In order to get a job in the field of Emergency Medical Services, every aspirant needs to go through an interview process. A panel of experts put some questions on various aspects related to the candidates’ job profile, in order to judge their knowledge and skills, keenness to work in the field and to know how their skills will benefit the emergency service provider. This interview process can be really challenging as you will have to face the questions related to emergency treatment trends, and practical and ethical scenarios. If you are worried about your performance in the EMT job interview, then the following tips and interview questions and answers will be of great help to prepare for one of the toughest phases of your career.
- Why Did You Decide to Become an EMT?
- What Have You Done in the Last Year to Increase Your EMT Skills or Knowledge?
- What Are Your Top EMT Skills?
- Describe a Challenging Call You’ve Had and How You Handled It.
- How Do You Remain Calm in Difficult Situations?
REAL EMS Job Interview Tips | EMT | AEMT | Paramedic
How do you manage your work-life balance as an EMT?
It is important that EMTs maintain their focus and composure while on duty, and this involves being able to separate work from their personal lives. Interviewers use this question to determine if you have the skills to maintain the work-life balance necessary for an EMT career.
Example: “In order for me to continuously perform well at work, its vital that I make time for my health, friends and family. I also meditate daily, which has helped me to become more conscious of my thoughts. When I commute home after my shift, I play relaxing music, which helps refresh my state of mind by the time I arrive at home.”
4. Do you have the ability to remain calm at all times, and why would you say so?
EMTs encounter a wide range of emergency situations, including disturbing crime scenes and children in distress. To be effective in providing assistance in these instances, the candidate needs to demonstrate this ability.
Can you please describe a challenging call you’ve had as an EMT?
This type of question, which refers to a past real-life work experience, is called a behavioral question. Interviewers ask behavioral questions to gauge how youve dealt with certain situations in the past with the understanding that youd probably act the same way if presented with a similar situation in the future.
The best way to approach such questions is to apply the STAR interview response method. The acronym describes the following four steps:
Example: “One call that stands out for me is when my teammates and I arrived at an emergency scene, but it was too late for us to help. Unfortunately, the victim had died from the car crash before we got there. The individual who witnessed the crash and placed the call was still at the scene, and unfortunately he started blaming us for the victims death, saying that we were slow in our response.
I recognized that this man was having a heightened emotional response to a difficult situation, so I asked him to please allow me to explain how we responded to the call. Once I explained the actions wed taken since we received the call, he realized that we responded as quickly and effectively as we could, and he calmed down.”
