Have you ever had to handle an emergency? If so, what happened and what action did you take?
"I took the two kids I was babysitting to the playground one day and the two-year-old fell from the playscape and landed on her arm. I immediately rushed to comfort her. I checked to make sure she was breathing and conscious, and I made sure she didn't hit her head. She was okay, but her arm did not look right. I called her parents and let them know I was taking her to the emergency room to get an x-ray. When I met the parents at the hospital, they were so grateful for the way I handled the situation. Luckily I haven't had to deal with an emergency since then, but now I know all of the proper procedures to follow if there were a medical emergency in the future."
In an emergency situation, the first thing to remember is to stay calm. If you can keep your emotions under control, you will be able to think clearly about the steps you need to take to navigate the situation. If it is a medical emergency, you always want to check to see if they are breathing and conscious. Always call 9-1-1 if the situation is beyond your expertise, like a head injury or a major wound.
"I took the two kids I was babysitting to the playground one day and the two-year-old fell from the playscape and landed on her arm. I immediately rushed to comfort her. I checked to make sure she was breathing and conscious, and I made sure she didn't hit her head. She was okay, but her arm did not look right. I called her parents and let them know I was taking her to the emergency room to get an x-ray. When I met the parents at the hospital, they were so grateful for the way I handled the situation. Luckily I haven't had to deal with an emergency since then, but now I know all of the proper procedures to follow if there were a medical emergency in the future."
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Anonymous Answer
I haven't faced a situation that I would call a major crisis, but I have an example of a time I coped with a challenging situation. At my recent job, I regularly cleaned out the shared refrigerator in the break room. One day, I unknowingly threw out my co-worker's leftovers. The next day, my co-worker discovered her food was missing and immediately accused me. I responded by saying that she could have marked her food, which just made her angrier. I felt a little underappreciated for the work I did to clean the office, while she felt that nobody respected her personal belongings. So, I actively adjusted my attitude to resolve the situation. I listened to my co-worker's point of view without becoming defensive. I also attempted to move the conversation to a more private space to avoid further complications. We discussed the situation with our manager, and we both apologized. I stopped cleaning out items that were not mine to avoid any more complications.
Marcie's Feedback
Nice! You've done an excellent job of providing the interviewer with a thorough description of a time you successfully dealt with a difficult situation. You mention several ways in which you actively tried to deescalate and resolve the situation. Great job!
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