How to prepare for a Support Worker job interview
Preparing to interview for a new role can be a tedious task. Although, you should congratulate yourself for making it this far in the hiring process! You managed to get your application right by getting a Support Worker interview, which is a great first step. Well done! Now it’s time to do some further research on the company and the disability industry (if you’re just starting out) and prepare yourself for what the interviewers might want to know. Start by considering what the best qualities for a Disability Support Worker are. For example, you definitely need to be compassionate, caring and ready to learn. Then, consider how you might apply these qualities to actual interview questions. You also want to make sure that you’ve done some research on the company and familiarised yourself with the organisation’s website. This will show the interviewers that you are interested in the role and serious about working for this specific organisation.
Most common questions in a Support Worker job interview
We’ve collated some of the most common questions you may be asked when getting interviewed for Support Worker roles. Of course, the specific questions used depend on the individual interviewer and what they think are the best questions for the situation. In saying that, it never hurts to be well-prepared! By preparing yourself for the questions below, you’ll be well-established to tackle any professional interview you may come across with. You may even want to practice interviewing with a spouse or a friend, which will make you even more likely to succeed!
Can you tell me about yourself?
This is probably one of the most common questions across all industries, not just in Support Worker interviews! The reason so many recruiters use this question, is that it offers an opportunity to get to know you (and to alleviate the mood!). This helps you and the interviewer to ease into more complex questions. Keep in mind, that you should keep your answer fairly short and focus on your professional achievements, rather than extensively explaining your hobbies.
Why are you the best person for this role?
This is another common interview question. As mentioned above, it helps to do some basic research on the organization and their values. When you’ve completed your research, you’ll be more likely to connect your personal attributes to what the company is looking for in a Support Worker.
In your opinion, what are the most important skills for a Support Worker?
For this question, you should be able to relate your answer to the job advertisement! Ensure you include qualities you consider important for a Support Worker as well as characteristics the company might consider important. These qualities can sometimes be publicly viewable in the job ad or on the company website. Once again, it pays to be well-prepared and to do your research!
What would you say is your greatest weakness?
This can be a tough interview question to master! You don’t want to mention any qualities that prevent you from performing well in the Support Worker role. But, you also shouldn’t say that you don’t have any weaknesses. The best way to tackle this question would be to use something minor and then continue to explain how you can overcome this specific weakness.
Please describe a recent challenging situation you were able to overcome
These type of behavioural questions can be especially challenging. However, it is important to keep in mind that Support Workers can face challenging situations on a daily basis. Therefore, it is important to possess (or be willing to obtain) good problem-solving skills. Using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) can be useful for these type of interview questions. Although, the most important thing is that whichever challenge you choose to share with the interviewer, make sure to also explain how you were able to successfully overcome or resolve the situation. This will help in demonstrating good problem-solving skills, which are often valuable for any Disability Support Workers and highly rated by potential employers such as UDC.
Do you have any questions for us?
This is often the final question in job interviews. It’s a good opportunity to find out more about the role, the expectations your potential employer may have, and to show you’ve done your research and are very interested in the company. You should avoid asking too many questions though, and make sure you relate the questions to the role. For example, you could ask about the next steps in the interview process or what kind of training you’d receive if successful.
Benefits of getting a Support Worker job with UDC
At UDC, we offer our Support Workers and other employees a huge variety of different benefits. We’re passionate about having staff that enjoys their work and loves to work for a company that does things a bit differently. Many of our Disability Support Workers have been employed with us for over a decade! We offer many fantastic career benefits from salary packaging options, career development opportunities and flexible shifts to employee assistance programs and team building events. We have plenty of employment opportunities for Support Workers Australia-wide, and we’re currently hiring in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Logan, Tweed Coast, Coffs Harbour, Hunter Valley and Adelaide! If you enjoy helping others, working with a great team of co-workers, and giving back to the community, you’re definitely on the right track of becoming a Support Worker with UDC. If you haven’t yet, please, submit your application to become a Support Worker with us or view our current career vacancies to find out more. Below, you can listen to why Patrick loves being a Support Worker with us and what he thinks is the best thing about working for UDC.