After 6 months where I only got one job interview, I have made an effort to improve my job applications and the two I sent before Christmas have both offered me an interview.
The first is Thursday next week and the other is Friday next week.
They are both for a Social Work job.
My problem is I am terrible at job interviews. I have always managed to get the job (or offered something of less hours or temporary) despite me feeling I did badly. But my first professional interview for a Social Worker role was horrific. I was a sweaty, nervous wreck and it's completely knocked my confidence. I don't know if I'm being hard on myself as at the end of the interview, the interviewer, kept asking where I live, my availability and was still asking my questions like did I have a car as she was walking me out.
I find if there is only one interviewer and they are really friendly and bubbly I am okay, very good at group interviews and service user interviewers but it's the Manager interviews I go completely blank in.
I applied for a job in a setting I am very interested in, bit more challenging but pushes me more. This interview is Friday and it's with one Manager and a Service user and I feel confident about it to an extent. Still very nervous but it's a newly qualified role and I feel I have the time to concentrate and revise for it. It's also a less daunting prospect as there's only one Manager present and a chance to speak to them informally afterwards.
Then, I got offered an interview for a general community social worker role in a Children's setting. It's in a lovely location I want to move to(not far from me now but a different county) and is permanent. They're taking on 4 people. But I do not have a car and while it's not a requirement to have a car, it's going to be a real challenge getting to my visits across a rural area without one. The other job does not require a car as there are no visits.
But the community role is easier in some ways with the work being less intense and decisions having less serious consequences.
The problem is, I applied for the job in the community and do not even know what the job is for! I remember filling out the application and I would never apply for child protection so I know it wasn't that but it could be anything! Searched desperately for the job application and specification on my computer but they aren't there.! So I would be like a lamb to the slaughter. I've never done that before and always save all my applications and job specifications after applying. The one time I forgot!!
Going to the interview with cost me money and as I'm so nervous it will use up mental energy too. I'm thinking of just cancelling and really concentrating on the Friday interview. I can't drive so will have to go by taxi to both so will be expensive too.
But then, I might not even get the other job and they may well have an internal applicant they have a view to give that job to. So I could end up with no job offers at the end of it all.
What do you think? Would I be unreasonable not to go to the first interview?