interview for youth worker job- and the youths will interview me!

starsinmycrown

hi, i've been invited for interview at a youth advice and drop in centre. i really want the job, and the money is great and i am so pleased that ive been offered interview as loads applied but now theyve just told me that i will be interviewed by a panel of young people, and i'm DREADING it!

this happened to me before during an interview and it was nightmarish- the kids asked me things that i felt were wholly inappropriate i.e "do you have the self confidence to discipline us" or asked me silly things like " will you give us new stuff if you get the job on the playground?" whilst two mangers looked on at my answers. i didn't know how to pitch my answers, as i knew that there was a wide level of understanding from the young teens to the 19 year olds plus, i was really being watched by the management and the whole thing was a cringeworthy process, and needless to say i didnt get the job, as i went in prepared for an interview with adults. has anybody ever had a job interview like this before, and do they have any advice?

Boomdocker

Whilst I have no experience of this sort of interview I wouldn't view it as 'not being interviewed by adults' If you think about it those questions you were asked before are typical of what you may face by those young people on an average day. They probably would be that forthright, challenging and curious.

I think its a realistic, challenging interview that will test your ability to remain calm, diffuse a situation whilst gaining their respect and maintaining a rapport. You have had some experience and kind of know what to expect so maybe turn it on its head and prepare yourself for that. If that's what you really wish to do then you need to be able to deal with all those sorts of off the wall questions.

Wishing you all the best. I have an interview next week to so understand your concern. Good luck!!

starsinmycrown

thanks, this is what i find hard, i think that if i were at work with teens, and i was asked about my ability to discipline, i'd probably diffuse it by joking "well, if you ever step out of line you'll find out won't you!!" but in an interview situation i'm not sure how far its appropriate to make jokes and be lighthearted. the hr dept seem nice, i made a mistake on my job app, and they helped me to photocopy a new form and get it in on time, so i think theyll be nice people, its just that bad experience where i went in to see about 10 kids there! eek! good luck with your interview too!

fengirl_2

I think this is very bad practice. The interview panel should be made up from the employer. If you dont get the job and you feel its due to discrimination, who are you going to sue? The YP?

poker_face

fengirl wrote: »

I think this is very bad practice. The interview panel should be made up from the employer. If you dont get the job and you feel its due to discrimination, who are you going to sue? The YP?

I don't think its discrimination, surely all other applicants had to go threw the same progress. Quite a tough interview but its probably a tough job so quite appropriate.

Emmzi

I think it's great, seeing how you would really interact with the kids in a live situation!

Be yourself - give a good showing of yourself - and if it's not for you, you would not have liked it anyway...

maryotuam

I suggest you are as honest and direct as you can possibly be. Don't underestimate the young people. They will want someone who is straight and has the strenght not to be messed around by the immature kids. They will have been chosen by the interviewers because they are the most mature of the bunch. Honesty and a sense of humour will probably go a long way. Just think of them as young adults!

sisbod

I am on the opposite side of the fence I have to support yp in helping them to do the interviews - From our perspective it is a case of the interaction and a half decent reply. Young people just want plain English in the answers and honesty - if you dont know say so but say how you would resolve it! Eg if they ask if you are going to get nice things for the playground - say it will depend on the budget and how you could help them to raise funds (depending on the role) to get what they want! It might be worth asking the employers the nos of yp and the format of their interview - I am assuming they are not asking you to do an exercise with them?
Contact me if you find out any more!

starsinmycrown

oh thanks for that post it was really interesting, yeah i do feel a bit weird about the youngsters having a say- i'm only 25 myself, and the panel will be anything up to 20 year olds. my concern is the pitching of my answers- the last time it happened, i had 5 year olds to 13 year olds and it was the stuff of nightmare because i thought these 13 year olds are bright, and the 5 year olds have limited understanding, i was really put on the spot.

i guess what i find hard about it is, if you give me a young person one on one, i'll be able to have a chat and gauge their level of understanding and get to know them a bit, and work out the best way to put something to them. i'm an informal person and quite a bubbly person, and i myself arsed about at school (which is why ive only just graduated at 25!) and this post is about helping young disaffected people get back into work and training, so i think i've got lots to offer. the kids i used to have before uni, who are now 18 odd and trying to sort their lives and erm.. kids out... still come up to me when they see me and chat in the street and i sustain good relationships with them, but because i'm younger i tend to suggest things in a more informal and less preachy way, rather do it in a friendly way and i think they respond fairly well to that. but i think it'll be hard just walking into a room where there's one of me and ten of them. i don't know how i feel about the process, i think i have an objection to young people seeing a candidate in a vulerable position, vying for a job, then if they get the job, theyre expected to be in a position of authority, its kind of weird. i'll just have to make what i will of it.

the last interview i went to, i think it was badly done- there was no prior warning and i was expected to do an activity with kids too, whilst dressed in a black skirt suit, as i was under the impression it would be a formal interview, then i felt stupid trying to run around doing an activity and i felt i look much too severe for the kids. then on top of this, we were told to "wait" for half an hour outside a room to be called, when infact we should have "taken the opportunity to use our intiative and tour the centre" christ! though similarly, if one of us had done, we risked not being there when we were called! i guess my fear is that they'll do some kind of surprise thing again and i'll be put on the spot.

Errata

A client group interview panel is a fast and smart way of testing both the knowledge and calibre of a candidate.
Don't underestimate them. They'll put you on the spot in various ways, and that's what will happen in the job. If the thought of one of you to ten of them horrifies you at an interview, how on earth would you cope when ten of them gang up on you to get something they want that you might not agree with?
Be honest - if you don't know how to answer them, say so. They'll appreciate that far more than some pre-bottled reply or attitude.
I'm not sure why your black skirt suit gave you a problem in your previous interview - where's the difficulty in taking a jacket off, rolling up sleeves and getting down to the task in hand ?
If you feel uncomfortable about being in a vulnerable position as a candidate then perhaps you need to think about your confidence. All the other candidates will be in the same position as you.
Did you get feedback from your last interview? Did you ask what areas you need to improve on? Have you?

fengirl_2

My post did not suggest there was discrimination in the process. I am just saying 'waht if' you didnt get the job and someone younger got it and you felt you were being discriminated against in terms of age....or race...or sex, etc? You would have a case for an ET - so who do you sue if the organisation itself was not on the interview panel?