Perfect your Occupational Therapist job interview
Your next Occupational Therapist role is within reach! The position is ideal. It is in the right area with the type of cases you like. All you need to do now is secure the role at interview.
The good news is, if you have been offered an interview through Sanctuary Health, you’re more than half way there to securing the role.
Your individual Sanctuary Health consultant will be able to give you information about your new employer, but there’s still plenty of scope for you to hone your interview techniques.
Depending on the location and nature of the Occupational Therapist role, there’s still a great deal of competition, so how do you make sure you are chosen over another professional? Being prepared for some of the most frequently asked questions helps.
Tell me about your experience of standardised assessments
The employer is looking for evidence of your ability to promote the use of evidence-based outcome measures. They’ll want to hear to how, through assessments, you provide credible and reliable justification for the intervention that is delivered. Be ready with one or two examples but keep your answer short (ideally no longer than two minutes).
What do you know about our care models?
This question tests two things; your knowledge of them as an employer and of the model/s they adhere to (e.g. model of human occupation). Research the organisation and ask your Sanctuary Health consultant if they are privy to information on certain models. Once you’ve established what the models are, research them and make sure you understand the basic principles and how you would apply them.
What makes an effective Occupational Therapist?
You will need some real-life examples to draw from. Discuss examples that show you enable patients to recover or change; through listening to individual needs and give clinical advice on supporting them to make decisions about their care. Remember, employers are looking for Occupational Therapists who are reflective.
What do you do if a patient complains about a member of staff?
It’s not uncommon for people to feel frustrated with the pace of care, which can be influenced by many factors. Something you’ll know all too well as an Occupational Therapist. You might well find yourself in this very situation, where a patient wants to make a compliant or raise their concerns. In your answer, you need to make it clear you are aware of the procedure for reporting anything considered to be wrong or unsafe. Explain, step-by-step, what your approach would be. Try not to throw in too many hypothetical possibilities though. Keep it simple.
What’s the value of an OT in a multi-disciplinary setting?
This is an interesting question. Really, the interviewer is asking you ‘how do work with other people from other healthcare departments?’. Increasingly, both NHS and private employers are realising the benefits of co-located teams. Not just across healthcare either; within social care and criminal justice too. In giving your answer, provide examples of where, as an Occupational Therapist, you’ve jointly aided the recovery or care of a patient. If you’ve been involved in a team piloting a new way of working, here’s your chance to shout about it!
Our interview guide will tell you everything you need to know...
Whether you are looking for a position within the NHS, private healthcare sector or with a local authority, we have plenty of vacancies.
Interested in finding out more? Register with Sanctuary today.
