NYU Silver Social Work Interview Guide

• A phone screen is a short phone call lasting about 15 to 30 minutes where you will discuss basic information and qualifications about the role.
  
  

• This is usually the first step in the hiring process and the purpose is to narrow down the candidate pool to a select group that will move on to the next round for more in-depth interviews.
  
  

• Remember to prepare and take your phone screen just as seriously as you would an in-person interview.

• This is the most common interview format where you will meet one-on-one with an interviewer.
  
  

• Individual interviews usually last from 45 minutes to an hour and it’s common in hiring processes for you to have multiple individual interviews with different members of the team.

• Panel interviews are when you will have multiple people from the organization interviewing you at once.
  
  

• Try to find out the names and roles of each person before the interview to best prepare.
  
  

• During the interview, make sure to engage the whole group and that your answers aren’t favoring one interviewer over another (you don’t know who has the most decision-making power in the room).
  
  

• Answer questions in a way that will answer an individual interviewer directly, but apply to each person on the panel as well.
  
  

• Don’t forget to send a separate thank you email to each person on the panel after the interview.

• Group interviews are when you interview with multiple candidates at the same time.
  
  

• Before the interview, try building rapport with other candidates by introducing yourself and engaging in conversation.
  
  

• During the interview, be sure not to dominate the discussion, but occasionally volunteer to answer first.
  
  

• You can also participate by building upon what other candidates say by adding your own unique insights and experiences instead of waiting to be asked a question.
  
  

• Show your listening and collaboration skills by involving others’ perspectives in your answers and using names to refer to other people’s ideas (i.e. “As Terry mentioned…”).

• Doing your research is essential to a successful interview and the difference between candidates that have done this step and those who haven’t can be very evident in an interview.
  
  

• Look at the organization’s website, social media, mission, vision, values, programs, structure, key people, and language they are using to describe their work.
  
  

• Research any articles they have written or have been featured in to see how they are talking about their work.
  
  

• Try to find out who from the organization will be interviewing you and research their background and role in the organization.
  
  

• Doing your research will help you have a more informed conversation during the interview as well as ensure that the organization is in alignment with what you want in your next role.

• Dissect the job description to make sure you clearly understand the role and its requirements, responsibilities, and the skills they are seeking from a candidate. This way, you will know what to best highlight from your skills and experience.
  
  

• Notice any skills that are constantly repeated throughout the description; these are skills that are important to the employer that you are going to want to demonstrate that you have during the interview.
  
  

• Pay attention to the language used in the job description as well and try to mirror that language during your interview.

• Make sure to prepare a couple answers for questions that are likely to be asked and be ready to talk through concrete examples of your past experiences. See below for common social work interview questions.
  
  

• For each question, try to understand the root of the question to determine how you’re best going to answer it. 

  • For example, if an interviewer asks, “What are some of your biggest accomplishments in your fieldwork,” the root of the question is asking how you measure success. 

  • You can then decide whether you want to highlight concrete examples, a more personal example, or a mix of both.

• Remember to practice out loud and to actually verbally articulate your responses rather than just saying them in your head.
  
  

• Practice in front of a mirror and with others to gather feedback.
  
  

• Try playing the interviewer; you can learn a lot about interviewing from interviewing others. For example, you can learn various ways to phrase ideas, body language, and how to structure your responses in different ways.

• An interview is nothing more than a conversation to decide mutual fit.
  
  

• It is a two way street and you’re interviewing the organization just as much as they are interviewing you.
  
  

• Remember that you have an abundance of value to offer and that no one has your unique mix of skills, experiences, and perspectives.

• Make the most of your introduction. First impressions are crucial. Have your pitch prepared and make sure to highlight everything you want the interviewer to know about you in your introduction; don’t depend on them asking you later as the question you wanted them to ask may not come up!
  
  

• Be interested in how you can help them. Try framing the conversation as you’re interested in finding out the best way to help the organization and then demonstrating how you have done similarly in your past experience.
  
  

• Advocate for your needs. It’s fine to not know an answer to a question or not answer every question perfectly. Ask for what you need in order to perform your best. Try asking things like “Can I take a moment to think about that?” or “Can I write that down first so I can process your question a bit better?”
  
  

• Know your rights. Familiarize yourself with what interviewers can and cannot legally ask and be prepared to answer in both situations, even if they may be uncomfortable. For instance, you can turn the question around: “If you’re asking whether I’m authorized to work in the US…” or ask something such as “Can you tell me how that’s relevant to the role?”
  
  

• Show that you’re willing to learn and grow. Be transparent about the areas you are improving and the skills you are excited to develop in the role. Employers want candidates who are willing to learn and grow rather than a candidate who claims to know everything.
  
  

• Be confident in the value you can bring with your skills and experiences. Whether you have tons of relevant experience or not much at all, it’s all about how you frame your experiences and articulate yourself to the interviewer. Be confident in the work that you do every day and claim all your hard-earned accomplishments. 

• Overshare. This includes anything inappropriate, overly personal, or anything that may harm your chances of getting the role. This is not to say you can’t share anything personal as social work is a field where personal stories would be welcome, but in general, stick to what’s relevant to the role and to the work.
  
  

• Falsify information. Do not falsify or inflate your experience. Employers will do background and reference checks to cross-check information.
  
  

• Speak negatively about your previous agency, supervisor, or coworkers. If something comes up where an interviewer asks about previous experience, focus it on you and your needs rather than on what your agency, supervisor, or coworker did. For example, if asked “What kind of supervision style has worked best for you in the past,” you can respond “I would love a supervisor who can [xyz]...” without mentioning anything about your previous supervisor.
  
  

• Repeat your resume. Don’t list off your accomplishments from your resume. This is your opportunity to give more detail, context, and add more narrative to your experience. Don’t repeat information they have already read.

• Always send a concise “thank you” email to anyone you interview with within 24 hours.
  
  

• Personalization goes a long way, so make sure to address them by name and add in any details from your conversation into the email.
  
  

• Reiterate your interest in the role and ask for a follow up.
  
  

• Don’t forget to thank them for their time and consideration.

Email Template Thanking Your Interviewer

Hi [name of interviewer],

Thank you so much for meeting with me today. It was such a pleasure to learn more about the team and position, and I’m very excited about the opportunity to join [organization name] and help [what excites you about the position/detail about what was discussed during the interview] with your team.

I look forward to hearing from you about the next steps in the process, and please do not hesitate to contact me if I can provide any additional information. Thank you again and have a wonderful week.

Best regards,

[your name]

• Reflect on areas you did well as well as any areas for improvement.
  
  

• Regardless of the outcome, be proud of yourself and think about all that you learned throughout the process.

• There are many reasons why agencies don’t follow up and it’s perfectly appropriate to reach out first if you don’t hear back after a week or within the timeline the interviewer communicated to you. Following up shows that you’re proactive and interested in the role. 

Email Template Following Up on an Interview

Dear [interviewer name],

Thank you for taking the time to interview me [when the interview took place], it was a pleasure speaking with you and learning more about the [position title] position. I know how busy you probably are, but I want to check in about your decision timeline.

I was very interested to learn about [something you learned about the company or role during the interview that impressed you]. I am very excited about the prospect of [describe how you would add value to the company or how your experience and interests align with the position and company].

Please let me know if there’s anything else I can provide to assist in the decision-making process. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

[your name]

[your contact information]

• Tell me about yourself (try using a present, past, future structure).
  
  

  • Example Template: “Hi, my name is [your name] and I’m a current MSW student at NYU Silver School of Social Work. My last internship was at [x], building experience in [your experience]. I’ve successfully [highlight or skill 1] and [highlight or skill 2]. I was excited to learn about this opportunity in the [setting you want to work in] space — I’ve always been motivated by [your interest or value] and would love the opportunity to bring my [strength 1] and [strength 2] abilities to this position.”
    
    

• What are your strengths as a social worker?

• What do you hope to accomplish as a social worker?

• What are your biggest accomplishments in your field work?
  
  

  • Example Template: “My biggest wins always revolve around [x]. During my time at [x], I’ve been able to build my expertise in [your experience] and become familiar with [x]. My experience at the agency has built up my proficiencies in [skill 1] and [skill 2], and it has also allowed me to [skill 3]. The most rewarding part of my job has been working in [highlight]. Moving forward I would love to work at an agency such as yours that specializes in [x]. I believe my experience and interests in [your interests] will allow me to be a great asset to your team.”
    
    

• What are your weaknesses or areas of growth as a social worker?

• What major disappointments/failures have you had in fieldwork? 

• What type of work environment do you thrive in—team or individual work?

• Describe your management/leadership style.

• What strategies do you use to manage a full caseload effectively?

• How do you determine or evaluate success?

• Why have you selected a career in social work?

• Why do you want to work with this target population?

• How does this position fit into your future plans? 

• What do you hope to gain out of [the position, the organization]?

• What do you think about the future of this field?

• How have your previous experiences prepared you for this role?

• What experience do you have working with this population?

• What types of clients do you find most difficult to work with, and why?

• What counseling strategies are you particularly skilled in?

• What is your process for evaluating the best plan for a new client?

• How do you handle termination?

• Why do you want to work with us?
  
  

  • Example Template: “The number one thing that fulfills me in my work is the opportunity to [x]. In my most recent role at [x] I specialized in [your area of expertise]. The reason I want to work for your agency is [connecting reason]. Additionally, I saw [x] on the job description and I think I would be able to help you [x] and [x]. In my last role, I was able to [highlight] and [highlight] and I think my [strength] would really be valued at your agency.”
    
    

• Why do you want this role?

• What do you know about our organization? 

• What kind of supervision do you prefer and why?

• What is your understanding of our work and mission and how does that fit your interests?

• If a client has an outburst in response to your recommendation, how do you handle it?

• Knowing what you know now, is there something you would do differently in the management of one of your fieldwork cases?

• Think of a client you have liked/disliked and tell me how you dealt with the countertransference issues.

• Please describe your first steps in establishing rapport.

Behavioral questions usually start with “Tell me about a time…” or “Describe a situation where…” that are used to measure critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, team building, and communication, and conflict resolution skills.

• For these questions, try utilizing the STAR method and have a couple of examples prepared from your past experience:

  • Situation/Task: Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. 

  • Action you took: Describe the action you took, keeping the focus on you. Even if you are discussing a group project or effort, describe what you did—not the efforts of others.

  • Results you achieved: What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn?

• Describe your process for creating a case plan.

• Tell me about a time when you disagreed with someone about a treatment plan.

• Have you ever experienced an ethical conflict while on the job? If so, how did you handle it?

• Tell us about a particular project. What was your role? How was it accomplished? What were the results?

• Tell me about a time in which you experienced conflict with a co-worker or colleague. How did you handle it?

• Describe a time when you had to carry out crisis intervention.

• Tell me about how you handle clients that refuse help or disagree with your approach.

• Tell me about the last time you helped a coworker handle a difficult situation.

• Can you tell me about a time when one of your initial impressions about a case was incorrect?

• Tell me about a time when you had to shift priorities quickly.

Macro Social Work

• Would you rather draw up plans and design a program or be responsible for implementing it? Why?

• What is your approach to the evaluation of [services/operations/programs]? How would you approach that here?

• How would you locate resources for clients in a community in which you have no relationships?

• How would you persuade and gain buy-in (a legislator, a constituent, a stakeholder) from someone who opposes a program or solution you propose?

• How would you communicate a new program to the rest of the agency, including those who may not be willing to add work to their regular routine?

• Describe your management/leadership style. Give me an example of how you built consensus within your [team, staff, board].

• How would you prioritize resources when it comes to allocating a budget? Walk me through that process.  

• Tell me about a time when you developed or re-organized a [procedure or policy] successfully.

• How would you approach an underperforming [staff person or board member]?

• How would you involve the community in program development or research projects?

School Social Work

• What experiences have you had working with parents?

• Please tell us about your background in working with children who exhibit social/emotional problems in the school setting, or in other settings.

• What do you see as the main role of a school social worker?

• Tell us about your experiences working with Problem Solving Teams/multidisciplinary teams.

• Describe some of the telltale signs of abuse.

• What experience do you have in conducting Functional Behavioral Assessments?

• How familiar are you with special education law?

• Describe an IEP goal you would write to address a student with a serious emotional disturbance.

• How would you balance your job responsibilities if you are assigned to multiple schools?

• Explain some ways you might provide service to classroom teachers.

• The teacher is concerned that a student is always sleeping in class. What information would you want to find out in order to assist this student?

• How familiar are you with our community’s resources such as community mental health, court system, housing, financial assistance, local churches, medical care, support groups?

• Why do you want to work for this (school/district/agency)?

• What led you to the field of social work?

• What do you see yourself doing in the profession in the future?

• How do your intersecting identities impact your role as a social worker?

• What is your experience with anti-oppressive and antiracist approaches to practice?

• What does it mean to work from an anti-oppressive and antiracist perspective?

• Tell us about your experience in your first year Field placement.

• Describe a case or practice situation from your first year Field placement.

  • 1. What did you do well?

    2. What would you do differently if you could do it again?

    3. What was challenging for you about this case or situation?

    4. How did you manage those challenges?

• What makes you interested in our organization? In the population we serve? In this type of work?

• Since you say you are interested in clinical work, can you explain what you mean by clinical work? Can you define what clinical social work is?

• What are you hoping to gain from working in our organization? With our clients?

• What type of learner are you?

• What worked well for you with your Field instructor in the first year?

• How do you know when it’s the right time to ask your Field instructor for a consultation or for help?

• How have you handled risk assessment situations in the past?

• What is your experience with safety planning?

• Do you know how to assess low, medium, and high risk situations?

• If you are interviewing for a specialized setting, you may be asked:

  • 1. How do you define trauma? Addiction?

    2. How do you understand the field of child welfare? Or working with the LGBTQIA community?

• If interviewing at an institute or in mental health and some other settings, you may be asked:

  • 1. Have you had therapy experience yourself? How would that influence your work in our setting? (*Be mindful of what you disclose. You can talk about the process of therapy and how it’s helped you without disclosing all of your personal details - this is a professional way of speaking of your experiences - maintaining some boundaries between the professional and the personal).

    2. Tell us what you know about the DSM.

• Are you aware of how your personal values intersect with social work values?

• How do you understand the use of self in social work practice?

• Do you know how to determine if you cannot work with a particular client or practice situation? When is it ethical to do so?

General

• If you could give a new social worker a tip that could help them succeed here, what would it be and why?

• What’s a typical day like in this role?

• How often, and by whom will I be supervised?

• How would you describe the organizational culture?

• What makes your organization unique or different from others in its industry? 

• What are your organization's plans for future growth? 

• What are the company's short and long- term objectives?

• Why do you enjoy working for this organization? 

As a Social Work Intern

• 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 think would be the most rewarding and challenging aspects for a social work intern in your agency?

• What qualities are you looking for in new interns?