Probation Officer Interview Questions
"When interviewing for a position as a probation officer, be prepared to answer questions about your ability to properly supervise probationers so that they meet sentencing requirements and don't commit future offenses. As probation officers often have to manage heavy caseloads with lots of paperwork, interviewers will likely ask about your organizational and case management skills. Many of the individuals' probation officers deal with can be pessimistic or cynical of the probation process, so employers will ask questions that assess your ability to deal with difficult cases while keeping a positive attitude."
If faced with violence from the juveniles how would you handle it?
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Instantly try to restrain and calm
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As a JPO, it is your duty to gain total control of a violent situation with the least amount of force as possible as quickly as possible. Many juveniles resort to anger due to an inability to understand the thoughts and feelings they are experiencing; that is why it is crucial to maintain control and attempt to diffuse the situation to prevent further escalation. Less
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There is no right answer other than making sure to articulate that it is unacceptable to strike a resident in anything other than the most extreme situations. Less
What would you do to prepare your self for court? How to deal with a upset parent? How do you prioritize your time management skills?
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Make sure I have prepared all the necessary documents for the court case and know how to reference all of them. I would explain to the parent that the probation program is very successful and that it is the best thing for their child and will help them. I prioritize projects that have the nearest deadlines. Less
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Very easy and straight forward, just use your common sense. Just relax and think before you answer the question Less
They really don't ask any hard interview question.
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They may also ask how would you face a juvenile when an arguments starts escalating. They want to hear that you are the bigger person and you would step out of the office and calm yourself down before it escalating to something bigger as regretting to lower yourself to their standards. Remember you are their to help them and provide positive outcome for their future. Less
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Another question is how would you handle a situation where you are clocking in you work and see the officer you are about to relieve in an argument with a juvenile in front of other juveniles what would you do? First you would want to say you would approach the officer and juvenile and tell the juvenile to step back. Call in another officer that could watch over the mod and take out the officer so they could get a breather and help them from doing a mistake with calming them down. Less
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What are 4 reasons of where a probation officer could put their hands on a juvenile? 1. When they are a harm to themselves 2. When they are a harm to others 3. When they are runways I forgot the last one those are the three I remember. Less
Tell me something about yourself?
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My name is John Doe and I have Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. Last year, I was a volunteer case manager for the homeless and I have experience working with justice-involved individuals. I have experience in collaborating with the local community who provides various services and support. I can adapt quickly and I enjoy helping people overcome barriers. Less
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Good morning/afternoon. I am John Doe and I am an experienced Probation Officer. I am effective at managing difficult cases and making sound, educated decisions. I was told by my colleagues and supervisors that I am creative and a practical problem solver. In my last job, I reduced recidivism from the cases I inherited ." Less
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"Thank you for this opportunity. I'm Jane Doe and I served in the US Army Veteran. I graduated with Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and I also worked as a Military Police for 4 years. I want to work as a Probation Officer for your department because I want to focus on encouraging offenders to rise above obstacles and accept life's changes. I want to teach them how to transition and become productive citizens. I look forward to working with you." Less
There was a no difficult question.
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I had to follow up with HR after the interview, drug screen and back ground check. Which was 9 days later. The online test was accessible for only 5 day and consisted of organization questions and basic math. Less
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How many days did it take for the HR to send the email for the test and what kind of test? Less
On one of my interviews I was asked to "Describe "What Works" is."
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you got to be kidding me
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Knowledge, training, and expertise. "The terms best practices, what works, and evidence-based practice are often used interchangeably. While these terms refer to similar concepts, pointing out the subtle distinctions between them helps to clarify the distinct meaning of evidence-based practices" Less
There was a total of 8 questions. Each questions required a lengthy response. Most of the question has two parts answers. The questions were related to your experience and education. Also, like what would you do in certain situations. The questions were not easy however they were not as difficult as I thought they were going to be.
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What are three elements of case management
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One of the questions was what would you do when you arrived at a house and you saw a gun and Marijuana on the table. Less
If one of your co-workers was falling behind on deal lines for completing necessary paperwork, is it your obligation to assist.
2 AnswersHow would I handle a abused child and parent?
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The best way to handle an abused child or parent is to get them any required emergency medical treatment, seek protective custody for the abused child if necessary and provide all available resources for the parent to seek help; the final steps would include notification to law enforcement, accurate reporting to the probation department and providing recommendations to the courts on behalf of the minor child if necessary. Less
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Watch my tone and just try to speak with them