Mock Interview: Community Education Representative

Job Description

For the mock job interview, the job title is Community Education Representative. The company website says that the most qualified candidate for this job position will be able to educate the community about hospice and various hospice organizations, they will be able to generate appropriate patient referrals and admissions from the customers, and they will be able to make the number of referrals grow. The candidate will be able to establish and maintain professional relationships with customers (doctors, nursing homes, assisted living homes, etc.). All expectations should be met, or exceeded, in the ideal candidate. They will kindly interact with customers and company policies and maintain high levels of customer service.

The minimum age for the job position is 18, but the ideal candidate would have a bachelor’s degree in a healthcare-related field, with like knowledge for the job. The ideal candidate will be flexible, knowledgeable, have excellent communication skills, and comply with professional standards.

Interview Preparation

To prepare for the interview, the interviewee must be positive, confident, and feel comfortable: this is a good tool because, even when you are nervous, you will be able to trick yourself in erasing the nerves. Ask the interviewer direct and focused questions, and they will need to be concise in order to obtain exactly the information that the interviewee needs to know. “Asking questions is one of the most versatile communication tools we have. Effective questioning enhances our ability to learn, assert ourselves, influence others, resolve conflict, manage resistance, coach, facilitate group interaction, and build consensus” (Bacon, 2004, p. 64). Questions are a true core of a job interview because both participants need to know a certain type and amount of information from one another. A part of asking questions is physically and mentally engaging with the other person. Body language is important; body language that conveys the idea of listening, determination, and enthusiasm for the task at hand.

As stated in the text excerpt Secrets of Interpersonal Effectiveness, the interviewer should: act friendly, smile; be interested in people and disclose yourself to them; don’t be abrasive; and be encouraging, involved, and enthusiastic (Bacon, 2004). “One of the most fundamental interpersonal skills is listening, and it’s a key skill in handling conflict” (Bacon, 2004, p. 110). As a part of listening and asking proper, direct questions, it means being sensitive to both verbal and nonverbal modes of communication. The interviewee should always seem engaged and interested, listen carefully but ask questions whenever necessary.

Mock Interview Questions

Interviewer; Tell me about yourself.

Interviewee; I recently graduated from the University of Colorado-Denver with a bachelor’s degree in a minor in Communications, and a major in Nursing. I spent 8 months as a Nursing intern at the University of Colorado Hospital.

Interviewer; What about your education is relevant for this job position?

Interviewee; My career goal is to be a nurse, but I took Communications in order to broaden my horizons in the job market, and within the medical community as well. My knowledge of communications and nursing would come together well for the position of the community education representative. I am very good with people.

Interviewer; If I contacted a professor, would they have any negative things to tell me?

Interviewee; I was able to become friends with my Introduction to Communications professor, and she helped me a lot through my education at school. I am sure that she would be able to tell you that I took both nursing and communication very seriously, how little I slept to get through my internship and my courses, and my above-par communication skills.

Interviewer; What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Interviewee; My best strength is communication skills and my determination and dedication to the medical field. I am not a doctor, but I have always enjoyed learning. I would love to use my communication skills to teach.

Interviewer; Do you work well under pressure?

Interviewee; I can confidently say that I work very well under pressure.

Interviewer; How did you hear about the job?

Interviewee; I graduated two months ago, and I have been looking for jobs ever since. I applied for this position because I felt as if I could have used both of my skill sets in one at this company.

Interviewer; What do you know about our company?

Interviewee; I understand that Odyssey HealthCare is a company that provides therapy services, such as hospice services, and I was impressed with your reviews, etc.

Interviewer; Name one situation where your customer service skills went above and beyond what was expected of you.

Interviewee; When I first started at the hospital, one of the nurses that I was working under suddenly got sick, with 2 hours to go until the end of both of our shifts. She was going to take the last of her time to sit with a woman being provided end of life care, and who many in the hospital thought would die that day. I ended up staying with her, and she did not pass away, but she told me that I had every skill necessary to be a nurse. It turns out that she was a nurse in her working days. It was such an odd situation, and it may not matter, but that woman’s words still serve to keep me going.

Interviewer; How much of your experience and education are relevant for this job?

Interviewee; I would say that most of my experience and education are relevant for the requirements of this position.

Interviewer; What makes you stand out from the other applicants?

Interviewee; I would say that my education, determination, and enthusiasm about interacting and helping people makes me stand out from anyone else being interviewed for this position. I have great communication skills and a bachelor’s level nursing knowledge.

Interviewer; Great! Do you have any questions for me?

The interviewee would ask again about the job duties and, with the interviewer, make connections between experience/knowledge and the job position.

Communication skills are important for interviews, and not only because the result could be job experience and potentially great monetary value. It will leave a positive, possibly lasting, impression on the manager and the company. In this case, it demonstrates the communication skills that the interviewee is so experienced with.

References

Bacon, T.R. (2004). Twenty secrets of interpersonal effectiveness. In Effective People Skills, p.

4. New York: Lore International Publication.

Bacon, T.R. (2004). Asking questions. In Effective People Skills, pp. 64-70. New York: Lore International Publication.

Bacon, T.R. (2004). Listening. In Effective People Skills, pp. 110-113. New York: Lore International Publication.