Assisting Students: Interview Preparation for Elderly Care Volunteers

This assignment provides a comprehensive guide to help students prepare for interviews for a volunteer position at a residential center for the elderly. The document emphasizes the importance of understanding the reasons for volunteering, gathering information about the center and its residents, and preparing for common interview questions. It highlights the value of asking both open-ended and follow-up questions, and the importance of documenting the interview process. The assignment also suggests practical preparation techniques, such as practicing with mock interviews, watching videos, and seeking feedback. It stresses the importance of reviewing the basics of interview etiquette and the benefits of building the ability to ask follow-up questions. The document also includes references to relevant research articles, supporting the advice given. This resource is designed to equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to confidently navigate the interview process and secure their volunteer positions.

Running Head: ASSISTING STUDENTS TO PREPARE FOR AN INTERVIEW
Assisting students to prepare for an interview
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1ASSISTING STUDENTS TO PREPARE FOR AN INTERVIEW
While preparing for an interview at a residential centre for the elderly, it is necessary to keep a
few things in mind-
 The reason behind your choice of working as a volunteer in the residential centre for the
elderly should be evident and precise. The goal of gaining knowledge while interacting
with them could be one such valid reason (Gravely et al., 2019).
 Helping them to improve their quality of life is another purpose that can drive you to take
such a decision. Loneliness is directly related to all those people who are under the
scheme of the centre. By keeping that in mind, you should point out the changes and
improvements that you can make in the lives of the elderly.
 Supporting the family needs constant involvement from the people, and this is where you
can consider your contributions. You will help them to engage in meaningful
conversations, and be someone they can look forward to (Gravely et al., 2019).
 The next step involves keeping the basics for an interview, reviewed and ready. In terms
of information, you are expected to gather all kinds of information that consists of the
centre and the various types of people who are living under their roof. You should also
try to retrieve as much information from the interviewer as possible without sounding
rude (Tingvold & Skinner, 2019).
 As volunteers, you are also expected to ask questions of the right kind, such as open-
ended and follow up questions. However, your questions should be brief.
 In case the interviewee evades any particular question, try to rephrase it.
 Writing the right kind of queries is also beneficial in terms of the interviewee and
understands what type of information they are seeking from the candidate. By

2ASSISTING STUDENTS TO PREPARE FOR AN INTERVIEW
understanding the demands of the interviewee, you can develop relevant questions that
you can ask during an interview (Tingvold & Skinner, 2019).
 Document your interview with the help of written notes, audio, or even video. As
volunteers, you can also ask for collateral materials such as pamphlets, posters, or books
that are based on the work that you are supposed to perform as a volunteer and the
organization itself.
 Your willingness to intake information and need for more will be noted by the
interviewee, although it might be irrelevant in the longer run.
 Keep practising as it will help you to develop your skills and watch videos o YouTube
that are meant to address the places where things went wrong in an interview, and which
parts are right (Tingvold & Skinner, 2019).
 I would also suggest holding mock interview sessions with me or any other teacher with
whom you feel confident and comfortable. Two kinds of interviews can be included in
the mock sessions of the interviews. In essence, the first one would be based on closed
questions, which will yield only a yes or a no as an answer from the volunteer, whereas
the next interview will consist of open-ended questions only. Once both of these
interviews are over and have been documented, you can compare the outcomes of the two
sets of interviews (Tingvold & Skinner, 2019).
 Another area of focus is to build the ability to ask follow-up questions. This can be done
with the pairing of two students and making them ask questions with the help of some
generic questions.

3ASSISTING STUDENTS TO PREPARE FOR AN INTERVIEW
Reference
Gravely, E., Dutta, P., Vithyananthan, M., & David, K. (2019). Starting and Operating a Cycling
Without Age Chapter in a Care Facility.
Tingvold, L., & Skinner, M. S. (2019). Challenges in the coordination of volunteer activities in
long-term care services. International Journal of care and caring, 3(3), 339-358.