Term
| Tell me about a time when you worked under pressure and how you handled it. |
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Definition
| It was a few weeks before leaving CPS and starting a new job with HSS. I had about 20 cases to either close or transfer before my departure. It was a very busy time because I had a short time frame to get my work done. I maintained my composure and stress level by using my time management skills to get the work done. I used a daily flexible agenda, worked late and on the weekends, and consulted with my supervisor when necessary. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time when you made a mistake and how you handled it. |
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Definition
| In my last assignment as a supervisor, I was responsible for submitting monthly statistics to my supervisors which included the percentage of initial case plans and assessments completed by the staff. The mistake I made was accidentally emailing last month's numbers instead of the current ones. Luckily I caught the error and re-submitted the correct stats with my apologies. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision and how you handled it. |
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Definition
| I gave an employee a written coaching for their poor performance in documentation. This employee was having ongoing issues with keeping up her documentation. We discussed the issue numerous times in supervision and even discussed strategies that would help to improve her performance but her documentation continued to suffer. I consulted with my supervisor and we agreed I would give her a written coaching. After she received the document, her performance improved greatly. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time when you tried something but failed. |
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Definition
| In 2010, I was working on getting my social work license. I had two years to complete all the requirements before obtaining my license. I fulfilled all the requirements except for passing the state exam. |
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Term
| Give an example of a time when you led your team on a project? |
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Definition
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Term
| Give me an example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem? |
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Definition
| Over a two-day period, a client was showing signs of agitation and paranoia. One this day, the client verbalized he planned to harm another resident. I informed an employee about the situation and instructed them to locate and inform the intended victim about the threat and keep them isolated. I instructed another staff to submit a mental health petition so the client call be evaluated at the hospital while I remained with the client. I had a better relationship with the client which was the reason I stayed with him. |
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Term
| tell me about a time when you missed an obvious solution to a problem. |
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Definition
| The problem I was facing was someone who I supervised that was an introvert. It took me awhile to figure her out and how to handle the problem. I didn't recognize her as being an introvert because there were times when she |
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Term
| Tell me about a time when you misdiagnosed a client. |
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Definition
| I had a client at a housing program who was very forgetful and despondant due to neurological diagnosis. He seemed more inclined to limited interpersonal contact which was observed from his immidiate departures after receiving his daily meds from staff. After accompanying him a few medical appointments, he began coming to my office on a daily basis to talk to me. I was surprised at the change in his behavior. |
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Term
Describe a time in which you had to use your verbal communication skills in order to get animportant point across. |
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Definition
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Term
Describe a situation in which you felt it necessary to be very attentive and vigilant to your environment. |
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Definition
| Working at Men's Shelter or with AOT clients. |
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Term
Tell me about your biggest accomplishment.
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Definition
| When I received my graduate degree in social work or when I assisted a team of social workers to screen and assess over 200 chronically homeless adults for permanent housing into an 85 unit permanent support facility. Your response here is critical. Focus on your hard work, commitment to long hours or ability to work under pressure. Describe a recent challenge and how you were involved in the solution through working overtime, a leadership role or other contribution. Try to present an accomplishment you feel might apply to this new position. |
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Term
Tell me about a situation involving difficult co-workers, tight deadlines or inadequate resources? How did you handle the situation?
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Definition
| This is where you can discuss effective management skills and your ability to handle various challenges. Describe your most difficult management task and the skills you used to deal with it, such as organisational and interpersonal skills, your perseverance and diplomacy. |
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