Interviews may be the most drawn-out and intimidating ways of making positive first impressions but they are also the greatest opportunities that you have to get on the employers’ good side. By preparing for an interview, you give yourself a distinct edge over other applicants who may have better credentials than you.
Before the Interview
Research the company that you are applying to. Do it thoroughly. Look into the company’s goals and future plans. Try to learn about the interviewer – his or her name and designation – by calling into the company. See if you can find out your interviewer’s reputation – is he or she hard-hitting or a softie.
Day of the Interview
Dress well. What you wear is a sign of your professionalism or lack of it. It is also sometimes used to gauge your competence. As a rule, you should try to dress for an interview as you would for a job. Practice in front of the mirror. Exude confidence. Make sure you know how to get to the venue (make a trip to see the place a day before) and reach before the exact time of the interview.
At the Interview
Reply to all questions with confidence. If you do not know the answer to a question, be honest. If you try to falsely answer a question, you may not be too successful in doing so. And your impression will suffer. Keep your answers simple and short so that you don’t bore the interviewer. If provided with a chance to ask questions, take it up.
Onto the questions and answers session. Here is a set (for a line therapist) to help you with the type of questions that you might be posed with:
Line Therapist Interview Questions and Answers
Why did you choose line therapy as a career path?
I have had a very positive experience with a therapist who attended to a close family member. The amount of help that they can provide to a patient to help him or her integrate or reintegrate into society is immense. While studying child psychology, I realized that this was definitely my true calling.
What would you consider a weakness as a line therapist?
I have worked as a line therapist for two schools and I am now trying to transition into a clinical setting. I believe that my skills set are not what they should be in this capacity and I am attending evening classes in abnormal psychology (due to graduate in a month) to become more in tune with treatments and therapies that are effective in this line.
What do you feel about labeling patients?
I believe that labeling patients is wrong. Most of the patients that I have attended to are extremely intelligent people who can reach milestones that conventional people cannot. I don’t label them.
How do you deal with the stress of working in a counseling position?
Being a psychologist, I know how stress can affect professionalism. I often self-counsel myself to keep stress at bay and take regular breaks to cut myself off from reality. It works wonders.