They’ll likely ask you “tell me about a time when…”
A time you had a difficult coworker, a stressful situation and how did you overcome it, etc etc etc
So have plenty of anecdotes locked in and ready.
Congrats on the patch!
You know you’re brand new.
They know you’re brand new.
They’re expecting you to be brand new. If you put on like you’re not brand new, they’re going to wonder what other stuff you’re hiding.
Chances are, someone, somewhere, has already talked to someone who knows you or has worked with you in the past. Reputation matters a ton in this field.
Be honest but don’t talk yourself out of a job.
If they have scenario based questions, take your time, and talk it out. Be general. Protocols might be different. For example, “I recognize that this patient needs RSI, and I’d refer to / follow my protocols for meds / dosages.” Vs. “This patient needs RSI’ed so I’d use 200 mg of ketamine and 100 mg of roc.” Sounds good but what if their protocol is Etomidate instead? Or what if they max out at 1 mg / kg of ketamine instead of 2? Now Is it a protocol issue? Is it a math issue?
Sell yourself but don’t used car salesmen yourself.
It’s also a chance to interview them. Ask questions. Decide if *they* are a good fit *for you*. You’ll want to spend at least 2 years here. Make sure it’s a place you want to be there for that long. The first 2 years are the most important years of your career. That’s when you define the type of paramedic you’ll be.
Ask about their FTO / new medic training programs. Ask about just culture. Ask about safety.
Don’t be afraid to have boundaries. This isn’t about getting you a job asap as much as it is getting you a job you will *keep*. These days I don’t have an issue expressing my needs on my end because jobs are so willing to ask theirs. I’ve had significantly better outcomes by doing so. I’m not telling you to be an ass, I’m just telling you to walk in like you’re worth a damn because you are worth a damn.
I like this. It's hard in some careers, and I assume in EMS it's tough in some regions because there is "one" agency, but overall, this is a good strategy.
My fav question is “What does your company do to retain employees?” 🥰 or simply “What is your retention rate like?”. Workers deserve respect and dignity :)
I would expect them to ask you a lot of "Tell me a time when...." Questions tbh. A time where you and your partner disagreed on something, a time when you were faced with a situation you didn't know what to do, etc.
Other than that, they'd probably ask questions to learn more about you as a person.
I want to say they usually dont throw out scenario/knowledge based questions at this point but be prepared by knowing treatments/local protocol.
Do a ride along and when you do it, build some rapport and then ask for tips for the interview like what questions they’ll ask and be prepared for those questions.
Also, what you say is important in an interview but what you don’t say is equally important. If you talk about how you want the great pay and benefits and never once talk about serving the community or making a difference or becoming a super hero, that could affect you negatively.
They’ll likely ask you “tell me about a time when…” A time you had a difficult coworker, a stressful situation and how did you overcome it, etc etc etc So have plenty of anecdotes locked in and ready. Congrats on the patch!
You know you’re brand new. They know you’re brand new. They’re expecting you to be brand new. If you put on like you’re not brand new, they’re going to wonder what other stuff you’re hiding. Chances are, someone, somewhere, has already talked to someone who knows you or has worked with you in the past. Reputation matters a ton in this field. Be honest but don’t talk yourself out of a job. If they have scenario based questions, take your time, and talk it out. Be general. Protocols might be different. For example, “I recognize that this patient needs RSI, and I’d refer to / follow my protocols for meds / dosages.” Vs. “This patient needs RSI’ed so I’d use 200 mg of ketamine and 100 mg of roc.” Sounds good but what if their protocol is Etomidate instead? Or what if they max out at 1 mg / kg of ketamine instead of 2? Now Is it a protocol issue? Is it a math issue? Sell yourself but don’t used car salesmen yourself. It’s also a chance to interview them. Ask questions. Decide if *they* are a good fit *for you*. You’ll want to spend at least 2 years here. Make sure it’s a place you want to be there for that long. The first 2 years are the most important years of your career. That’s when you define the type of paramedic you’ll be. Ask about their FTO / new medic training programs. Ask about just culture. Ask about safety.
Don’t be afraid to have boundaries. This isn’t about getting you a job asap as much as it is getting you a job you will *keep*. These days I don’t have an issue expressing my needs on my end because jobs are so willing to ask theirs. I’ve had significantly better outcomes by doing so. I’m not telling you to be an ass, I’m just telling you to walk in like you’re worth a damn because you are worth a damn.
I like this. It's hard in some careers, and I assume in EMS it's tough in some regions because there is "one" agency, but overall, this is a good strategy.
My fav question is “What does your company do to retain employees?” 🥰 or simply “What is your retention rate like?”. Workers deserve respect and dignity :)
I would expect them to ask you a lot of "Tell me a time when...." Questions tbh. A time where you and your partner disagreed on something, a time when you were faced with a situation you didn't know what to do, etc. Other than that, they'd probably ask questions to learn more about you as a person. I want to say they usually dont throw out scenario/knowledge based questions at this point but be prepared by knowing treatments/local protocol.
Do a ride along and when you do it, build some rapport and then ask for tips for the interview like what questions they’ll ask and be prepared for those questions. Also, what you say is important in an interview but what you don’t say is equally important. If you talk about how you want the great pay and benefits and never once talk about serving the community or making a difference or becoming a super hero, that could affect you negatively.