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    Help with an Interview Question

    Hello, everyone. It's Arella. Sorry I haven't been around lately (been busy).

    "You're the only one in the office and the nurse is out at the moment. There's a couple waiting to be helped, two phone lines are ringing, someone is paging you over the intercom, there is a child in the nurse's office (sometimes they also say the principal is needing your assistance). How would you handle this?"

    This is a question (not word-for-word, but it's got the most important parts in it) that I have been asked in a few interviews for secretarial positions at my local school district. I've been trying to get a better job for over a year now, and so far, a big, fat NOTHING. I'm trying to prepare myself for when I get another interview for a secretarial position at the school, but I'm stumped by this question. I can multitask, but I've never worked in a school before, so I'm not really sure how I should/would handle a situation like this. They ask this question pretty much every time.

    I've thought about this question and what the best answer should be until my brain aches. I would really appreciate anyone's opinion on how a question like this should be handled. No amount of internet searching has brought up anything like this question.

    (Hopefully, after all my prep work, the next time a position opens up and I get an interview, I'll ace it and get the job.)

    Thanks, everyone!

    #2
    Re: Help with an Interview Question

    Gesture to the couple waiting to be helped that you'll just be a minute, as you answer the first call with "Greeting you're supposed to use - please hold a moment" then answer the 2nd phone the same way. Then ask the couple what they need, chances are they'll have to fill out paperwork which gives you time to answer the page and pick up the phone calls.
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    Can you hear me, Major Tom? I think I love you.

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      #3
      Re: Help with an Interview Question

      Originally posted by Arella View Post
      Hello, everyone. It's Arella. Sorry I haven't been around lately (been busy).

      "You're the only one in the office and the nurse is out at the moment. There's a couple waiting to be helped, two phone lines are ringing, someone is paging you over the intercom, there is a child in the nurse's office (sometimes they also say the principal is needing your assistance). How would you handle this?"

      This is a question (not word-for-word, but it's got the most important parts in it) that I have been asked in a few interviews for secretarial positions at my local school district. I've been trying to get a better job for over a year now, and so far, a big, fat NOTHING. I'm trying to prepare myself for when I get another interview for a secretarial position at the school, but I'm stumped by this question. I can multitask, but I've never worked in a school before, so I'm not really sure how I should/would handle a situation like this. They ask this question pretty much every time.

      I've thought about this question and what the best answer should be until my brain aches. I would really appreciate anyone's opinion on how a question like this should be handled. No amount of internet searching has brought up anything like this question.

      (Hopefully, after all my prep work, the next time a position opens up and I get an interview, I'll ace it and get the job.)

      Thanks, everyone!
      They ask these sorts of triage questions for vet nursing jobs too... usually with a bleeding dog and a cat not in a carrier and a urine puddle on the floor along with the two phone lines, the person waiting to pay their bill and the surgeon calling for help!

      ALWAYS smile and let the couple know that you've seen them and will attend to them in a moment FIRST. Then put the two phones on hold as Hawk has said - with a smile. The child in the nurse's office depends on what it's in there for and whether it just got there or has been there waiting... but probably what they want here is for you to poke your head in and do a quick visual check that the kid is not getting into mischief - maybe give them a toy or colouring book to keep them occupied. Politely tell the principle and/or the pager you'll be there in a few minutes or can you call then back. Check what the couple need and if it's more than paperwork ask if they mind if you answer the phone first... then answer the phones. I personally would pick up the second call and say 'thank you for holding, I'll just be a moment longer' then answer the first... but that depends on company policy as to whether they want you to do that or not. The reality is that by this time both on-holds have been waiting 2minutes, which means you need to let them know they aren't forgotten if you can. Personally I would also actually have my headset on and be answering the first phone while I check on the kid, but that's not really an answer you can give to a scenario question!

      I imagine that you know this... but the person in front of you knows the context of your sequence of events and so you have much more leeway in attending to them as long as you ACKNOWLEDGE them first and keep them in the loop. The people on the phone don't know you've got ten things on your plate, so they are a priority. Ringing phone trumps person in front of you (that's why we invented putting people on hold) but safety issues trump the ringing phone. The tier in vet nursing is generally something like: acknowledge everyone -> animal health emergency -> avoid dogs eating cats in the waiting room -> phone -> OHS human safety -> toys for the screaming children -> person in front of you.

      Also, there is usually not a 'correct' answer for these scenarios. They are designed to see if you can think on your feet, prioritise tasks, and REASON your way through things. What order would you do them and why? Do you understand the broad priorities like customer service vs safety? And do you know how to buy yourself some time by acknowledging, smiling, being polite etc etc. That's what we tend to look for, rather than a formulaic 'correct' answer.

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        #4
        Re: Help with an Interview Question

        I'm not the OP, but I still want to say thanks for the answers. I've been curious about the "correct" response since I read this last night, when the only answer I could think of was "uhh greet the couple first. Then I have no clue. "

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          #5
          Re: Help with an Interview Question

          Well, I am the OP, and I want to also thank everyone for answering. My thoughts on how to handle something like that was about like how everyone answered, but Rae'ya described it in a way as to explain why to do it in that specific order. Thank you!

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