First Big Interview... Help!

[Sublime]

Well I currently am an EMT-B and going to paramedic school, I have been working for an EMS event service for around 10 months, and recently started at a private transfer service a little over a month ago, and tomorrow I have an interview with one of the biggest 911 services in my area. It is a very competitive service, and in the email they sent me said there will be a interview that will test my "critical thinking skills", and then a 45 minute "behavioral" interview. I am not sure what a behavioral interview consists of but any advice would be great.

First of all I am very comfortable performing as an EMT-B on the job, but in interviews (especially this next one), I get extremely nervous. I don't know if I have an anxiety issue or what when it comes to interviews but I tend to get super nervous and it is very obvious in my voice and face. On top of that I have never had a "critical thinking" interview and am not sure I would be able to come up with the correct on the spot answers.

I know the typical questions like: Tell me about yourself, What would you do if you caught you partner doing something against protocol, what are your strengths/weaknesses, why do you want be in EMS, what do you see yourself in 5 years ect.

For the most part I do just fine with those questions. It is the "critical thinking questions" I freeze up on. For instance the only one I can remember being asked before is on a phone interview for the hospital, and I was asked, "Tell us about a time when you were at work and your priorities changed, and how did you deal with it". I froze up and ended up telling and answer that really didn't make much sense. I am afraid I will be asked a lot of questions like this and will be completely unprepared. My anxiety and the fact that I REALLY want this job doesn't help.

If anyone has some advice on critical thinking and behavioral interview questions I would really appreciate it.

Also, one last thing, what would you suggest wearing? I was thinking some black slacks, and a nice button up shirt tucked in.

 

[mgr22]

I think most interviewers expect candidates to be nervous. I also think candidates get more nervous when they're preoccupied with hiding their nervousness. Consider acknowledging your nervousness (without dwelling on it) at the beginning of your interview. Say something like, "I don't mind telling you I'm kind of nervous -- I really want this job," early in the interview, with a smile on your face. Interviewers have been interviewees, too, and will relate.

Scenario-oriented questions aren't necessarily harder than inane challenges like, "What do you want to do 10 years from now?" Also, not every question will fit your experiences. To use your example, maybe you can't think of a time when you changed priorities at work (right now I can't). In my opinion, it would be better to answer, "You know, I can't think of an example of that right now," than to come up with something that sounds contrived. At least you'd be honest.

 

[Sublime]

Thanks