approximately 10 percent.

The goals could be measure and evaluated through choosing a specific point on which to focus a particular goal for improvement.

Proper assessment of the current existing performance of the improvement target area that has been identified.

Setting of the a key attainable point for increased improvement

Establishing a realistic and attainable deadline on the tome horizon required to complete the entire target goal. It can also be measured and evaluated by breaking down the deadline into specific period review dates to enhance manageability and progress.

Collection of the necessary measurement data set or relevant information from various pats reports, job audits and other primary sources. One can utilize a core spreadsheet in order to carry out analysis and track the required information

Summarize how you utilized verbal and nonverbal interviewing techniques. Explain how you dealt with any barriers to communication.

Verbal techniques

I spoke with clear voice volume, took care of my word and phrase pronunciation, speech intonation and use of rhythm techniques. I maintained positivity throughout the entire interview when sharing my work and personal experiences (Horejsi et al 2010). I also prepared important questions about the company and my prevailing job position. I carried out research in order to be more knowledgeable and experienced that the client

Non verbal

I utilized this aspect by being confident during the interview through direct eye contact and maintaining a suitable position posture. I also respected the personal space of the client. I dressed appropriately looking good and clean. I also avoided exaggeration by maintaining a balance between various subtle body movements and using an over stiff posture.

Dealing with barriers to communication.

I used a plain and understandable language. I utilized repetition, visual communication techniques and maintained clients respect. I focused, listened carefully, paid attention and asked questions to prevent commination barriers.

Why is it important for a social worker to understand the client’s autonomy? Explain how a social worker might handle a client rejecting a social worker’s aftercare treatment plan

Understanding clients autonomy is important as it improves the confidence and decision making ability of the client. Social worker thus honors and respects the personal domain and decisions of the clients which is important in carrying out duties diligently (Rubin, & Babbie, 2016). It also enables the social workers to manage and control conflicts. Social workers also respect and promote the ability of various clients to have self-determination. They help them to acknowledge and offer their personal goal clarification.

What part of the intake interview process proved to be the most challenging?

The hardest part of the intake interview occurred in the first 2 minutes. This is because the client and I were trying to make the largest positive and negative impression of each other (Horejsi et al 2010). There was some difficulty in finding the common ground of the interview and acquiring ‘in sync’. Another hard was preparation for the actual interview session with the client.

Explain how this assignment can help prepare you for the intake interview process when you become a social worker.

This assignment provided me with active listening and communication skills that are important in the field of social work. As a social worker I will be required to effectively communicate with various elected leaders in order to continuously advocate for the grievances and help them acquire appropriate funding programs (Rubin, & Babbie, 2016). It provide me with core  social skills such as problem solving, critical thinking,documentation,and assessment knowledge which are important in establishing a successful career as goal oriented social worker in future

It helped me gain information regarding social culture thus helped me appreciate and gain positive altitude towards social workers. It is clear that social workers should clearly understand existing human relationships in the society such as family setting.

It also increased my confidence levels helping me reflect, interpret and pay attention to details. This will help me to improve my professional development strategies and also be able to handle unexpected crisis events

References

Horejsi, C. R., Horejsi, G. A., & Sheafor, B. (2010). Techniques and guidelines for social work practice. Allyn and Bacon.

Rubin, A., & Babbie, E. R. (2016). Empowerment series: Research methods for social work. Cengage Learning.