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Occupational therapist job interview tips: eight questions and answers | Occupational therapist job interview tips: eight questions and answers |
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From managing stress levels to enabling recovery, recruiters reveal what they ask about when hiring new staff – and the answers they hope to hear | |
Laura Oliver | |
Wed 6 Dec 2017 10.42 GMT | |
Last modified on Wed 6 Dec 2017 10.44 GMT | |
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For newly trained occupational therapists to get their careers off the ground, they need to have enthusiasm, adaptability, a real willingness to learn – and a focus on the patient above all else. | For newly trained occupational therapists to get their careers off the ground, they need to have enthusiasm, adaptability, a real willingness to learn – and a focus on the patient above all else. |
But how can they best show these skills when applying for jobs? We asked those responsible for hiring occupational therapists to tell us how they select the right candidates – and what interviewees can say and do to impress them. | But how can they best show these skills when applying for jobs? We asked those responsible for hiring occupational therapists to tell us how they select the right candidates – and what interviewees can say and do to impress them. |
Can I come and visit? | Can I come and visit? |
I’m impressed if someone contacts me beforehand. We’re not a traditional occupational therapy service, so if someone hasn’t done their homework they won’t be able to answer our questions as fully. You can then demonstrate in an interview why your interest and skills are suited to this particular post and trust. Becky Lodge, head of occupational therapy & rehab, forensic services, west London mental health NHS trust | I’m impressed if someone contacts me beforehand. We’re not a traditional occupational therapy service, so if someone hasn’t done their homework they won’t be able to answer our questions as fully. You can then demonstrate in an interview why your interest and skills are suited to this particular post and trust. Becky Lodge, head of occupational therapy & rehab, forensic services, west London mental health NHS trust |
Why do you want this job? | Why do you want this job? |
Sometimes people really trip up on those opening questions that set the scene and show who you really are and how you’re committed to the profession. I don’t expect everybody to have the perfect skill set, but I want to see their potential, their values, their enthusiasm, their keenness to learn, and their willingness to adapt. We have adopted the six Cs of nursing (care, compassion, commitment, communication, competence and courage) as our trust’s values – and throughout the interview we’d be looking for people to show us where those values shine through in their day-to-day practice. Gary Flockhart, associate director of nursing and therapies, Cheshire and Wirral partnership NHS foundation trust | Sometimes people really trip up on those opening questions that set the scene and show who you really are and how you’re committed to the profession. I don’t expect everybody to have the perfect skill set, but I want to see their potential, their values, their enthusiasm, their keenness to learn, and their willingness to adapt. We have adopted the six Cs of nursing (care, compassion, commitment, communication, competence and courage) as our trust’s values – and throughout the interview we’d be looking for people to show us where those values shine through in their day-to-day practice. Gary Flockhart, associate director of nursing and therapies, Cheshire and Wirral partnership NHS foundation trust |
Why are you the right person for this role? | Why are you the right person for this role? |
We want someone who doesn’t think they are the whole package. We are looking for people who are reflective, willing to accept supervision and who understand that they need it. Katherine Godfrey, trustwide head of profession for occupational therapy, Avon and Wiltshire mental health partnership NHS trust | We want someone who doesn’t think they are the whole package. We are looking for people who are reflective, willing to accept supervision and who understand that they need it. Katherine Godfrey, trustwide head of profession for occupational therapy, Avon and Wiltshire mental health partnership NHS trust |
I would always ask someone about their experience, what skills they bring, and what interests they have. Have they had experience of standardised assessments in terms of occupational therapy? Have they used them – and do they understand them and the model of human occupation, which is the main model we use in the trust. If an interviewee says that they do, I know that they understand what they are coming to – and that they have read up about the trust and the service.Becky Lodge | I would always ask someone about their experience, what skills they bring, and what interests they have. Have they had experience of standardised assessments in terms of occupational therapy? Have they used them – and do they understand them and the model of human occupation, which is the main model we use in the trust. If an interviewee says that they do, I know that they understand what they are coming to – and that they have read up about the trust and the service.Becky Lodge |
What makes a good occupational therapist? | What makes a good occupational therapist? |
What I particularly value in a clinician is the ability to see themselves as enabling somebody to recover or change. You’re not an expert dictating what their recovery path is: you listen to what they want and where they want to be and give advice on how they might get there. I’d look for somebody who can show they can be reflective about their practice. Keir Harding, occupational therapist within the NHS and clinical lead for Beam Consultancy | What I particularly value in a clinician is the ability to see themselves as enabling somebody to recover or change. You’re not an expert dictating what their recovery path is: you listen to what they want and where they want to be and give advice on how they might get there. I’d look for somebody who can show they can be reflective about their practice. Keir Harding, occupational therapist within the NHS and clinical lead for Beam Consultancy |
Interviewees should talk about how they manage challenging situations and their own stress levels, as well as supervisions and reflective practice. These are all clinical skills that you need to be able to demonstrate at interview. We also need to see that you know how to seek support when you need it. Becky Lodge | Interviewees should talk about how they manage challenging situations and their own stress levels, as well as supervisions and reflective practice. These are all clinical skills that you need to be able to demonstrate at interview. We also need to see that you know how to seek support when you need it. Becky Lodge |
During the degree, you do several practice placements, so sometimes people want to go doggedly through this – their six weeks in a hand therapy unit, for example. They need to draw out the skills that they got from that placement that are particularly relevant to the post they are applying for. If they learned how to prioritise their workload or work in a multidisciplinary team – that’s what we want to hear about, rather than that they learned a specific skill which will only be relevant to a particular specialism. | During the degree, you do several practice placements, so sometimes people want to go doggedly through this – their six weeks in a hand therapy unit, for example. They need to draw out the skills that they got from that placement that are particularly relevant to the post they are applying for. If they learned how to prioritise their workload or work in a multidisciplinary team – that’s what we want to hear about, rather than that they learned a specific skill which will only be relevant to a particular specialism. |
Giving examples which show you work well with service users is vital. We’re interested in people who can show that they can understand another person’s point of view and communicate well. Katherine Godfrey | Giving examples which show you work well with service users is vital. We’re interested in people who can show that they can understand another person’s point of view and communicate well. Katherine Godfrey |
How would your friends describe you? | How would your friends describe you? |
I hate asking about strengths and weaknesses, but asking this question enables people to be a bit more honest and less modest. What are the personal skills they think they demonstrate that friends would notice, and how do they view themselves? We’re looking for self-awareness more than anything, because you need all different sorts of people in a team.Katherine Godfrey | I hate asking about strengths and weaknesses, but asking this question enables people to be a bit more honest and less modest. What are the personal skills they think they demonstrate that friends would notice, and how do they view themselves? We’re looking for self-awareness more than anything, because you need all different sorts of people in a team.Katherine Godfrey |
Can you tell me about a time when you’ve witnessed care that you thought wasn’t good? | Can you tell me about a time when you’ve witnessed care that you thought wasn’t good? |
What did you think about it? What did you do about it? What would you do differently? With the right people, you can see them going back to that time, being really passionate about the fact that they didn’t like what they saw and committed to doing something about it. I wouldn’t want someone who’s aspiring to be a professional occupational therapist to say, “I just reported it to the manager”. Gary Flockhart | What did you think about it? What did you do about it? What would you do differently? With the right people, you can see them going back to that time, being really passionate about the fact that they didn’t like what they saw and committed to doing something about it. I wouldn’t want someone who’s aspiring to be a professional occupational therapist to say, “I just reported it to the manager”. Gary Flockhart |
What can occupational therapy contribute to a multidisciplinary team? | What can occupational therapy contribute to a multidisciplinary team? |
All occupational therapists work in teams and we’re looking for people who have an understanding of the roles of other health professionals they might work with. I’m looking for someone who knows what occupational therapy is and can explain it, because they will need to advocate for that within their team and with patients. Maria Yuen, lead occupational therapist, Cheshire and Wirral partnership NHS foundation trust | All occupational therapists work in teams and we’re looking for people who have an understanding of the roles of other health professionals they might work with. I’m looking for someone who knows what occupational therapy is and can explain it, because they will need to advocate for that within their team and with patients. Maria Yuen, lead occupational therapist, Cheshire and Wirral partnership NHS foundation trust |
Any questions for us? | Any questions for us? |
This is a really good time to sum up why you think you should get the job and why you’re the right person for it, bringing it back to how you might fit into the organisation. Can you show your adaptability, flexibility and entrepreneurship? NHS services are going to change and we have to be innovative and look at new ways of doing things. If you can articulate your professional role in meeting those challenges, it puts you in a good place.Gary Flockhart | This is a really good time to sum up why you think you should get the job and why you’re the right person for it, bringing it back to how you might fit into the organisation. Can you show your adaptability, flexibility and entrepreneurship? NHS services are going to change and we have to be innovative and look at new ways of doing things. If you can articulate your professional role in meeting those challenges, it puts you in a good place.Gary Flockhart |
We welcome people asking questions and sometimes people haven’t prepared anything for this, so get flummoxed. Perhaps don’t ask about the local nightlife, but something about the post that they couldn’t find out without meeting us face-to-face. Good questions are things like: What are you most proud of in your service? What recent developments are happening? Katherine Godfrey | We welcome people asking questions and sometimes people haven’t prepared anything for this, so get flummoxed. Perhaps don’t ask about the local nightlife, but something about the post that they couldn’t find out without meeting us face-to-face. Good questions are things like: What are you most proud of in your service? What recent developments are happening? Katherine Godfrey |
Join the Healthcare Professionals Network to read more pieces like this. And follow us on Twitter (@GdnHealthcare) to keep up with the latest healthcare news and views. | Join the Healthcare Professionals Network to read more pieces like this. And follow us on Twitter (@GdnHealthcare) to keep up with the latest healthcare news and views. |
If you’re looking for a healthcare job or need to recruit staff, visit Guardian Jobs. | If you’re looking for a healthcare job or need to recruit staff, visit Guardian Jobs. |
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