Sample Interview Questions for EMTs

You could be asked these questions in your next job interview, so be prepared to answer them honestly and articulately. You may find it difficult to talk about your positive attributes without feeling like you are immodest, especially if you are a woman. To help ease the tension, remember that the interview is an opportunity for you to screen your potential employer, too—does this organization deserve you? Come prepared to ask your own questions as well, and you will feel calm, cool and collected in the hot seat.

General questions you might be asked

Tell me about yourself (okay, it's not a question but dreaded nonetheless).
What are your long-range and short-range career goals and objectives?
How are you going to achieve your goals?
Why did you choose EMS for your career?
What are the most important rewards you expect in your career?
What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
How would a friend or supervisor describe you?
Why should I hire you?
How do you see yourself making a contribution to our organization?
How do you work under pressure?
What do you know about this organization and why do you want a job here?
What qualities would your ideal supervisor possess?
What are your salary expectations?

Some interview questions are inappropriate—even illegal. The interviewer cannot ask your age, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital/family status, national origin, birthplace, or physical disability. I suggest that you are prepared to handle a possible awkward situation. I can't tell you how to deal with it, because I honestly don't know what I would do if I were asked an illegal or inappropriate question. But I do know that you should do what you think is right.

Behavioral questions you may be asked

Along with the following questions that may be difficult to answer, your interviewer will probably expect you to use concrete examples. Keep this in mind as you prepare for your interview.

What do you want to accomplish in this position?
In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
Describe a situation in which you worked as part of a team. What role did you take on? What went well and what didn't?
How do you determine or evaluate success?
Are you willing to spend at least twelve months in field training?
Are you able to persuade someone to see things your way?
What is your approach to solving problems?
How do you handle situations in which you do not agree with another person or policy?
Give me an example of a time when you motivated others.
Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision.
How do you deal with conflict?
What motivates you?
Tell me about a difficult decision you've made in the last year.
Tell me about a situation in which you failed. What did you learn from it?
Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead.
Describe a time when you set your sights too high or too low and what you learned from it.
How did you handle a particularly difficult situation? Is there anything you would have done differently in hindsight?

Questions you might want to ask

Ask only the questions in which you are truly interested and only if the subject hasn't been covered.

Will you explain your organizational structure?
How will my performance be measured? By whom? How often?
What is the company's policy on providing training opportunities so employees can keep up their skills or acquire new ones?
Can you describe the ideal employee?

Additional resources

For more help in preparing for your interview, read "Interview Dos and Don'ts," from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). The article offers great advice for anyone who wants to turn his or her interview into a job offer.

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Updated 06.24.04

"Don't ever pick a fight with somebody that's really ugly-lookin'."
—Forrest Gump