Who has had the most significant influence on you? What makes this person so influential?
The type of outside influences that impact you will also affect your approach as a Youth Worker. The interviewer would like insight into your most significant mentor or life influencer. Your response could include a family member, an athletic coach, a professor, a well-known influencer, or even a stranger who left an imprint on you. Take the time to reflect on this influence. What was said or done to create a positive difference in your life? At the end of your response, be sure to mention how you will take this positive influence and leverage it to benefit the youth with whom you will be working.
"I have had the pleasure of working alongside many wonderful people. A few years ago, I worked for Agency ABC, and they had an amazing Office Administrator. She was incredibly organized and had the most positive attitude. She was a humble person, thankful for her life, and very kind. One day we sat and had our break together. She told me that she started at the agency as a client. She had been a runaway teen and had an incredible story of healing and redemption. Her story has always stayed with me because it is a story of hope. Because of stories like hers, I strive for excellence, I believe in people, and I know that there is hope for everyone. This hope is why I am so passionate about helping at-risk youth, and why I continually educate myself to be the best helper possible."
When I was a camp counselor in my summers off from college, I mentored under the organizer of the camp, and I watched them in action. They had this ability to pierce through the armor of every kid in our camp and get them to open up and reach out. This person taught me early on that all one needs to do is look into someone from the very moment you meet them. Look into them, not at them, not through them, and lower your armor and allow them to look into you. Although it's intense, hold that connection, and the longer you hold it, and remain open, they'll know they can trust you and that you are a friend. They said it's like leaving your front door unlocked at night, and that anyone at any time can come into that safe space you've built. This person was magic, and I learned a lot from them, and have always strived to walk in their footsteps.
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
My brother-in-law taught me that no setback is too severe, how powerful a little hard work and passion can be, and always to give back. He is a 33-year-old self-made multimillionaire. He started out struggling to pay his bills as a college drop-out with a criminal record, but with grit and choosing to follow his passion, he rose to the position of a project manager at a Fortune 100 company. He isn't just rich but has a loving heart, generously giving his time and money to lift others.
Rachelle's Feedback
Wow, your brother-in-law sounds like a stand-up person who has been an incredible influence on you. You seem to have learned a lot from his example. This is a nice, genuine response :)
Anonymous Answer
Someone who has had a significant influence on me would be my mother. She was born in Egypt as a Muslim, and then decided to leave the religion, where she was met with all kinds of difficulties from the Government and her family, eventually forcing her to leave the country. She decided to come to Australia, leaving her family and her career as an art teacher behind, and worked as a cleaner, being unable to speak much English at all. She has been through two divorces, raised four kids on her own, survived cancer, and still runs a successful business.
Stephanie's Feedback
Your mother sounds like an extremely dynamic individual! To strengthen your response I suggest sharing more about exactly how your mother has influenced you. (Example: "My mother has taught me the importance of resilience and has influenced me to persevere. She is the driving force behind my desire to be a youth worker because I understand firsthand the impact that one person can have on the life of another."
Anonymous Answer
I met this person when I was working as an interpreter in my country. He is a pastor and a counselor. I interpreted his lectures and also one on one counseling. He is an English man but he has a lot of good understanding of Korean cultures. He was humble when he encounter clients and gave his full attention. Had great compassion and understanding. He was very gracious to other cultures. His attitude toward people imprinted my heart and provide guidance.
Stephanie's Feedback
It sounds like this individual has a lot of positive qualities and had a very important impact on you! To deepen your response, I suggest being a bit more specific about exactly how he impacted you--did he inspire your passion for youth work? Did he teach you how to display humility and compassion? Providing more specifics would help to take your response from good to great.
Anonymous Answer
This person would be my old youth football coach, he had semi-professional experience within his old playing career and he brought all of these professional skills and morals to our junior team. He always reinforced to us the importance of working hard in life as well as always striving to be the best of our capabilities. I always carry these morals with me now in my own life, staving to being a better person than I was yesterday.
Marcie's Feedback
Awesome! Your old football coach sounds great, and it certainly seems as though you learned several life lessons from him. How exactly did he teach you to work hard and strive to be the best you can be? Can you provide an example of a time later in life when you embodied these qualities/lessons? And how will what you learned from him help you to excel within this particular role? The more details you can provide, the better!
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