Interview for Counselling Course

Phoenix_Rising

Hi all,

I have just got an interview for the one year Certificate in Counselling Course in CIT in Cork. It is a two part interview, first part is a group interview for an hour and the second is a 15 one on one interview.

I have never done a group interview before and im very unsure as to what to expect.

Im wondering if anyone here has done this interview and if they could give me any tips. I really really want this course!!

Thanks in advance.

The Black Oil

The group interview is probably to see how you interact with others when you're given a task, might be to discuss a serious topic or something counsellors would face and see how you get on with that in the group setting.

Good luck.

Max001

Hiya

I've done group interviews for jobs in the distant past and used them
more recently to select people for roles, not counselling though.

I'd echo what the previous poster said. I'd imagine that assessors will want to see that you do contribute, in other words, that you're confident enough to speak in company of strangers or in a semi-public situation, that you don't speak over people and seek to dominate the exercise....
that as well as speaking, you display good listening skills....which is obviously critical in counselling....that you display a balanced and open minded view on topics that might be controversial....'like right to life'.....counselling is about the client, not bringing your own 'stuff' to the situation....and that what you do say is thought through, by using your listening skills....

I know this sounds like a lot of things to juggle in a live situation, but the exercise is designed I'd guess to assess your basic level of suitability for this type of course and you probably have all of these skills and use them most of the time, without being aware

Part of the one to one interview may be a debrief on the group exercise to check your awareness.......questions like what you thought of the exercise.......assessing others contributions......assessing your own contributions.

Best advice I could give is, be yourself. If the people who are assessing you are the people who deliver the course, they'll be very highly trained and able to see someone who's acting a mile off. Be honest, go for it and tell them in the 1-to1 how much you want the course......passion for a subject, counts for a lot when I'm selecting.

Best of luck!

MysticalSoul

I did the first year in CIT before moving to Dublin. The most important thing is just to try and relax and be yourself. I did a group interview for the PCI course in Dublin too, for which I am nearing the end of the 4 year programme.

Phoenix_Rising

MysticalSoul wrote: »

I did the first year in CIT before moving to Dublin. The most important thing is just to try and relax and be yourself. I did a group interview for the PCI course in Dublin too, for which I am nearing the end of the 4 year programme.

Hi,

Thanks for answering. How did you find the CIT course? Is it very intensive?

Had the group interview last night. Basically there was a group of about 20. We all first had to introduce ourselves and then explain why we wanted to do the course, what in our past made us think it would bew benificial etc etc. It was actually fine. I found that all my experience of speaking in public from AA meeting was really really helpful ( every cloud and all that!)

Had the one on one interview today - it was based on the information given in my application form and was fine as well.

I have no idea whether of not i have got it - i think they have twice the applicants as they do places so it will be tough, but i think i gave it my best shot.

Phoenix_Rising

Got the course!!

Thanks to those who gave advice.

r3nu4l

Congrats Phoenix_Rising That's great news!

all_smilz

well done, i am hoping to do it someday myself but not in the place for it right now. I am after starting the Social and health education programme and loving it. Have u done that too OP?