What can you tell us about yourself and your background? What influenced you to become a family support specialist? How do you balance your work and your personal life? Do you have previous experience working in family support?
Family Service Specialist Interview
Why Are You Interested in This Role?
I am a great believer in the family structure and therefore love helping families with the skills needed to thrive and different coping mechanisms. I have dealt with a range of families and understand what is required of me. I will do a great job if given a chance.
What Are the Roles of a Family Support Worker?
Family support workers are mandated to help families overcome or go through different situations. Depending on the family needs, they may be required to equip parents or families with the needed thriving skills, teach coping mechanisms for stressful situations, educate families on how to take care of their physical and emotional well-being, and connect them with local resources. Family support workers may also be tasked with helping their clients come up with communication strategies.
What Are the Qualities That a Family Support Worker Needs to Be Effective?
Given that this job involves dealing with families, a family support worker must be good at listening and communication. They should be able to get along well with both adults and children and exude high levels of calmness when dealing with different behaviors.
Family support workers must also be flexible and adaptable to take care of different situations and show an excellent understanding of the challenges their respective clients face.
Example: “I believe it is very important to stay in touch with families I support. If there are any changes in the family dynamic, I want to know about them as soon as possible so I can adjust my plan of care accordingly. I typically check in with families every week, though sometimes it may be more frequently depending on the situation.”
Example: “In my previous role as a family support worker, I worked with a single mother who was struggling to provide for her children. She had no transportation, so she couldn’t get to work or take her kids to school. When I offered her assistance, she declined it. I continued to check in on her regularly, however, and eventually she accepted my offer. We developed a plan together that helped her find transportation and care for her children.”
Example: “In my previous role as a family support worker, I supported a single mother with two children who was going through a divorce. She had been receiving child care assistance from her ex-husband, but after their separation she needed to find alternate childcare options. I helped her research local daycares and assisted her in applying for financial aid. In addition, I provided emotional support by listening to her concerns and offering advice on how to handle them.”
Example: “I don’t have direct experience working with children, but I have volunteered at my local library for the past three years where I read stories to children of all ages. The kids always seem so excited to hear me read their favorite books, and it’s been rewarding to see their excitement when they recognize characters or remember parts of the story. It makes me feel like I’m making an impact on their lives.”
Example: “If I encountered this situation, I would first try to understand both sides of the conflict. Then, I would encourage each person to explain their side of the story. After that, I would ask them what they want from the other person. This helps me learn more about their expectations and find ways for them to compromise. If needed, I would also involve the child’s teacher or another family member.”
FAQ
What are some family interview questions?
- Childhood. What’s your first memory? …
- School. What was your school like? …
- Marriage. How did you meet your spouse? …
- Occupation. Describe your first job. …
- Parents and Family. How did your parents meet? …
- Major and Historical Events. …
- Holidays and Celebrations. …
- Personal.
What are the 5 Ps of interview preparation?
- Don’t show up to an interview disorganized or disinterested. Employers are tired of it. …
- First, prepare. …
- Next, practice. …
- Be professional. …
- Always participate. …
- Finally, infuse passion and personality.
How do I prepare for a social services interview?
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why are you interested in this agency?
- How does the work in this organization fit your professional mission or experience?
- Why do you want this job? …
- What are your experiences with the target population?
- Why do you want to work with this target population?
