Orientation to BSW Field practicum Session 3 SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK www.mun.ca/socwrk/home/

AGENDA Welcome and Introductions Field Practicum Interviews Pre-interview tips Preparing for the field practicum interview Common interview questions During the interview Questions for the field instructor/agency mentor Small group activity – mock interviews Q & A Session Wrap up and evaluation BSW FIELD PREPARATION SESSION 3 www.mun.ca/socwrk

Pre-interview tips Check out the agency Website – mission, programs Other students – strengths and challenges of the practicum Know the name of the person(s) who will be conducting the interview Know exactly where the interview is taking place and how to get there Plan to arrive early for your interview Dress for success Remind students that at this point in the process they have completed their field application and brief resume and have had their screening interview with a field education coordinator. Next step involves students being sent for interviews to the respective practicum agencies. BSW Field preparation session 3 www.mun.ca/socwrk

Preparing for the interview Think about and prepare some answers to common interview questions. Think about what sets you apart from others – what skills and attributes do you have? Specific skills and examples Think about the type of learning experience you would like to have – how do you want to be different at the end of the practicum experience? Think about any questions you may want to ask about the practicum. Remember – the perfect practicum and field instructor is probably not out there. Be open to learning opportunities outside of your comfort zone. A certain amount of anxiety is normal. Being prepared and anticipating the types of questions you may be asked helps. Think about what you want to learn and practice. Often times, working and learning with someone who is different than you can help you to address areas of challenge/weakness. BSW Field Preparation Session 3 www.mun.ca/socwrk

Common interview questions Why are you interested in this practicum opportunity? What can you contribute to this agency? Tell me about any social work related volunteer or employment experience you may have including previous practicum/placements. Tell me about your educational (learning) goals. What would you like to learn in this setting? What do you expect from a field instructor? What do you view as your strengths? Challenges? Gaps in knowledge? What types of clientele appeal most/least to you as potential service users? What problems or issues do you think will be the most difficult for you to deal with in this agency setting? Do you work better in structured or unstructured environments? Go through the list as a class discussion exercise – students contributing potential responses. Put in a slide later with details on each role involved in the field internship. Students are encouraged to explore different social work practice areas in each of their internships BSW Field Preparation Session 3 www.mun.ca/socwrk

video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3JFx3KazBo Bsw field preparation session 3 www.mun.ca/socwrk

During the interview Be positive – from the initial greeting to your body language and posture during the interview Be yourself Stay on topic and ask for clarification where necessary Answer questions clearly – use specific examples when providing information about education, skills, and work experience Ask any questions you may have prepared that have not already been answered Express thanks for the interview Be yourself – Don’t use words you don’t understand or pretend to be something you are not. BSW field preparation session 3 www.mun.ca/socwrk

Personal stuff… To share or not to share in the interview? If a student has personal, medical, or other stuff that may impact their ability to fully participate in an internship, this should be discussed with the FECs as part of the pre-internship interview process. Every situation is different. The field team will help student’s navigate this path. BSW Field preparation session 3 www.mun.ca/socwrk

discussion What types of questions would be appropriate for students to ask during an internship interview? BSW Field Preparation session 3 www.mun.ca/socwrk

Different Agencies – Different Types of interviews Regional Health Authorities – i.e. Eastern Health The Department of Child, Youth and Family Services Community based agencies Faith based agencies Rights based agencies Joan to talk about her experiences with student interviews internal to EH and CYFS Cheryl – community and faith based Sheri – rights based BSW field Preparation session 3 www.mun.ca/socwrk

The practicum process Become familiar with the field documents on the School’s website http://www.mun.ca/socwrk/undergraduate/fieldBSW/ Pull up the website and show where the field information and appendices are located. Highlight orientation to field and the BSW Field Manual. BSW Field preparation session 3 www.mun.ca/socwrk

The end! Please complete the Evaluation Form Some of this material was adapted from: University of Chicago School of Social Service – Field Education documents Memorial University of Newfoundland – Career Services Arizona State University – Internship Prep & Questions http://ssw.asu.edu/admissions-degrees/field-folder/field-education-internship-prep-questions BSW Field preparation session 3 www.mun.ca/socwrk