How to Answer: When working with adoption cases, what do you find the most difficult and how do you manage your emotions?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Social Work job interview.
20. When working with adoption cases, what do you find the most difficult and how do you manage your emotions?
How to Answer
As a Social Worker, you may specialize in adoption coordinate services for families. As a Social Worker specializing in adoption, you'll need to find a balance between engaging emotionally with a client and maintaining a professional distance. Finding this balance will allow you to provide the best service and avoid unnecessary personal stress. Share a story with the interviewer about a time you stepped into the adoption process to help a child. Explain how you were able to keep your emotions in check so you could perform your job. Identify that you are aware of the emotional exhaustion that can consume you but that you don't allow it to have a negative effect.
Written by Heather Douglass
Answer Example
"I haven't had the opportunity to work with an adoption case yet. I would imagine it brings up similar emotions that I've experience in other cases that involve children. To manage my emotions and still remain empathetic we meet as a team every morning to discuss cases and the emotions that come along with them. Being able to talk about our cases with each other helps manage our emotions."
Written by Heather Douglass