MockQuestions

Youth Worker Mock Interview

Question 26 of 30 for our Youth Worker Mock Interview

Youth Worker was updated by on December 9th, 2022. Learn more here.

Question 26 of 30

Tell me about a time when you influenced the outcome of a critical situation by taking the lead.

The interviewer wants to hear about a time that you took the lead in a critical situation. As a Youth Worker, the expectation is that you will react wisely under pressure, regardless of your official leadership title. The hiring authority wants to see that you can respond quickly, appropriately, and with authority when the need arises.

If you have a specific story example, approach your response by first setting the stage to the story. Discuss your actions, and then provide details on the outcome of your actions. If you have trouble organizing answers that require specific story-examples, you can try to follow the STAR framework, which is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result.

Next Question

How to Answer: Tell me about a time when you influenced the outcome of a critical situation by taking the lead.

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Youth Worker job interview.

  • 26. Tell me about a time when you influenced the outcome of a critical situation by taking the lead.

      What You Need to Know

      The interviewer wants to hear about a time that you took the lead in a critical situation. As a Youth Worker, the expectation is that you will react wisely under pressure, regardless of your official leadership title. The hiring authority wants to see that you can respond quickly, appropriately, and with authority when the need arises.

      If you have a specific story example, approach your response by first setting the stage to the story. Discuss your actions, and then provide details on the outcome of your actions. If you have trouble organizing answers that require specific story-examples, you can try to follow the STAR framework, which is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result.

      Written by Rachelle Enns on May 21st, 2013

      Entry Level Example

      "A coworker wanted to take a group of youths on a hike and asked me to be their partner on this outing. I agreed, and the group was very excited about the whole thing. It was a beautiful day. The weather was mild and comfortable. The sun was not too strong, partly cloudy as well. Everything seemed to go smoothly when my coworker started to not feel well and couldn't go on. They were crippled with nausea. The group started to worry and nearly panicked. I decided we needed to go back, and several in the group grew rebellious. After about a half-hour, I was able to de-escalate the situation and get everyone in line. So we started back, but the going was slow because my coworker couldn't go very far before taking another rest. So a half-hour hike in took two-hours to hike back out. All the while, the group kept getting restless and unruly. Eventually, we were able to get back to the van with no additional outbursts. We got the youth's home and my coworker to urgent care. Turned out they started the hike dehydrated and suffered sunstroke, despite the mild weather. Go figure."

      Written by Kevin Downey on December 9th, 2022

      Experienced Example

      "While working at a small all-boy's youth center, myself and two co-workers took the group on an outing. Due to the size of the group, we were traveling in separate vehicles. In the car my co-worker was driving, I sat up front with him, and four youths sat in the back. In the second vehicle, another co-worker drove with another three youths. One of the boys in my vehicle began to foam at the mouth and seize. We weren't aware of any pre-existing medical conditions. I asked the driver of the vehicle to pull over. Another boy went into shock from the stress. I knew we needed to keep the rest of the youths busy to distract them from similar distress. I one boy to get me the sick boy's cell phone for one of us to call his parents. We needed to find out what was going on with this boy's medical history. I asked another youth to call the leader in the second vehicle to fill them in on the situation, ask them to turn around, and come to help. In the meantime, my co-worker called for emergency assistance. I used my first aid training to get the seizing boy into a safe position to prepare for the paramedics' arrival, and treating the other for his shock. I filled in the paramedics when they arrived, and they thanked me. In the end, they both fully recovered."

      Written by Kevin Downey on December 9th, 2022

      Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

      Anonymous Answer

      "As a Behavioral Health Technician, I chose to facilitate a class called Self-Esteem. The class was not engaging the consumers resulting in little participation.

      I asked my supervisor what I could do to change this.

      She supplied new coursework and instructed me on different techniques I could employ while I was facilitating the course.

      I was able to engage the consumers, increasing class attendance. Soon, my course became one of the consumers' favorite to attend."

      Rachelle's Feedback

      This is an excellent example of taking the initiative and showing the ability to lead. Nice work, and a positive outcome!
      Show More Answers