Welcome to SocialWorkJobBank!
View All Jobs | Post a Job | SocialWorker.com
Our Latest Social Work Jobs
 |
The SocialWorkJobBank Blog
Do Your Homework! Not Just For Students
“Did you do your homework?” You’re on a job search, and your mother’s voice is repeating that familiar question in your head. Did you think it would stop once you graduated? Think again. Doing your homework is a useful job search skill. It will help you learn more about a job and potential employer, AND it will make a great impression on your interviewers.
Someone I know had a job interview the other day, and did some “Googling” ahead of time. When the search committee members introduced themselves, he was able to say, “Oh, yes, you are from XYZ Agency!” They were impressed that he knew something about them, even from several states away.
But he didn’t stop at the search engines. He also read everything he could on the organization’s Web site, from top to bottom. He checked out newspaper articles and talked to colleagues who were familiar with the program. By the time of the interview, he was able to talk about the organization’s mission statement, and about specific programs and what assets he would bring to them. He knew about the demographics of the people served by the institution and the culture of the surrounding area. He knew who was leaving the position and who was in the organizaton’s leadership.
The Internet makes it easier than ever to accomplish the task of doing your homework. By “Googling” (or using your favorite search engine), you can find out about the employer’s programs, services, budget, staff, culture, and a lot more. You may find information that will make you more excited about the agency and the job, or you may find information that will make you question whether the job would be a good fit for you. In either case, you will be armed with useful information to take into the interview, allowing you to ask questions about the things you need to know and to respond to the interviewers in an informed manner.
So, it’s time to get to work. Can you think of other creative ways to find out more about your potential employer? Don’t delay…your assignment is due before the interview, and a passing grade could mean getting the job of your dreams.
Tags: social work, social work job search, job search, social work careers, careers
- Posted in: Job Search Articles
- Author: LindaGrobman
- On: February 23, 2006
Email This Post
Comments»
You’re right, researching the prospective agency and the community is extremely beneficial. This not only helped me in learning if the agency was a good fit, but it allowed me to understand the demographics of the population of that particular community. I went to several job interviews in the month of August, it seemed to impress the interviewers that I knew about their agency the programs they offered and the community where the agency is located.