This question is very likely to be your very first in your EMT interview. Do the interviewers really care about your hobbies, interests and families? Sure! Most of the time they do because there is a good chance they’re going to because working with you, or at the very least supervising you. Still, the real purpose of this question is to give you an opportunity to speak for the first time.

​Being an EMT is a job in which you will be working with people, most often in their most critical time of need. The interviewers want to be certain that you can speak clearly and express yourself. After all, their ultimate responsibility is their future patients.

Use this opportunity to make a solid impression in the beginning. Like the old saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Wow them with your ability to express yourself

A great way to start this answer is the following:

Q. “Tell us about you?”

A.” I grew up in (whatever fits for you), but moved to this state/area approximately (?) years ago. I have multiple hobbies, such as (fishing, reading, traveling, etc.) and I like to challenge myself. I’ve had success with (a previous project, a training program, etc.) and I want to use those (experiences, skills) for something important.

I was very close with my (grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc) and had first-hand experience in seeing EMT’s in action. They were there when my (?) needed them most and I was impressed with their professionalism and knowledge. It was that experience that inspired me to pursue being an EMT.”

(Maybe you don’t have a personal experience involving an EMT assisting someone close to you? Instead, substitute that experience with something like this: “My whole life I’ve been impressed with the professionalism and selflessness exhibited by EMT’s and I want to be a part of that.”

That response can be modified in any way to suit your actual situation and experiences. The important thing is that you’re not only telling them a bit about yourself, but you are also setting the stage for something that is to come later.

...they need to employ an EMT. By using this question as an opportunity to tell them about your successes in previous projects/ positions AND your inspiration in becoming an EMT, you are already establishing the answers to questions they haven’t even asked yet. As an EMT, you’re going to be a problem solver and you’re already setting that impression. Here’s how.

Nearly every EMT interview will ask you about your skills that you’re bringing to the table as well as your inspiration to become an EMT. When you briefly address both of these without being asked, you’re already preparing them for future answers that they haven’t yet asked. This does two things. Subconsciously, you’re solving problems (already providing answers to unasked questions) and two, you’re guaranteeing that they will pay extra attention to your responses to those future questions because you’ve already intrigued them.

DON’T answer this question by reciting your resume. They already have your resume in front of them. You can reference small bits and pieces from your resume, such as “I’ve worked with Acadian Ambulance Service as a dispatcher for three years, but I really want to transition into EMT work because no other profession directly impacts people’s lives more.” However, don’t give them a summary of your resume.

While we don’t recommend reciting your resume, this is a good opportunity to mention any one particular award, commendation or achievement that you are particularly proud of. By mentioning a particular award, you may very well get a follow-up question to tell them more. That’s a good thing!

You need every advantage to beat out the competition and this question is a great opportunity to do just that.

This question may take a few forms, such as “Tell us about a time you had to deal with an angry person?” Or “How would you handle a person that is so emotional that they are interfering with your ability to help the patient?" Regardless of the format, the interviewer wants to know how you handle difficult situations.

As an EMT you’re going to be encountering people at their worst moments. If not your patient, their friends and family are certainly going to be emotional and your response to this question is very important to the interviewer. 

Your employer doesn’t want an EMT who is overly aggressive or someone who allows issues to get out of hand because they are too passive. The underlying theme in all of public safety is being reasonable in your response to such situations. This needs to be conveyed in the interview.

An example response would be as follows:

Q. “Tell us about a time in which you had to deal with an emotional person and how did you resolve it?”

A. “While working in retail, an irate customer came into the store. The customer was so upset that she began yelling loudly regarding her belief that she was charged twice for an item. I went over her receipt and showed her the price of the item was correctly charged. It turns out she thought the item was cheaper than it actually was. She still wasn’t happy with the price she was ultimately charged, but she no longer thought she had been cheated. I’ve found that you can’t always please emotional people, but the best response is to be fair and reasonable.”

Here is another example:

“While working as a volunteer in a hospital, I was approached by a family member of a patient. The family member was very upset because she had been told that her loved one was on their death bed, but the family member couldn’t locate the correct room because another hospital employee had given her the wrong room number and now no one else would help her. I wasn’t allowed to leave my assigned area, so I assured her I would get her there as soon as possible. I was able to flag down a security guard who escorted her to the correct room. I’ve found that people aren’t necessarily upset at what someone specifically did, but often times for what someone didn’t do.”

The first answer shows the interviewers that you understand that not all people can be made happy, but you can often change their perspective, if only by a little, which may be all that is needed. The second response shows that you respect orders given to you (you didn’t leave your assigned work area) and that you know how to solve problems by using the resources you have, such as the security guard.

Notice that both replies show that you can be reasonable. You DON’T want to answer like this:

“I told the person that if they didn’t calm down, I would have to call the police.”

This is a bad answer because you didn’t really solve anything yourself. You may have indeed used good judgement in calling the police, but the interviewers really want to hear how you personally handled a situation.

Scenario-based questions are to be expected in any interview involving public service. You’re becoming an EMT because you are the kind of person that runs toward trouble when everyone else is yelling “HELP!!!” That devotion to be there has to come secondary to your overall responsibility to the public. After all, an EMT is a public servant.

Obviously, an EMT must have sound judgement making skills. People’s lives are going to literally be in your hands. That responsibility is the foundation of public service. So what do you say in response to this question or another one like it?

Q. “What would you do if you it was your day off and you had already consumed alcohol when your supervisor called and asked you to come in and work overtime beause they really needed another EMT on the shift that evening?”

A. “That’s a tough question, but I can’t help any one person if I’m a danger to everyone. I have to ask myself, am I creating more of a hazard than I am preventing? In this case, I would thank my supervisor for the consideration of allowing me overtime, but I would explain that I had consumed alcohol and couldn’t responsibly report for duty.”

Your interviewer may push a little further because your response is so very important for this position. Don’t let them fool you into saying you would come in. They want someone who is motivated by the job, but not someone who is blinded by that same motivation.

The following is NOT a good answer:

"I would wait a few hours until I was sober and then I would report for duty.”

Here’s why this is a bad answer: If you’ve been drinking, people trust you when you say you’re impaired, but no one trusts when you say you aren’t.

If there is one question that an applicant can answer wrong, it’s this one. This is the most straightforward question you will be asked and there is generally no hidden meaning. Just the same, you can tarnish all the hard work you’ve put into your previous answers up to this point with the wrong answer.

The employer wants an EMT who can handle the job. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they will only hire someone with years of experience. Quite the contrary! Still, they want to hire the best person for the job while hoping that best person has skills that will benefit the employer.

This may be your first EMT job and you don’t have those skills that they mentioned. Let’s assume you don’t. The absolute worst answer you can give is, “No.”

Whoa! Are we telling you to lie? No way. You’re going to tell them no, but not like that. Here’s what we mean:

Q. “Do you have experience with entering patient information into a medical database?”

A. “While I don’t have direct experience in entering patient information into a database, I do have experience with database entry, which I used daily without supervision in my previous job. In that particular duty, I was responsible for entering information into our product management system, which was critical for daily operation. I believe those skills I acquired would be transferable and I would look forward to learning how I could use those skills as an EMT.”

Of course, you need to modify this response (and every other) so that it fits your background, but you answered the question with an honest answer. The really great news is that you didn’t leave them empty handed. Look at the difference in the answer above and “No, not really.”

By incorporating your previous experience into your answer, you’re not leaving them with a flat, disappoint “no.” Instead, you’re telling them that you have real life experience that you are bringing to the table. You’re also telling them that you can learn new skills by incorporating previous information.

Regardless, this question should never be seen as an intimidating. This is one of your greatest opportunities to give your very best answer even if you don’t have the direct experience.

Remember, your previous skills are transferable! Plenty of people will just say “no.”