30 University Administrator Interview Questions

1.

What role do you feel an administrator plays in an office dynamic?

The candidate should be able to confirm the part the administrator will play within the office set up.

Here is an answer example: "I believe the administrator is part of the essential backbone of the team and office setup. The administrator is the go to point of contact for everyone, whether that be fellow office colleagues, tutors, students or customers. The administrator role is there to pull together all of the foundations of the services that are offered and provided by the administration office".

Ryan's Answer

"I believe the administrator is part of the essential backbone of the team and office setup. The administrator is the go to point of contact for everyone, whether that be fellow office colleagues, tutors, students or customers. The administrator role is there to pull together all of the foundations of the services that are offered and provided by the administration office"

Anonymous Answer

"Office management, record keeping, correspondence with other stakeholders, update information for customers."

Rachelle's Answer

This response reads as more of a list of duties. When it comes to the dynamic of the office and the university overall, what part do you believe this role plays (hint: think less task-based and more EQ/culture/environment).

Was this answer helpful? Yes (2) or No (0)

Thank you, your vote helps us display the best answers.

2.

Give an example of a time when you have delivered excellent customer service, and why is this important in this role?

The candidate should describe the role they were completing, for which Company and what the situation was with the customer.
The candidate should confirm what they did to provide the service to the customer and how they resolved any queries.
The candidate should confirm how the situation ended with the customer being happy with the service received.

Here is an answer example: "While working at X Company in X role, the customer had called the Office as they had not received the paperwork we had posted out relating to the examination dates. I reassured the customer that we would be able to resolve their query and needed to take some details in order to do this. I went through my list of questions relating to full name, address, course they were taking, tutor name, start date with the University. I took the contact number from the customer and confirmed I would research the matter and call them back within the hour with an update. I went away and completed the research required. I called the customer and confirmed that the original registration form had a different address from the one provided over the phone and hence why the paperwork had not arrived. The candidate confirmed that they had moved address and realised they had not updated us. I confirmed with the customer the importance of this going forward and sort clarification that they had everything they needed now, which they confirmed they did. I then went on to update the records and post out the relevant paperwork."

Ryan's Answer

"While working at X Company in X role, the customer had called the Office as they had not received the paperwork we had posted out relating to the examination dates. I reassured the customer that we would be able to resolve their query and needed to take some details in order to do this. I went through my list of questions relating to full name, address, course they were taking, tutor name, start date with the University. I took the contact number from the customer and confirmed I would research the matter and call them back within the hour with an update. I went away and completed the research required. I called the customer and confirmed that the original registration form had a different address from the one provided over the phone and hence why the paperwork had not arrived. The candidate confirmed that they had moved address and realised they had not updated us. I confirmed with the customer the importance of this going forward and sort clarification that they had everything they needed now, which they confirmed they did. I then went on to update the records and post out the relevant paperwork."

Anonymous Answer

"A first year student came after the residence staff had left for the day. He was done registering and had a challenge with an accommodation. I had to stay with him, call residence staff, and wait for them to come help. It was after hours, but I stayed until I made sure the student was assisted. Doing this gave the company a good name."

Rachelle's Answer

This response is a good start! Try filling out the information and setting the stage for your interviewer in a more robust manner. The STAR framework can help you to do this very well (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Was this answer helpful? Yes or No

Thank you, your vote helps us display the best answers.

3.

Tell me how you organise, plan, and prioritise your work. Do you use specific tools or techniques to assist you in the workplace?

The candidate should be able to confirm how they organise, plan and prioritise their work - its important all 3 are covered as the organising and planning are usually the only 2 covered.
The candidate should be able to confirm any specific tools and techniques they use to do this.

Here is an answer example: "I am a big fan of to do lists and Outlook. I review each morning. midday and each night to understand what must be done that day, anything that may be in danger on not being achieved that day if it should be and anything at the end of the day that has not been achieved and what tomorrow may look like. I like to use colours in the diary as this visually jumps out at me so I keep these consistent. In any task that I am given, I will always when it must be achieved by and also make an assessment of the effort I think it may require. If I feel that the assessment means the effort far outweighs the deadline as being achievable, I will raise this immediately so that expectations can be set."

Ryan's Answer

"I am a big fan of to do lists and Outlook. I review each morning. midday and each night to understand what must be done that day, anything that may be in danger on not being achieved that day if it should be and anything at the end of the day that has not been achieved and what tomorrow may look like. I like to use colours in the diary as this visually jumps out at me so I keep these consistent. In any task that I am given, I will always when it must be achieved by and also make an assessment of the effort I think it may require. If I feel that the assessment means the effort far outweighs the deadline as being achievable, I will raise this immediately so that expectations can be set."

Anonymous Answer

"I use a To Do List daily. Prioritize work according to its importance and deadline. I make sure that I keep up to date and minimize procrastination. I use outlook as a diary and for reminders."

Rachelle's Answer

Great! Are these the tools that the university uses? If you are not sure, you can ask the interviewer. By finding out this information, you can ensure that your approach to planning and prioritizing resonates with your future leadership team and coworkers.

Was this answer helpful? Yes or No

Thank you, your vote helps us display the best answers.

4.

Tell me about a time when you have had to adapt quickly to new policies and procedures.

The candidate should be able to provide an example of when new policies and procedures where introduced and how they adapted to this.

Here is an answer example: "When I worked at X Company in X position, an issue was highlighted with the holiday booking system and the quality team had to work fast to identify the issue and confirm back to the Business what was wrong and any changes or improvements that would result. We were all briefed from an administration team point of view of the changes and within a week, in the office, we had to change everyone's record and also update all of the associated paperwork. It was hard going to get through everything in the week, however we did. I made sure I understand what was wrong, what was proposed and how this would impact going forward and once I had this clear in my mind, I was away and on board with what needed to happen. While difficult to juggle with everything else that needed to be got through, I always try to remain calm and focus on the positives in such as situation".

Ryan's Answer

"When I worked at X Company in X position, an issue was highlighted with the holiday booking system and the quality team had to work fast to identify the issue and confirm back to the Business what was wrong and any changes or improvements that would result. We were all briefed from an administration team point of view of the changes and within a week, in the office, we had to change everyone's record and also update all of the associated paperwork. It was hard going to get through everything in the week, however we did. I made sure I understand what was wrong, what was proposed and how this would impact going forward and once I had this clear in my mind, I was away and on board with what needed to happen. While difficult to juggle with everything else that needed to be got through, I always try to remain calm and focus on the positives in such as situation"

5.

What different computer systems do you have experience with, in relation to the storing and collating of information?

View All 30 University Administrator Answers

Sign up to access our library of 50,000+ Answers,
plus coaches for one-on-one support, so you can interview more confidently.

University Administrator Interview Questions

What role do you feel an administrator plays in an office dynamic?

University Administrator Interview Questions

What role do you feel an administrator plays in an office dynamic?

Give an example of a time when you have delivered excellent customer service, and why is this important in this role?

Tell me how you organise, plan, and prioritise your work. Do you use specific tools or techniques to assist you in the workplace?

Tell me about a time when you have had to adapt quickly to new policies and procedures.

What different computer systems do you have experience with, in relation to the storing and collating of information?

What behaviours and skills do you feel are essential when working in a team?

Why is data protection important, and what measures could be taken within this role to ensure information is stored correctly?

Give an example of a time when you have been faced with a challenging situation. How did you overcome this, and what did you learn from it?

Why are you the best candidate for the role of University Administrator, and what can you bring to the team?

What motivates you to succeed?

What are your future career aspirations and where do you see yourself in five years?

Give an example of a time when you have had to implement a new process or procedure to solve a business issue. What was the outcome of this?

How would you define teamwork?

Tell us about your previous work/professional experience. How do you feel this will be transferable into the position you have applied for?

Can you give an example of a time when you have had to deal with a difficult or disappointing outcome? How did you handle this, and move forward?

We are interested to know what motivated you to apply for this role? Why do you want to work for our University?

Describe an experience you have had dealing with a difficult person. How did you handle the situation and what was the outcome?

How do you ensure you have clearly and accurately understood an inquiry or request that has been allocated to you?

Give an example of a time when you have had to reprioritize your workload to handle competing priorities. How did you handle this, and what was the outcome?

What does Equality of Opportunity mean to you?

Due to the nature of the role, you may sometimes be required to complete some lengthy data input tasks. How will you ensure you remain focused and motivated on the task at hand?

What is your availability like to work within this role? Do you have any specific requirements we need to take into consideration?

How would your former employer describe you?

Give an example of a time when you have had to work within a pressurised environment. How did you react?

Tell me about your education to date. How has this prepared you for a career as a University Administrator?

What do you think are the most important skills required when working in a customer facing position?

If you are successful at interview, how do you intend on making an impact within the role of University Administrator?

What do you know about our University?

What do you think is your biggest weakness from both a personal and professional capacity?

How do you evaluate success in a professional capacity?