In order to become a Paramedic, you’re going to need to pass the Paramedic interview. Paramedics are sought-after but the roles are often incredibly competitive, meaning that it can be difficult to get the role. Likewise, since the job is so important and challenging, employers only want to find the best of the best to make sure individuals are in the right hands when an incident occurs. For these reasons, you’ll need to prepare for the Paramedic interview. Here, we’re going to take a look at 5 top tips for passing the Paramedic interview.
Paramedic Interview Tip 1 – Research the Role
This is important for any kind of job, but for a Paramedic even more so. Make sure that you research any organisation that you’re applying for a role with, since it demonstrates dedication to the role and to the organisation. If you’ve taken the time to adequately research the role and organisation, you’re showing enthusiasm. This alone should put you ahead of candidates who try to ‘wing it’ and show up at the interview with little-to-no research conducted.
You can often find out everything you need to know about these organisations by looking at their website(s). On these, you should be able to find things such as their mission statement and values. Make sure you memorise these before the interview so that you can cater your answers to match them. Finally, make sure that all of the information that you are reading is up to date. Information on the organisation’s website should be current.
Paramedic Interview Tip 2 – Create a Positive First Impression
Interview panels naturally form first impressions of candidates. Quite often, these first impressions can colour the way they judge the rest of your performance in interviews, and can sometimes make the difference between getting the role or being rejected. So, it’s vital that you immediately create a positive first impression. For any interview, try using the following process to leave a good impression:
• Knock before entering the room;
• Walk into the interview room standing up straight and smiling;
• Stand by the interview chair and introduce yourself: “Hello, I’m [name], pleased to meet you.”;
• Firmly shake the hand of each interviewer firmly, whilst looking them in the eye;
• Once invited to, sit in the interview chair;
• Sit with an upright posture with your hands resting on the tops of your knees, palms facing downwards and feet firmly on the floor.
Following these steps will show that you are polite, attentive, and enthusiastic about the interview as well as the role.
Paramedic Interview Tip 3 – Improve Your Interview Technique
Strong interview technique is vital for good performance in your interview. You need to be able to communicate ideas effectively so that you can let your qualities shine through to the interview panel.
When answering questions, try to avoid any kind of ‘waffling’ (i.e. making answers wordier than they need to be). In addition, avoid slang and hesitations such as ‘erm’. When answering a question, make sure that you stick to the point, and look each member of the interview panel in the eye when doing so. Don’t dart about looking at each one rapidly – look one of them in the eye for a little while, then move onto another. This way, you’ll be connecting more with the interviewers and you’ll appear a lot more confident. However, make sure not to turn it into a starting contest – this will make you seem more aggressive.
Paramedic Interview Tip 4 – Work on Your Body Language
Much of what the interview panel will learn about you comes from what you say and how you say it, but what’s just as important is good body language. Try to remain still and upright throughout the entire interview. If it helps, use your hands to emphasise points and to articulate, but don’t overdo it. Make sure that you don’t fold your arms, slouch, or stare at the floor. Try sitting down in front of a mirror and figuring out where you need to improve your posture and body language.
Paramedic Interview Tip 5 – Answer Questions Accurately With Examples
In an interview, you should try and link your answers to the skills listed by the organisation as ‘core competencies’ or ‘core skills’ on the job listing. For each of them, remember to give work-related examples. For instance, if you wanted to show that you could work as part of a team, you should think of an example of when you worked with a team to great effect. If you do this for every one of the relevant skills that you possess, you’ll be a much more appealing candidate to the interview panel.
