If you’re keen on making a difference in the community and enjoy helping others, then a career as a Personal Support Worker (PSW) might be a perfect fit. PSWs are key members in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, working to maximize their clients’ independence by recognizing and addressing physical and emotional signs of aging and illness.
By completing your training, you’ll learn the necessary skills to excel in your job—providing the best possible personal care to clients and making a profound impact on their quality of life. With personal support taking a strong hit during the pandemic, the demand for PSWs is growing more than ever. As you explore career opportunities in this field, you’ll need to prepare for different job interviews.
Here are four tips to help you ace your interviews and stand out among other candidates!
1. Make a Strong First Impression by Doing Your Research in Advance
Job interviews are all about making a strong first impression. You’ll want potential employers to take you seriously and view you as a key addition to their team. To do this, you’ll need to come prepared and do your research in advance.
Make sure to dress smartly and remember to carefully inspect the job listing before applying, ensuring that you have the required skill set. You can also look into your employer’s history as well their mission and values to assess whether or not you’d be a great fit. This step will save you lots of time and allow you to feel more confident as you begin your interview.
2. Share Relevant Information about Yourself and Your PSW Training
It’s highly likely that your potential employer will ask you to talk about yourself. While this can be a great ice-breaker, be sure to avoid long introductions and irrelevant information. Rehearse what you’d like to say in advance and share key aspects about yourself: your training, work history, as well as any relevant hobbies and interests.
Here, you’ll want to go into the details of your PSW training, revealing how it prepared you to effectively complete the daily tasks and activities required on the job. You can even illustrate what you’ve learned in core diploma modules, like Care Planning, Restorative Care, Documentation and Working in the Community, as well as Safety and Mobility, to name a few. By sharing the main takeaways of your program, you’ll be able to showcase your qualifications.
3. Highlight Your Key Strengths and Experience with Confidence
Employers are typically eager to discover your key strengths and experience in the field. Take this opportunity to highlight how you can contribute to the team by going into these details. During your PSW program, you’ll develop valuable qualities and skills for providing personal care and assistance through clinical placements. Illustrate these strengths through personal anecdotes that emphasize your practical experience.
By focusing on real situations, you can showcase your positive attitude, perseverance, caring demeanour, and advanced communication skills along with other strengths. You can even share moments where you overcame difficult situations to prove your hardworking and problem-solving nature.
4. Emphasize Your Passion for the Job by Showing Initiative
Those who love their work are often great employees. If you have the chance, try to highlight your passion and interest in personal care by sharing your favourite aspect of the field or even why you started training for the job in the first place. You’ll also want to demonstrate your commitment and reliability, so try to frame your responses with that in mind.
Along with answering questions, you’ll have the opportunity to ask them. As you explore personal support worker careers, feel free to ask questions to get a better sense of the job. For instance, you can ask about the floor size of the facility or the number of clients assigned to each PSW. Asking these types of questions allows you to demonstrate initiative, showing your employer that you are truly interested and are carefully considering each aspect of the job.
There are many ways to stand out during a job interview, but you should always try to just be yourself during the process. Although it can be intimidating, your training and work experience will speak for itself.
Ready to start your personal support worker program?
Contact Canadian Business College for more information!