As a phlebotomy technician you begin looking for phlebotomy jobs you need to be prepared. You may not be ready for the questions they are going to ask.
We took a poll from hospital human resource staff and came up with a list of frequently asked questions.
Here they are.
#1
Why do you want to work with our company?
The best way to respond to this question is to be knowledgeable of the company prior to the interview. Find out about the company’s mission statement, goals, number of patients served and the demographics. You can find all this information on the web. Then prepare your speech as to why you would like to work at this company as a phlebotomist.
#2
What are your qualifications?
Think about your qualifications. Tell them where and when you graduated from your phlebotomy technician program. Definitely have your resume ready and your certification with transcript. Tell them about what you have learned. Don’t carry on too long, but if you brought a letter of recommendation letter, now if the time to present it to the interviewer.
#3
When was your last blood draw?
You may not think that this question is important, but it is. This is probably the most important question of the entire interview. They want to know that you are prepared to draw blood immediately should they hire you. The best answer to this question is to make sure that your last blood draw was in the past few days. If your last blood draw was over six months ago, you can probably forget about being hired for this job. Recency is the key. They want to know that they are hiring a phlebotomist who is confident and is up to date on their draws.
#4
Can you give an example of how you are a team player?
Don’t think that the question will be as easy as asking, “Are you a team player?”. They know that everyone will say yes to this question. Instead, they want you to give an example of what being a team player means to you. As good answer would be to say that you are always will to help fellow staff should they get behind.
#5
What are your weaknesses?
For most phlebotomists, this is a very hard question that no one is ever prepared to answer. To answer this question, think about your strengths and how they may be construed as a weakness. For instance, if you love to help people, then you could say that your weakness is constantly going out of your way to help others and sometimes losing track of time.
#6
What goals to you plan to achieve if we hire you?
You may say that this is a trick question. The question is, what answer are they looking for? They want to know if you plan on remaining with their organization over the years. If you tell them that you are planning on going to become a registered nurse, physician assistant or are planning on pursuing another field, then you have failed the interview. You will not be called back. The answer they want to hear is that you plan to be with the company until you retire. You should answer this with saying that you will help build a better working atmosphere by being pleasant and helpful to other staff and patients.
#7
Are you willing to work weekends?
Always say, “yes”. We all want weekends off. But hospitals know that call offs are the worst on weekends. They need to know that you are there in case they call you. Regardless, you will have to work at least two weekends a month. If you say, “no”, then you have effectively failed the interview.
#8
Are you willing to work overtime?
Everyone likes overtime. You need to say, “Yes”, of course. But come the time that you have just worked twelve hours and you are approached by the laboratory supervisor who asks you to work another four hours, you may not feel so inclined.
#9
What is your greatest strength?
This may seem like an easy question, right? But actually, it is not. Keep in mind that psychologists have written the questions that the human resource person is asking. First let’s look at how not answer this question. Do not brag! Do not tell them how good you are a soccer, baseball or the lottery. Do not tell them that you were the first in your class. Telling them that you have a great compassion for people and enjoy helping them in anyway you can, would be a good characteristic that is noble.
#10
Where do you see yourself in five years from now?
This question should be fairly obvious. They want to hear you say, that you see yourself as a vested employee of their organization.
Nancy L. Kimmel obtained her PhD in Environmental Engineering in 2002, then went on to teach Physics and Mechanical Engineering at Lawrence Technological University, Henry Ford College and Oakland University. She obtained her Associate in Nursing from Henry Ford College and then went on to earn her Master Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner and became Board Certified working as a licensed FNP in the State of Michigan. She then went on to Medical School where she is now in her 3rd year, and is also in the process of obtaining her Doctorate in Nursing Practice through Chamberlin University. She has authored the NET Study Guide, as well a several books on subjects of Math, ECG/EKG and Phlebotomy. She holds a patent on an Air Filter through the U.S. Patent Office.