“Why do you want to work for Child Protective Services?”
During an interview for a job in child protective services (CPS), you may be asked why you want to work in CPS. This question helps employers figure out why you want this job, which shows how eager you are to work in that position. If you want a job in CPS and are being interviewed, you might want to learn how to answer this question. This article talks about the question “Why do you want to work for CPS?” and shows you how to answer it with steps and examples. We also explain why this question is asked by employers.
“Why do you want to work for CPS?” is a question that hiring managers ask.
“Why do you want to work for CPS?” an employer might ask. to find out what makes you want to work in this field and do well at it. Working for CPS can be hard on your feelings, so you should talk about why you want to work in this field. How you answer this question can help the person in charge of hiring decide if you are the right person for the job. For instance, they might want to hire someone who wants to help abused or neglected children. Most social work requires empathy, so it’s best to hire people who care about what they do.
Most of the time, employers may be looking for answers that show how much the candidate wants to work for CPS. Also, it’s important to elaborate on what you said. This is another way to show how great a candidate you are. For instance, you could say that you want to help abused children. You could add to this by explaining why you want to help these kids in more detail. You have a great chance to talk about why you are qualified for the job when you answer this question. Managers might want to hire people who have the right education and a lot of experience in the field.
How to answer, “Why do you want to work for Child Protective Services?”
Here are four steps you can take in an interview to answer this question:
1. Give some thought to what you want.
First, you should think about why you want this job. Ask yourself why you chose this job to begin with. For example, you might have wanted this job for reasons that had nothing to do with work. You might have learned about social work in high school or college and then chosen to work for Child Protective Services (CPS). There are probably more than one reason why you might be interested in this kind of work. Try to answer in a way that makes sense if you can. Employers might want you to be honest about why you want the job. Try to answer the question honestly.
Many different kinds of people want to work for CPS. You might want to work in this field for the following reasons:
- You want to help children very much.
- You want to help people who are having trouble.
- As a child, you were helped by a CPS worker.
- You found out about this job at a job fair.
2. Say what you would like to do.
After you’ve thought about why you want to work for CPS, you should say more about this. Your goal is a good place to start, but you can back up your answer with more information about what drives you. You could, for example, tell a personal story that relates to your first answer. Think about how you could explain why you want to work for CPS or how you’ve seen CPS workers help kids. If you don’t know any CPS workers personally, you could build on your desire to help kids. By giving more details about your answer, you show employers that you are serious about getting this job.
Try to give more background information about your original statement to help explain your reason. For instance, you might wonder why helping kids is so important to you. Keep asking yourself why you want to work in CPS, and write down your answers if you need to. Once you have some ideas, link them back to your first answer to make sure you stay on topic and on point.
3. Mention your qualifications
After you say why you want to do something, try to say what makes you qualified to do it. Most of the time, it’s best to answer interview questions like a professional. You could say how much you want to help kids and give a list of your skills. List any formal education you have that might help you get a job with CPS. Most people need at least a bachelor’s degree to work for CPS, so you could talk about yours. For example, you could talk about how your studies prepared you and made you want to work for CPS. You could also talk about any work experience you have in a professional setting.
Try to tie your qualifications back to the question as you talk about them. Tell us why or how your qualifications made you want to work for CPS even more. You might want to go into this field because of what you’ve learned in school or what you’ve done in the past.
4. Talk about how good you are at this.
Last, you should talk about any skills or qualifications you have that are relevant. To work for CPS, you need to be good at a number of things. People who work for CPS are often good at listening, talking, and critical thinking. If you want to work in this field, you might also need to know about the law and psychology. Try to include skills that are related to the job by explaining what skills you have and how they make you a good candidate to work for CPS. Talking about your skills shows that you want to work for CPS and that you can do the job. When you talk about your education and work experience, you can talk about your skills if you want to.
If you need help thinking of all your skills, write them down. They could be hard or easy to learn. You learn hard skills in school or through training. Soft skills are things about yourself that you’ve learned over time. After making your list, choose the skills that will help you work in CPS. When you answer the question at the interview, try to talk about these skills.
How to answer “Why do you want to work for Child Protective Services?”
Read these answers to this question to help you get ready for an interview:
Example 1
“When I was in high school, I worked with a CPS worker on a case about my cousins. My family was having trouble, but the people who worked for CPS helped us get through it. They gave my cousins’ family the money and help they needed. I wanted to work for Child Protective Services after reading this. I saw how they help parents who are having trouble and kids who don’t have anyone to care for them. I want to be like this for other kids who are mistreated or ignored. After high school, I went to college and got a bachelor’s degree in social work.
Because of the skills I learned in college, I hope to get a job as a new hire at this agency. I think that my strong sense of empathy and people skills will help me connect with kids who need help.”
Example 2
“I learned what a CPS worker does and how they do it at a college career fair. I’d always loved working with kids, even when I was young. I was also interested in psychology, so when I found out what a CPS worker does, I decided to go into that field. I was in my first year of college, so changing my major and getting started on my degree was easy. In my classes, I learned how families work and how children grow and change. I also learned useful things, such as how to report child abuse.
After I got my bachelor’s degree, I went on to get a master’s in social work. I chose to focus on psychology. I wanted to go to college so I could work for Child Protective Services (CPS).”
Example 3
“I’ve been a social worker for six years, and I’d like to switch to CPS work full-time. As a social worker, I helped a lot of families. I liked helping all kinds of people, but what I really wanted to do was work with kids. I want to keep young people safe because I have two children of my own. Having my own children helps me understand how other kids and parents feel.
Because of what I’ve learned in school, on the job, and in training, I have the skills and knowledge to help families. I want to switch to CPS work and become an associate there because I love kids and being a parent.”
Example 4
“There were a lot of families in trouble where I grew up. Many of these families didn’t have enough money to take care of their kids, which led to them being neglected. CPS workers would talk to me sometimes to find out about my neighbors. I became interested in working for CPS because of these things. I wanted to help troubled families who needed help taking care of their children. I got my bachelor’s degree in family studies because I did well in school and got money to help pay for it. After I graduated from college, I got a job as an assistant at the county building near my home.
Even though school taught me what I needed to know, I learned most of my skills on my first job. Now that I have more work experience, I want to help troubled families so that the kids in my community will be safe.”
