1. What exactly do you do?
- What field is your job in?
Healthcare - What is your job title?
Social Worker - Please provide a brief description of the firm or organization that you currently work for (size and general description of what type of organization it is)
Non Profit Hospice Care organization. About 200 employees at all locations.
- How long have you been employed in this position?
4 months - How many hours do you work a week on average?
40 - Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
40 - Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
Visiting clients and families in their homes and providing interventions to address psychosocial needs.
- What was your gross income last year? Please include any bonuses or incentives received.
35000 - What is your expected gross income for this year? Please include any bonuses or incentives you expect to receive.
35000 - Please list any benefits you have (Please include number of weeks vacation, sick leave and type of health insurance, retirement plan 401k)
403b Retirement Plan, Dental and Vision benefits, Blue Cross Blue Shield Medical Insurance, PTO for vacation and sick time, personal development fund - Do you feel you are under/well/over compensated at your current position?
Well compenstated
2. Work environment!
- Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Explain
Yes, I visit clients in their homes and I love working with people. I also collaborate with other staff, but not always on a daily basis.
- Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes - Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes - Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it
I have a cubicle in our main office, but I also work a great deal from home. I like this because it offers flexibility but it can also be more difficult to focus at home.
- Please rank in order of importance from 1-8 (1- most important 8- least important) Assign each number once.
- 8 Income
- 2 Work Environment - co-workers
- 3 Work Environment - supervisors
- 7 Benefits
- 4 Hours
- 5 Level of responsibility
- 1 The actual "work" you do at your job
- 6 Job Title
3. How should someone new to the workforce get a J-O-B like yours?
- If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Network with others! Set up informational interviews and meet with people at the organizations you are interested in. Also volunteer - gain experience in Hospice.
- What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours? Please be specific and explain why (e.g., social skills, organization skills, technical skills)
Willing to go into client's homes, empathy, tolerating others' points of view, comfort with illness, death, and dying, ability to handle crises.
- Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes - you really need a Master of Social Work degree - What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Take some time to reflect on your own experiences with death and dying and how that may impact your work.
4. How did you get your J-O-B
- How did you find your current job? (e.g. newspaper, internet, referral, etc.)
Met with one of the other social workers there, and found the actual job posted online at the website. - What was the application process for your job? (e.g. submitted resume, paper application, electronic application, all, etc.)
Resume and electronic application - Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail? (e.g., number of interviews, who you interviewed with, group interview, individual interview, etc.)
Yes, I had a brief telephone interview, then one interview with my supervisor and one with the HR Department. - If you can remember, what questions were you asked at your interview?
What I knew about the agency, what former supervisors would say about me, my comfort with the job, what I thought the job entailed, how I would handle certain situations. - Is this the job / field you planned to work in?
Yes - If your job is in a different field from your original plan how did you get here? Explain (Plan can be from high school/college/post college/personal plan)
NA I have always planned to be in the helping profession. I realized in graduate school that I wanted to work with older adults.
5. Background: Are you qualified?
- Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes, I had an in-depth training period. I had a preceptor - one person in my position- who showed me everything. I shadowed her on visits and learned the policies and procedures. She also accompanied me to my first visits with clients and helped me enter my data in the computer system. The process took about 3 weeks in total. I also went to several agency trainings that went over additional policies and procedures. - Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain
YES - I had a very sophisticated training program and felt very prepared. I learned about what was expected of me and the requirements of my postion. I also learned how to handle different situations. - Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain
Yes - I had coursework and fieldwork training that was relevant to my job. I studied about older adults and hospice in particular. - If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare you for your job?
6. The Future and Beyond (FINAL SECTION)
- If someone were to observe you at work, what would he or she say is "fun" about your job?
Meeting different people, interacting with clients and families, developing relationships, being able to really help others. - What is (are) the most fulfilling aspect(s) and least fulfilling aspect(s) of your current employment? (e.g. fiscal, spiritual, type of work, hours, commute, compensation, etc.)
Most fulfilling is being able to help others in a difficult time in their lives. Least fulfilling is having to chart everything in the computer. - Is your current employment part of your career plan? Why or why not?
Yes. This is exactly what I want to be doing. - What are your current career goals? (Can be broad or specific)
Continue to provide Social Work services to older adults, research, mentor others. - Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
No
7. A Day in the Life Of...
- 7 am - 8 am
NA - 8 am - 9 am
Begin working at 8 am. Call in and listen to Morning Report - report of new admissions, discharges, deaths, and clients who called the on-call staff overnight. Sync computer databases, check email, prepare for daily visits. - 9 am - 10 am
Call clients and schedule visits - prioritize new admissions. Make plan for the day. Depart office and head to first visit. - 10 am - 11 am
Conduct Routine visit with client in a assisted living facility. Engage in life review and provide emotional support. Check in with facility staff. No immediate needs noted. - 11 am - 12 am
Conduct first visit with a new client. Introduce myself as Social Worker, explain role, inquire about how the family is doing and answer any questions. Address needs the client has. Explain Hospice services, offer possible referrals, and provide emotional support. Schedule next visit for the following week. - 12 am - 1 pm
- 1 pm - 2 pm
Begin charting on the morning visits in agency Electronic Medical Record. - 2 pm - 3 pm
Training - Personal Death Awareness. Training program that explored employees experiences with and feelings regarding death. Explored how these feelings can impact client care and some parallels between employees feelings and client feelings. - 3 pm - 4 pm
Conduct Routine visit with client in a assisted living facility. Engage in life review and provide emotional support. Check in with facility staff. No immediate needs noted. - 4 pm - 5 pm
Finishing client charts, email, sync, making tomorrow to-do list. - 5 pm - 6 pm
NA - 6 pm - 7 pm
NA - 7 pm - 8 pm
NA - 8 pm - 9 pm
NA - 9 pm - 10 pm
NA - 10 pm - 11 pm
NA - 11 pm - 12 pm
NA