Interview Questions and Answers
Have you handled a difficult situation? How?
· When I interned at emory, I was in charge of the practiuum students. One of my students hated one of the other students, who they were supposed to be working with. They were supposed to be coordinating a COVID food drive, but because of their relationship, nothing was getting done. I took both indivudals aside and listened to both of them. I them met with them together and helped them work through their differnces. Although they did not end up becoming ebst friends, they were able to effectively work together
· What is the last book your read? How did in impact your work?
o Checklist manifesto- no matter how much education you have, or position, you will still make mistakes. It is critical to have guideliens and documentations that are concise, but able to be easily followed.
What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?
Through the years I have continued to further my knowledge by getting my masters of publich health as well as my masters of health administration. I also listen to weekly health podcast inlcuidn what the health, so you want to be a healthcare executive, and the dialy. I am looking into a lean six sigma certifcate. I love the ability to furhter my knowledge through courses, podcasta and articles
What irritates you about co-workers?
People who don't take teamwork seriously and find excuses to make others fill in for them can be one for sure.
Give an example of how you have handled a challenge in the workplace before
"During my summer internship at a public relations firm, a client suddenly wanted to change an entire campaign strategy two days before launch. The client was unhappy with my team's first draft, so we were tasked with redoing the entire plan. We organized a late-night brainstorm that evening. After hours of work, I asked to take the lead on putting together a new deck. This was challenging because it was my first time putting a deck together and also our one chance to make the client happy again. I overcame this challenge by looking at previously successful presentations for the client, analyzing the feedback they gave on our initial presentation and incorporating all of the team's ideas into the new deck. The client was ultimately thrilled with the fresh plan, and all of the new ideas we included!"
what is a leader to you
"I think that a good leader is someone who can make decisions while also taking into account the opinions and feelings of others. This also includes being willing and able to admit when you're wrong and course correct.
How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?
"Though I can't particularly say I enjoy stressful situations, I AM very good at working under pressure. During chaos and panic, I tend to take a step back, think, plan, and prioritize. For example, there have been times I've had to juggle multiple university projects and assignments at the same time. I would break up large assignments into small, individual tasks, and prioritize based on: How fast I could complete each task Figuring out which task would take the longest Which project had the earliest deadline This way, my work became a lot more manageable. The most times I had to experience such situations, the better I performed overall."
Are you a risk taker?
'm not a risk-taker, I'm more of a risk-manager. there's risk in everything. The most important things are to one, minimize your risks, and two, minimize potential damages if everything goes very, very wrong.
How do you handle stress?
I'm able to stay calm when I focus on the bigger picture and break down my projects into smaller tasks and goals. I typically start by asking myself, "What is the ultimate goal I'm trying to achieve?" From there, I make a list of immediate and long-term action items with achievable but ambitious deadlines. Even if the big project is due tomorrow, I ask myself, 'What's something I can tackle in the next 30 minutes?' Before I know it, I've made significant progress and that impossible project doesn't seem so impossible.
Why should we hire you?
I'm creative, dynamic, flexible. I like to solve problems, etc. I will bring a fresh perspective I have just the right skill-set to excel ...... While I haven't previously worked as a XYZ, I beleive that my past exerpeicnes will help me suceed I'm extremely organized, having managed several project teams in my university. I led the organization of several food drives and coordinated all of Emory's volunteers. This involved continuous communication with several churches, food donation centers, and 100 volunteers.
Tell me about yourself
I'm reliable, hard working, detail-oriented and a team player. I like working with people and enjoy group projects, but Im also a self-starter who doesn't mind to work on my own. I'm always eager to learn new methods and procedures to enhance my interpersonal skills for future career advancement.
Describe a decision you made that wasn't popular, and explain how you handled implementing it
In one of my school group projects in undergrad, there was an opportunity to use a past groups works and base our project off of it without the teacher knowing. Although the other two members wanted to use the other groups works, this went against my moral and ethical beleifs. I stood my ground and said that we needed to complete our own work and not cheat. I listened to the other group's members side of the story and where they were coming from, but in the end I was able to convice them that it is better to be honest than to ruin our integrity.
What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is
Loyalty, Energy, Positive attitude, Leadership, Team player, Expertise,Initiative, Patience, Hard work, Creativity, Problem solver, Detailed- Ortiented
What motivates you?
Making a true difference in the lives of everyone I come in contact with motivates me to strive for excellence in everything I do. I look forward to seeing my work bring about positive outcome in individuals lives. I love seeing my hard work come to fruition.
What do co-workers say about you?
My co-workers tells me that I'm a hardworking person, dependable, efficient and gets along well with others.
What is the professional achievement you're most proud of?
My greatest achievement so far is graduating from UGA within 6 years, with a GPA of 3.8 and getting two masters degrees. My family was unable to support me financially, so I had to take care of all the bills on my own. Through hard work and dedication, I ended up graduating with almost no student loans. I managed this through a combination of: Working as a part-time nanny while studying Becoming a TA in grad school Maintaining a high GPA to win several scholarships
What is your philosophy towards work?
My philosophy is to do all my best, to use all my strength and knowledge for excellent job on time.
What makes you unique?
What makes me unique is my ability to meet and exceed deadlines. As a student, I am constantly striving to get tasks done early. Not only do I strive to get things done early, but I also strive to produce quality work. For example, as a TA, I am responsible for grading papers. EXAMPLE
Using logic?
? I used logic when decided about my field of study. To be honest, I was interested in a variety of subjects, starting with physical therapy and ending with health administration. But I also had some goals outside of work, things I wanted to afford, family I planned to start one day in the future. So I looked at the situation on the employment market, which positions are in demand, what is the average salary offer, and how the economy will likely evolve in the future. Considering all arguments, I eventually decided to study health administration. I think it was good choice.
Tell me about your dream job.
A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute, and can't wait to get to work.
What experience do you have in this field?
I have interned at two different healthcare organizations: St Marys in Athens and Emory University's Urban Health Initatitve. I have worked on projects that involve operations and social media engagment.
How would you describe yourself?
I am an ambitious and driven individual. I thrive in a goal-oriented environment where I can constantly challenge myself personally and professionally. I am always looking for an opportunity to do better, grow and learn. These characteristics have helped me achieve success in my career. For example, I have maintained a high GPA, despite being a Graduate Teaching Assistant and working another part time job.
Do you consider yourself successful?
I consider myself successful because of my ability to get along well with others. My friendly personality, coupled with my ability to communicate effectively, helps me establish relationships and achieve results, particularly in team projects.
Give an example of when you showed leadership qualities.
In a previous class, one of my team's projects struggled. One of our team members wasn't communicating about their progress and ended up missing a deadline, causing the rest of us to fall behind. Instead of assuming failure, I reached out to my classsmate, tried to understand what might be causing the delay, and offered my help. I wanted to understand any obstacles that were preventing my classmate from succeeding, in order to remove any barriers. Ultimately, by being willing to encourage my classmate to communicate better, our team was able to overcome the problem and get the project turned in on time.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years I'd like to have an even better understanding of this industry. Also, I really love working with people. Ultimately, I'd like to be in some type of managerial role at this hospital, where I can use my people skills and knowledge to benefit the individuals working for me, and the patients and hospital as a whole."
Tell me about how you worked effectively under pressure:
When I interned at St. Mary's, COVID was just beginning. We had to effectively create a response plan that aimed to mitigate the effects of covid. Many things were unknown and our team had to work creatively and quickly to come up with a plan of action. I'm able to stay calm when I focus on the bigger picture and break down my projects into smaller tasks and goals. Trying to juggle TA position, nanny, and grad school
What are you looking for in a new position?
While I love being a student, I am excited to finally use the knowledge that I have gained through my education into practice. I am eager to find an opportunity that lets me exercise my skills and knowledge with quality improvement. I feel like I will excel in this position because of my knowledge in quality improvement and my work with the student chapter of the insuttte of healthcare improvement at UGA. I also feel like this posion will challenge me by giving me the ability to work on projects that I do not have experience in.
open minded?
Yes, I am quite open-minded. While I have a strong set of values and morals, I am always willing to learn another person's perspective on a topic or issue. By listening to others, there is a lot I can learn. My open-mindedness has made it possible for me to try new things and pursue different opportunities. By looking at the world through an open-minded perspective, I can continue to grow as an individual."
Are you a team player?
Yes, I'am a great team player. I believe that working as a team will bring success to the company by having good communication, discussions of feedbacks and suggestions. I believe that I have a lot to contribute to a team environment, and am comfortable in both leadership and contributor roles. I'm outgoing, friendly, and have strong communication skills.
Are you considering other positions in other companies?
ave had two interviews during the past week with companies in X and Y industries. However, as I'm very passionate about both your industry and the work you have done during the past several years, I am more inclined toward working for you, if everything works out.
· How do you motivate others to achieve their potential?
o I am a firm believer that you can only motivate people if they know what they are working towards. I believe that it is important to ensure that the people you are trying to motivate share a common vision and mission. Motivate tara o Shrae vision and set clear, achievable goals o Communicate with others- listen to ideas and feedback o Encourage team wrok o Give feedback and reward o Provide opportunities for development o UPWARD mobility
· Please provide an example of a time in which you modeled inclusiveness.
o I believe that no matter what role, position, or status an individual has, that individual should be valued and held with ut most respect. o At my internship, I modeled includiveness every day by being friendly and showing respect and kindess to maitnacne workers, security workers, cleaning eprsonell, and lawn service workers. Everyday whenever I saw
What are your greatest strengths, weaknesses?
o I tend to be overly critical of myself. Whenever I complete a project, I can't help but feel that I could have done more even if my work received a positive response. o This often leads me to overwork myself and leaves me feeling burned out. o So to overcome this, I've tried to take time to look at my achievements objectively and applaud the tasks I have done well. o This has not only improved my work and my confidence, but it has helped me to appreciate my support systems that are always behind me in everything I do o y strongest asset is my work ethic and my determination to get things done early. I'm not afraid to take on a difficult projects and jump right in to the project. I love to work outside of my job description and do whatever is asked of me. I'm not above any single task, and I take great pride in my ability to step in wherever I am needed and get things done early. For example, in my past internship with Emory, I consistently analyzed areas of improvements and often times took on extra tasks in order to improve those areas.
· Please demonstrate how you are a visible leader in your community and in your network.
o In Athens, I volunteer with a group called Campus Kitchen, that works to repurpose food and reduce food insecurity. I am a shift leader, where I get to lead a small group of 5-7 individuals every week. Depending on the type of shift, I coordinate food pickup, sorting, reprossessing, cooking, and meal preparations. I work collectively with indivudals to create end products that get deleiverd to people facing food insecutiry.
· Tell me about a time where you recognized your own blind spots and took action to empower yourself to overcome these skill gaps.
o Situation: At my internship with Emory University, one of the projects that I worked on was a tobacco cessation project. Each week, individuals attended a tobacco cessation class led by a nurse supervisor. The nurse supervisor had to take on other roles and could no longer teach the tobacco cessation classes. o Task: As an intern, I was tasked with teaching the tobacco cessation clasess, which I had never done before and did not have the proper training. Someone once told me, you don't know what you don't know. o Action: So to overcome this, I worked with my immediate supervisor, as well as watched countless youtube videos on how to lead tobacco cessation classes o Result: As a result of my dedication to learning, I was successfully able to lead the classes for 8 weeks. 8 of my "students" even quit smoking by the end of it .
· Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership?
o Situation: When I was working at the health center, leadership recognized that the orientation and onboarding process was inefficient. I was put into a PRA group of nurses, admin, and doctors and our task was to improve the onbaroding process. The leader of the group withdrew citing a lack of time. The group was without a clear leader and many of the members in the group did not have time to carry out "homework assignements" o Task: It was my responsibility as an intern to listen to the group members and assist in any way I could. Since I had more time as an intern, I stepped up and took a leadership role in the group. o Action: At each of our PRA meetings, I directed converstation, but made sure that each member of the group felt comfortbale sharing their ideas. I led many brainstorming sessions, where everyone put forth their ideas of how we could improve the onboarding and orientation process. o Result: By communicating with my team in an open and transparent manner, we were able to share ideas comfortably and come up with innovive ideas to improve the onboarding process.
· How have you solved a · problem by thinking · critically?
o Situation: at my internship with emory, one of the projects I worked on was a program called read-to me. Due to the lack of funding and support, the program did not have a curriculum established. I saw this weakness and decided to take action o Task: Once I clearly identified the problem, I defined the goal of providing an easy to use and adapt curicuum, brainstormed how I would execute the strategy, assessed the options and then selected the option o Action: Through my analysis, I realized that I needed to contact the organizations and collect books
· If you got this position, what is one thing you would stop doing, continue, start?
stop- thinking every task has to be compelted the day it is assigned start- thinking outside the box more continue- being curious about the world and constatnly striving to learn new things
How do you handle a challenge? Give an example
· . I handle a challenge by breaking down the big challenge into smaller manageable goals. By creating smaller goals, I feel less stressed and make the task more manageable. For example, when I worked at the health center, my long term project was to improve the human resource onboarding process. With such a vague, large goal I had to really work on breaking down the project into smaller goals. I started with interviews, then worked on improvement processes based upon feedback that I got from the interviews and from talking with executives
Give me an example of a time you anticipated a problem and developed preventative measures?
· As a TA, my students are expected to write papers and conduct presentations. There were no rubrics created for students to use for the projects when I first got the position. As I was expected to grade the papers, I foresaw a problem with being able to grade justfully, as well as a problem with students being unclear of expectations. Thus, I created a detailed rubric, presented it to my professor and now it is in place for both me and the students to use.
Give an example of how you worked on a team.
· As part of my "improving the human resource onbaoarding process", I was able to work with a team of doctors, nurses, human reousce individuals who were dedicted to improving the onboarding process. Although I was an intern, I was able to lead the meetings and guide the direction of the improvement process. I had to make sure that I listened to a wide range of opinions and ideas, since the team was very diverse. I then tried to find the best improvement method and make changes from there o School group projects o Implemting covid food drives o Wellness program o Organizing pickleball tournaments HOBY!!!!
Tell me about a time you had to go above and beyond the call of duty to get a job done
· At st marys, during the COVID pandemic, I had to stay late a lot to try to get the job done, went aboce my 300 hours even though I was not getting paid
Give an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it.
· During the height of the pandemic, I was just fully starting my graduate career. To be able to pay for school, I sought after an assistantship. I relentlessly applied for over 15 assistantships through UGA job board, but found no luck. At the same time, I was proactively emailing past professors in my departments to see if they had any available assistantships or leads. I continuously kept asking professors from my department and other departments about available assistantships. Due to my dedication, I finally landed an amazing assistantship in my department.
Share an example of how you were able to motivate employees or co-workers
· I love motivating people and encouraging people. At my internship at UHC, one of the administrative assistants went back to school part time virtually. She was really struggling with one of her classes and almost dropped out. She credits her sticking to the program to my motivation. Every day when she was working or talking about the class, I would encourage her and help ehr in any way that I could.
Tell me about a time you had too many things to do and had to prioritize
· Multiple projects at the healthcenter. Create a list of short term action items and long term action items, immediate fires, complete the immediate tasks first, then work on the long term action items a bit at a time Supervisor: I think it's important for a supervisor to understand the different needs of their
Have you ever made a mistake? How did you handle it?
· Of course I have made a mistake, I am not perfect. During my internship I was working on copying Joint commission standards to create a more user friendly naviagation guide to track progress at UHC. Instead of using ambulatory care standards, I accidently selected standards for a main hospital. However, I was able to catch my mistake before I turned in the guide to my employer
What do you do if you disagree with someone at work?
· There are always going to be disagreements. If there were no disagreements, it would be hard to make true progress in our world. When I face a disagreeemnet, I try to really open my mind to their opinion, listen to their reasoning and change or stick with my opinion. For example, when I interedn at St. Marys I worked on an employee wellness guide. I really thought that we should try to implement a program in the hospital, but my colleague disagreed. After listening to my colelages reasoning, I realized that my colleague was right. In disagreements, I remain open minded and I am not afraid to change my opinion if the other individual's reasoning is more in lign with the mission.