1. Everyone has prejudices, what are some of yours?
There are two groups of people in my workplace. Those that do, and those that sit and watch. I'm part of the first group. I suppose I'm prejudiced against the other group.
2. How do you deal with stressful situations?
I will remain calm and put all the problems behind me so as not to make mistakes.
3. What kind of preparation did you do for this interview?
I have read about the company through web services and I have also visited the agency to speak with a few individuals about the atmosphere.
4. Tell me what do you have to offer that your competition in this position cannot?
I would want to be successful at my job and feel confident in my abilities to work with offenders. I want keep learning new skills which will make me better. I want to make a difference in offenders lives and help society as a whole by doing so.
5. Which is more important to you, money or satisfaction?
I feel like satisfaction is most important. If you are not satisfied with a situation the the money is not going to matter you will always.
6. Tell us have you ever been convicted of a crime?
No. I have never been convicted of any crime.
7. Why do you want to be a Parole Officer?
I have always been attracted to the criminal justice system, but particularly the side of it that can take an active role in trying to help offenders avoid a life in corrections.
8. What skills do you have that will benefit our agency?
I am an empathetic person who is easy to get along with yet stern. I am confident and consistent. I am an activator and have great attention to detail. I have been trained in motivation interviewing, case management and assessments. I believe that I have great communication skills and the ability to adapt to difficult situations with ease.
9. Have you completed any volunteer work in a juvenile facility?
I have not completed any work in the facility. I have volunteered to work with homeless shelters and attempt to pick up teens off the streets that are homelss. Thus allowing them to leave the streets and seek shelter.
10. What was your most difficult decision in the last six months?
The most important decision was to turn in an employee in to my employer for stealing time.
11. What kind of writing have you done?
I have done a great deal of writing over my college and master's degree career. I also have writen many letters and memorandums in my current position.
12. How would you rate your writing skills?
From 1-10 I would rate myself as 8 because there are still some skills that I can work on.
13. What do you know about our law enforcement agency?
I know that the parole division supervises offenders that have been released early from their prison sentence. I know that offenders are supervised at max, med and min supervision. I know that parole is a second chance for offenders.
14. What have you done to improve your communication skills?
I have done many things requiring oral and written communication skills from undergraduate, and graduate required presentation to experience speaking on inmates behalves before a Parole Examiner, Classification Committee, and Inmate/Staff Grievance Committees. I have also investigated and written responses to inmate grievances, parole reports, furlough reports, and other crucial case management documents.
Talking and communicating is not a problem for me. I communicate outside of work and talk personally to friends and colleagues. When working with criminals, you want to maintain a professional relationship by talking to them because they do not have anyone else to go to. As a Parole Officer, you must make yourself open to them when they need you the most.
I have the ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem, listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences, communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand, combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events), identify and understand the speech of another person.
17. Do you speak a second language fluently?
Yes, I speak Spanish and Latin fluently.
18. What did you learn about being a Probation Officer in college?
In college I was required to complete an internship of 300 hours in the field of my choice. I knew my goal was to be a probation officer and I did a summer internship at the 24th District Court. College did not prepare me for this career, but experience in the job field did.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems, Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do, Talking to others to convey information effectively, Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times, Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
20. What do you know about the position?
I know that this job requires supervision of a caseload of prisoners released on parole. I know the supervision level varies based on court, parole board, or parole officer assessment. Factors include seriousness of offense r(violent nature), history of alcohol or drug abuse, existence or lack of familial, or positive social supports.
21. How well do you multi task?
I am a very good muti task being that I like to have everything organized at all times.
The Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process, human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests;
learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and effective disorders, relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions, the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar, principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
I have spoken in front of groups numerous times in my undergraduate and graduate training. I have served as a Co-Facilitator in a Chemical Dependency Program. I have advocated for my Client before the Institutional Classification Committee, Parole Examiner, and Disciplinary Hearing Officer.
24. Give me three examples of what would make you leave this job?
Became diabled and could not continue to work in this profession, dishonest employees, and emergency family issues.
My work style matching exactly what cashier job requires by: being honest and ethical, maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations, accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations, being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations, being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Probation officer and correctional treatment specialist responsibilities are to discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.
Write reports describing offenders' progress; arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders; prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender; gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information; develop liaisons and networks with other parole officers, community agencies, correctional institutions, psychiatric facilities, and aftercare agencies to plan for helping offenders with life adjustments; inform offenders or inmates of requirements of conditional release, such as office visits, restitution payments, or educational and employment stipulations.
Develop and prepare packets containing information about social service agencies, assistance organizations, and programs that might be useful for inmates or offenders; recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole; interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans; administer drug and alcohol tests, including random drug screens of offenders, to verify compliance with substance abuse treatment programs; conduct prehearing and presentencing investigations and testify in court regarding offenders' backgrounds and recommended sentences and sentencing conditions; develop rehabilitation programs for assigned offenders or inmates, establishing rules of conduct, goals, and objectives; provide offenders or inmates with assistance in matters concerning detainers, sentences in other jurisdictions, writs, and applications for social assistance; arrange for postrelease services, such as employment, housing, counseling, education, and social activities.
Supervise people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school; identify and approve work placements for offenders with community service sentences; participate in decisions about whether cases should go before courts and which court should hear them; investigate alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure; recommend appropriate penitentiary for initial placement of an offender; assess the suitability of penitentiary inmates for release under parole and statutory release programs and submit recommendations to parole boards.
27. Strengths and Weaknesses Based Probation officer interview questions:
► Time when you made a suggestion to improve the work.
► What has been your most successful experience in speech making?
► List five words that describe your character.
► Who else have you applied to/got interviews with?
► What do you believe are your key strengths?
Keep your answer simple, direct and positive. These Probation officer interview questions are asked to see if potential employees have critical thinking skills and self-awareness.
Just wait for them ending their questions then answer.
28. Competency Based Probation officer interview questions:
► How do you react to instruction and criticism?
► How would you describe the experience of working here?
► Tell me about an important goal that you set in the past.
► Why did you decide to pursue this career?
► What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?
Answer all Probation officer interview questions in a calm and collected manner and express an honest desire to work.
Describe your weaknesses as strengths.
Focus on positive achievements and views.
29. Communication skills Based Probation officer interview questions:
► What support training would you require to be able to do this job?
► What have you done to support diversity in your unit?
► What do you think this position involves.
► What type of work environment do you prefer?
► Who has impacted you most in your career and how?
Try to answer Probation officer interview questions completely. We recommend that you don't immediately respond to the question directly.
Don't stress yourself with the idea of winning or losing.
30. Behavioral Probation Officer Job interview questions:
► Tell me about a time you had to make a quick decision.
► Tell me about a difficult experience you had in a clinic or internship and how you overcame it.
► Tell me about a time you had too many things to do and had to prioritize.
► What did you do the last time things didn't go according to plan?
► Tell me about a situation where you failed. Why did you fail and what did you learn from it?
► Tell me about a time you had to work with someone who did things very differently from you.
► Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult client or coworker.
► Describe a situation in which a detail you thought to be unimportant turned out to be very important.
► Tell me about a time you had to persuade a colleague to accept your point of view.
► Tell me about a time you went above and beyond the call of duty.
► Describe a situation where your efforts had a direct impact on the outcome.
► Tell me about an ethical work situation you had to deal with. How did it turn out?
► Tell me about a time when you had to act in a leadership capacity.
► What have you done in the workforce that shows initiative and creativity?
► How would you handle a situation where you and your supervisor disagreed about an issue or course of action?
31. Situational Probation officer interview questions:
► What attracted you to this company?
► What do you think, would you be willing to travel for work?
► What would make you happy in a job?
► What have you been doing since your last job?
► What relevant experience do you have?
The interviewer is looking for an answer that indicates you've thought about where you want to work. The interviewers want to know the real you, the potential candidate they may accept in. Be very thoughtful about your answer.
32. Basic Probation officer interview questions:
► What is more important to you: the money or the work?
► A team experience you found disappointing.
► Example when you went above and beyond the call of duty.
► How would you describe your work style?
► Do you have any questions for me?
A short positive response is best. Emphasize benefits to the company. Don't feel too much pressure as you have been asked many strict questions that you are unable to answer well.
33. Video Based Probation officer interview questions:
► How have you changed in the last five years?
► Tell me about your proudest achievement.
► Where do you see yourself in five years time?
► Describe a situation in which you had to collect information.
► What would you say are your strong points?
34. Phone Based Probation officer interview questions:
► When were you most satisfied in your job?
► Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?
► What are your long-term goals or career plans?
► What are you expecting from this firm in the future?
► What are three positive character traits you don't have?
35. Behavioral Probation officer interview questions:
► Give an example of a time you successfully worked on a team.
► What can you do for us that other candidates cant?
► What have you learned from mistakes on the job?
► Has anything ever irritated you about people you've worked with?
► What kind of personality do you work best with and why?
Keep your answer simple, direct and positive. Be clear in understanding the responses. Make sure the experience is relevant.
