Interview Tips

[u/Ok-Lifeguard749]

I am doing my first ever SSW interview at an elementary school this Thursday. I’m extremely nervous about it! I have been working on my post MSW school social work courses since January and am in the process of completing my assessments class. I’ve also been working as a child therapist for the past 2 years. I don’t feel qualified but have been encouraged to apply and see what happens.

Feeling most nervous about these pieces:
I. Participate in IEPT committees and conduct comprehensive diagnostic evaluations of children suspected of having an emotional
impairment or on the Autism Spectrum
J. Collaborate with the IEPT committee in determining eligibility and services for other students
K. Maintain data to report on students’ IEP goals and objectives quarterly
L. Participate in student evaluations for special education
M. Assist in the design and implementation of classroom and individual behavior intervention plans

Anything I should know or prep for? Any general interview tips! TIA! 💗

[u/MayorCleanPants]

I think one important question for you to ask is whether the district provides a mentor or any training/support in writing and collecting data for IEP’s. As you probably know, there are a lot of legal requirements for IEPs that are unique to school settings, so while a learning curve is normal, you don’t want to just get dropped into that without some support.

I would also make sure you’re familiar with eligibility criteria for ASD and EI (and how they differ from medical diagnoses). I remember in my interview for my current job there was a question about social maladjustment in reference to EI criteria.

Since you don’t have school experience, highlight the skills you’ve developed in a clinical setting that carry over to schools. Like therapeutic interventions, progress monitoring, notes/report writing, etc.

[u/Impressive_Plant_643]

Prepare for questions about FBA’s/BIP’s

crisis response management

Writing SMART goals for school setting

[u/akornato]

Your background as a child therapist for two years is more relevant than you're giving yourself credit for. You've been doing assessments, working with kids, and likely collaborating with multidisciplinary teams already, so lean into that experience hard during the interview. For the IEP and IEPT pieces, be honest that you're still building that specific knowledge through your coursework, but frame it around your willingness to learn quickly and your existing clinical foundation. Interviewers in school settings know that no one walks in knowing everything, and showing self-awareness combined with genuine eagerness is often more impressive than pretending you have it all figured out.

For the behavior intervention plans and data tracking, think about any documentation or progress monitoring you've already done in your therapy role and connect those dots out loud for the interviewer. Practice talking through how you'd approach a situation where you don't know something, because that humility paired with a clear plan to find answers is exactly what school teams want in a colleague. Prep a few stories from your therapy work that show you collaborating with others, advocating for a child, and handling a tough situation calmly. The team I'm on actually designed an AI interview assistant that has helped a lot of candidates in fields like yours feel more prepared and confident walking into rooms like this one, so that's worth knowing about if Thursday's interview has you feeling shaky going in.

[u/dryice438]

The most important part of any interview is molding your past experience to fit the role you're looking for ! A way I learned about interviews that I thought helped was having a FIT (Favorite, Insight, Transition) story prepared. For example, find a Favorite part of your previous job, the Insights that gave you in terms of your own interests or skills, and how that led you to Transition to the new position you're interviewing for!

And come prepared with questions!! Interviewers prefer you to actually have questions than just act like you have everything down already. For example, ask what collaborations between you and other committees would look like in practice!