Health and Human Services Professional Development

Human Service Professionals Author: Mikki Sherwood I teach a course for graduate students that is called “Current Issues and Trends in Family & Consumer Sciences.”  At the beginning of each semester I teach about the history of FCS. I have sections about the scientific roots of FCS, the  early leaders  of the discipline, and how FCS has evolved in more than 100 years.  I also cover the basic philosophy of FCS, explain the importance of the integrative nature of the discipline, and describe  Bronfenbrenner’s Systems Theory  in detail. My students all ask me why I think they need to have this information. I tell them to consider the fact that at some point they will be in the job market, in competition with many other people. They will need to be able to explain their unique attributes to a potential employer. One of the unique attributes of someone that studied FCS is that he or she has the ability to look at various aspects of the functioning of...

To Ask or Not to Ask THEM by   Jill Bowers   on   July 6, 2013   When preparing for a job interview, you may generally think of how you will answer questions you will be asked by the interviewer(s). Yet, it is just as important to think of what questions you will ask THEM. Asking them questions about the agency/company or position to which you are applying for can help you to know if the job is a good fit with your strengths, interests, and career goals. Asking good questions can also show the interviewer the level of insight you have or that you have done your homework and came to the interviewer prepared. See the  Forbes article, “30 Questions You Should and Shouldn’t Ask in a Job Interview”  for more information and examples of good/bad questions. *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

8 Tips to Nail a Job Interview by   Dina Izenstark   on   July 19, 2013 When I was working as a Leisure Services Supervisor, we interviewed over 200 candidates to fill 150 counselor positions each summer.  It was a difficult job because we only had a 20-30 minute meeting with each candidate to decide whether or not they would be right for the position.  Because most candidates’ education, experience and activities were so similar, performance in the interview was often the deciding factor for whether or not they were selected.  Because interviewing skills can be critical in getting the job, I want to share with you 8 Tips to Nail the Job Interview from my perspective as a supervisor. Apply Early!   For example, for summer jobs, most park districts begin recruiting staff in December and start interviews in January. Many times we had outstanding candidates apply in June, but could not offer them a position because we already had filled all ...

Future Employers are Interviewing You: Are you also Interviewing Them? by   Mikki Sherwood   on   November 17, 2013   There are so many places to get information about answering questions asked of you in a job interview. However, have you ever considered the fact that a job interview is also YOUR opportunity to ask questions of a potential employer? The job interview offers you the opportunity to find out about the position to which you are applying, gather information about the expectations of those in charge, and determine whether the job would be a good fit for you. You should be comfortable using some of the time at a job interview asking your own questions. Think about the following questions: What is the style of leadership I would find here? Could you provide some examples of projects on which I would be working? What specific skills would you say are needed for this position? What types of opportunities are available for advancement? What is y...

Preparing for Interviews by   Jill Bowers   on   June 3, 2013 The article, “ 4 Ways to Prepare for an Interview ,” on experience.com provides strategies on preparing for job interviews. This article offers tips for dressing appropriately, being prepared for talking about what is on your resume, doing your homework on the employer or business to which you are applying, and planning for unexpected turns in the interview process. To read the article on experience.com:  http://www.experience.com/entry-level-jobs/careers/jobs/4-ways-to-prepare-for-an-interview/ *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

Is it REALLY not a good fit, or do you just suck at interviewing? by   Jill Bowers   on   April 20, 2014   In most places, you will have a few hours, sometimes minutes, to create impressions that make them believe “this is someone I want on my team,” or “we cannot let this one get away.” Based on my own interview faux pas and stories I’ve heard others tell, I give you five general tips for not sucking: If you suffer from  permanent mean face , figure out how to change it.  See  Chronicles of a Girl with Chronic Bitch Face  if you need a more refined definition of “permanent mean face.” In other words, think about how the look on your face might come across to others. Interviewers are often looking for someone with whom they want to work. Your focus and seriousness may appear to interviewers as cold or unfriendly. You may be fun, a great team player, and all of your peers and former coworkers may rave about you in this regard. Yet, you have ...

BUSTED! Prospective Employers Can Tell More About You Than You Might Think by   Mikki Sherwood   on   August 20, 2014 Nailed it!!…or did you? Have you ever been asked a question in an interview and felt as if you gave the best possible answer? Did you ever feel that you told a potential employer EVERYTHING they wanted to hear and totally nailed the interview? Photo by  mentatdgt  from  Pexels You may be surprised to know that much more is learned from your overall responses to interview questions than from the actual words you speak when answering. A study by Mast and colleagues (2011) took a look into how accurately a potential employer can judge an interviewee during the first impression. The study had interesting findings!! While recruiters are trained to ignore their first impressions of possible job candidates, it appears that they may be fairly accurate in their quick assessments. The research revealed that recruiters were better than the aver...