Preparing for your field interview
Please review the following information in preparation for your field placement interview
On this page:
Virtual Mock Interviews
Interviewing for field placements can be anxiety-producing. Often students are unfamiliar with the organization or interviewing for a professional position. To help with that, and to get students comfortable with interviewing virtually, we’ve created a virtual mock field placement interview using the Big Interview platform. All UB students have access; they will have to register with their UB email and password.
To access the interview, visit the Big Interview, register for an account or login with your UB email, and select assignments. Enter the code 25303d
Students are also encouraged to explore the other resources on the website to help strengthen their skills.
Advanced Year Field Interview Information
The Advanced Year placement process allows students to interview with one of their preferred agency choices. Students are expected to prepare for their advanced year interview as they would a professional interview. Please review the material below to ensure you are well prepared.
Step 1: Watch short video on how to prepare for advanced year interview [3:47 min]
Step 2: Check your UB email regularly for the interview email from the Field Department
Need help preparing for your interview?
Career Services is a great resource for students, providing assistance both in person and online.
Foundation students are assigned to field placements that offer a generalist social work experience -- a general, broad overview and introduction to the skills of social work. In your advanced year, you will have the opportunity to focus on an area of interest. Foundation year students are expected to accept the field placement where they have been assigned. e do expect students to prepare for these interviews and to view them professionally. If after the interview there is a serious concern about the placement, it should be discussed with the Field Education office immediately.
Step 1: Watch short video on how to prepare for foundation year interview (4 mins)
Step 2: Check your UB email regularly for the interview email from the Field Department
Need help preparing for your interview?
Career Services is a great resource for students, providing assistance both in person and online.
See below for sample interview questions you may want to ask students. Students should be prepared, professional, and enthusiastic during their interview. After the interview, please let us know the status of the interview in Sonia (if you will accept the student or not for a placement).
- What are you looking for in terms of learning? Supervisory style?
- What have you found particularly helpful, or not helpful, in supervisory or learning relationships in the past?
- What might your field educator do that you would find conducive to your learning? What would you find negative?
- How do you deal with problems when they arise? For example, how do you think you would handle problems in the student/field educator relationship, or how would you respond if you found that the learning opportunities were not meeting your needs? How could the practicum help you deal with these types of problems?
- What have you found to be your strengths and weaknesses in working with others in teams?
- What has your experience been in working with people in authority? What have your positive experiences been? What difficulties have you experienced?
- Do you have any ideas about how you learn best? For example, are you more comfortable putting a lot of thought in before you face a new situation, or are you more comfortable acting first and reflecting in more detail later?
Advanced Year Placement Only
- What learning objectives have you developed so far for the upcoming practicum? What do you know, or what have you heard about the agency that would help you to meet some of these objectives?