Mastering the Art of Care Job Interviews: Tips and Tricks
Preparing for any job interview is paramount to ensure that you have the best possible opportunity to secure a job – and care jobs are no different! Care jobs require certain skills and abilities from the candidate, so you want to find out as much as possible about the role and company before your interview. Below, we’ve put together a list of what you should prepare for your care job interview, including questions you might be asked. From this, you will be fully prepared to ace your interview and get ready for your new job!
Preparing for a Care Job Interview
A care job interview is like most other interviews – you’ll be asked questions about your knowledge and experience in the industry. It is also a good opportunity for the interviewer to gauge your personality and if you’d be a good fit for the team and for you to meet some of the people you’ll be working with and see if the job fits in with your career aspirations.
Preparation is key for your care job interview and will help you feel confident and make a good first impression. Understanding the role that you have applied for will help you answer any questions asked of you. Using buzzwords or snippets of information that you have seen in the job advertisement, shows the interviewer that you have researched the role thoroughly and know exactly what is required of you.
Care job interviewers will be looking for certain skills and requirements for you to be considered for the role. For example, the job involves visiting people who, for whatever reason, need someone to look after them at home when they are struggling to live independently. Interviewers will be looking for a candidate who is willing and able to travel between various clients’ homes, as well as showing qualities of a care worker and enthusiasm for the role.
Questions You Might Be Asked in a Care Job Interview
Whilst there are many different questions that you may be asked at your interview, we’ve put together a list of potential questions that you may be asked to help the interviewer understand a little more about you, your values and your caring nature. To help yourself prepare, practice answering some of the questions until they become second nature to answer – this will help you to think quickly on the spot when asked, but also to build your confidence in answering other questions that you may not have practised with. Below are just a few examples of questions you may be asked, so it’s a good idea to research some of your own as well:
Experience and Character Questions
- Why do you want to work for our company? – this question is to help the interviewer understand if you’d be a good fit for the team. Researching the company you have applied to is paramount, as it shows you have taken a genuine interest in finding out about them and what they do. It is a good opportunity to reference some of your findings to them – for example, if they have their values written on their site, won any awards or what types of services they offer.
- Why do you want to work as a carer? – this is a typical question for any interviewer and is there to understand what motivates you and to see if you’re a good fit for the role you have applied for.
- Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? – this is a good opportunity to tell them about your work or education history. Talk through your personal interests and link them to professional life if necessary. Place emphasis on your caring nature.
- How would you build positive relationships with your clients and their families? – building relationships with your clients is the key to being successful in this role – for some, you are the only face they’ll see throughout the day, so you must have a positive impact. Interviewers will be looking for good communication skills, respect and empathy. You can think of examples of how you have demonstrated these qualities.
- What do you think a carer does in their day-to-day job? – interviewers want to see that you understand the role you have applied for and what it involves. Make sure you’ve read the job description and talk through some of the tasks you’ve seen there. Some of these may include:
- Helping your client get around
- Helping with household chores
- Providing companionship and social support
- Shopping assistance and food preparation
- Delivering personal care
- Coordinating care between your team and your client’s family.
Scenario Questions
- What would you do if you knew you were going to be late to see a client? – time management is a key skill for this role, as your client is relying on you to be at their house for a certain time. However, there are times when being late can’t be helped for whatever reason. With this question, interviewers want to know a few things – responsibility, trustworthiness and communication.
- How would you maintain a client’s dignity and respect when providing personal care? – offering personal care to your client is a very sensitive matter that requires you to maintain their dignity and treat them with respect. An interviewer will be looking for awareness of these sensitivities and the ability to make your clients feel comfortable.
- A client won’t take their medication – how do you handle this? – you may experience some clients who refuse to take their medication and it’s paramount that you are able to communicate respectfully to the client whilst understanding the reasoning behind the refusal. Here, you would need to show communication skills, care, professionalism and dignity.
- How would deal with a client’s declining physical or mental health? – for a lot of your clients, they may experience health issues that you need to be aware of so that you can contact the relevant person (such as a medical professional). The interviewer will be looking for skills in communication, sensitivity and attention to detail.
- Are there any questions you’d like to ask us? – many interviewers will ask this question at the end of the interview and it’s a good opportunity to show your interest in the company and the role. The role of an interview is not only for the interviewer to see if you’re a good fit for the role, but also for you to find out if it’s a company you want to work for. Ask as many questions as you like!
Tips for Your Care Job Interview
To make sure you stand out from other candidates, take a look at some of our general tips on how to conduct yourself at your interview:
- Preparation – make sure you are fully prepared for the interview by researching the company and the role, preparing your questions to ask the interviewer, getting your outfit ready and practising some interview questions with a family member or friend beforehand.
- Online interviews – many initial interviews are held online through a video call. Ensure that you can access the video link, that your microphone and camera are working and that you enough battery if you’re using your laptop.
- Dress appropriately – interviews are all about first impressions, so it’s important that you look the part! Dress professionally and look smart – make sure your clothes are clean and ironed and don’t wear casual clothes.
- Arrive on time – always ensure you know where the interview is being held and arrive on time. We recommend arriving at least 15 minutes before your interview to ensure you have plenty of time to get there and make allowances for any hold-ups.
Care Jobs with Hands On Care
We have care job vacancies across Shropshire. In one of our exciting roles, you will get to visit and care for people from all walks of life with various and unique requirements and needs. Are you looking for your next role (or even your first) in Social or Personal Care? We would love to hear from you.
We have vacancies across Shropshire including; Broughall, High Ercal, Higher Heath, Hodnet, Market Drayton, Muckleton, Newport, Prees, Roden, Rodington, Shawbury, Stanton Upon Hine, Telford, Tilstock, Upton Magna, Wellington, Wem, and Whitchurch. Contact us to find out more about our current vacancies in Social and Personal Care on 01952 743490. You can also contact us via email: info@hands-on-care.co.uk.