Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) Interview Preparation Guide
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70 Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) Questions and Answers:

1 :: Your coworker highlights your mistakes in front of everyone, how do you handle the situation?

Admit to the mistake without being emotional, but then discuss how you are being proactive in getting it fixed. Lastly, pull the co-worker aside later on to tell them that you'd appreciate it if they gave you the feedback 1:1 first before throwing you under the bus.

2 :: Tell us something about yourself?

Bad Answer: Candidates who ramble on about themselves without regard for information that will actually help the interviewer make a decision, or candidates who actually provide information showing they are unfit for the job.

Good answer: An answer that gives the interviewer a glimpse of the candidate's personality, without veering away from providing information that relates to the job. Answers should be positive, and not generic.

3 :: What kind of work interests you the least As Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA)?

What bores you? What fails to challenge you? What fails to excite you?

4 :: Describe some problems you encountered in your most recent position As Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) and how you resolved them?

Discuss your work experiences. The key is to show you're calm under pressure and can handle sensitive situations with a clear train of thought.

5 :: Describe your management style?

Try to avoid specific classifications, whatever it may be. Organizations usually prefer managers who can adapt their skills to different situations.

6 :: Give me an example of how you handled pressure at work As Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA)?

The company is looking to see if you can handle pressure well. Share with them an example where you were able to stay calm during a pressure filled situation (perhaps it was a deadline, or there was an emergency with a customer occurring). Discuss the situation, your reaction and steps you took to resolve it and the outcome.

7 :: Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures?

The key here is to show that you were proactive. How did you find out about the potential problems? How did you address it quickly?

8 :: Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?

Bad Answer: A generic or uninspired answer. Also, answers that show that this career/company is just a temporary stop for them.

Good answer: One that shows the candidate has thought about this question, has plans, and that those plans align with the job and a career path that is possible in the company. You want to see that this candidate is a good long term investment.

9 :: How do you adapt to new working environments As Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA)?

It's important that you demonstrate that you can adapt to changing environments quickly. You want to stress that you can manage change. The one thing in life that is constant after all, is change.

10 :: What is your greatest strength As Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA)?

This is your time to shine. Just remember the interviewer is looking for work related strengths As Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA). Mention a number of them such as being a good motivator, problem solver, performing well under pressure, being loyal, having a positive attitude, eager to learn, taking initiative, and attention to detail. Whichever you go for, be prepared to give examples that illustrate this particular skill.

11 :: What do you see yourself doing within the first 30 days of this job?

Typically the first 30 days are designed for you to learn as much as possible As Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA). Work hard to get to know your teammates, how they work together, and how you can make the biggest impact.

12 :: If you had enough money to retire would you?

Just be honest. If you would retire then say so. But since you can't retire, and the interviewer already knows this, simply answer that since you can't this is type of work you prefer doing. However, if you wouldn't retire if you had the money then explain why. Work is an important element of happiness for most people and many won't retire even when they can.

13 :: In your last job what kinds of pressure did you encounter and how did you react As Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA)?

Do not show your fear or uneasiness in handling pressure. Everyone likes to have a worker who can handle pressure calmly and with a clear train of thought. Show how you would logically come to a conclusion in a pressure filled situation.

14 :: What did you like least about your last (or current) job As Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA)?

Don't vent or focus on the negative with brutally honest answers such as "My boss was a jerk," or "The company culture was too politically correct," or "They just weren't giving me the opportunity to take my career to the next level." Instead, keep the emphasis on the positive, even though there are sure to be things you weren't happy about.

15 :: The change in the business industry now requires you to have a new set of skills you have to learn, how do you react to that?

First, find out which skills are the ones that you're currently lacking. Then identify what the steps would be to acquire/build those skills. Then take action to do so.

16 :: Explain what are your weaknesses As Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA)?

Red flags: This is the peanut butter to the previous question’s jelly. Again, everyone should expect it, so it's a bad sign if someone seems totally unprepared, or gives a stock answer like, "I'm a perfectionist." Also, of course, candidates crazy enough to blurt out some horrible personality trait should go in the red flagged pile.

Good answer: Candidates should talk about a real weakness they've been working on improving. For instance, they're not good at public speaking, but they've been taking a course to help them improve. Or maybe they feel that they're easily distracted when working online, but have installed software that helps them stay on task. Answers like these show a desire for improvement, self awareness and discipline.

17 :: Do you ever take work home with you?

Here are two great sample answers that might help get you started:

☛ I am an extremely organized person, so I tend to be able to get my work done at work. However, if the need arose I would not be against taking work home. I try not to make it a habit, since I do value my free time. I do realize though that the work we do is important, and sometimes you have to do what needs to be done.
☛ I do not shy away from taking work home with me. I know that meeting deadlines and doing outstanding work sometimes means taking a bit of it home. I do not have a problem doing that when the need arises.
☛ Make sure to give an honest answer. Lying about taking work home may turn out badly for you if it is required and you do not do it.

19 :: Tell me about a time when you successfully handled a situation?

For this question, the interviewer wants to know what you do in a situation that doesn’t have a clear answer. This will help the interviewer know how you respond to unforeseen challenges.

20 :: What's your dream job?

Along similar lines, the interviewer wants to uncover whether this position As Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) is really in line with your ultimate career goals. While “an GGL star” might get you a few laughs, a better bet is to talk about your goals and ambitions—and why this job will get you closer to them.

21 :: How would your references describe you?

Think of three major characteristics that demonstrate your best qualities related to work and then have quick stories to describe why.

22 :: What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example?

First, find out what the root of the problem is. Second, determine the best steps to remediation with the best possible outcome. Third, take action to put remediation plans in place.

23 :: Explain me what do you know about our company?

Bad Answer: They don't know much about the company. If a candidate is serious and enthusiastic, they should have done some basic research.

Good answer: An answer that shows they've really done their homework and know what the company does, any important current events that involve the company, and the work culture.

24 :: How do you take "No" for an answer?

You want to be persistent enough to understand why someone is saying no so that you could potentially convince them otherwise with a sound reason. However, if they are still saying "no" to you, then you need to humbly accept their position and move on.

25 :: What is it about this position As Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) that attracts you the most?

Use your knowledge of the job description to demonstrate how you are a suitable match for the role.

26 :: How well do you know this industry?

Two things businesses need to pay attention to in their industries are what their competition is doing and the customers. You may not always agree with your competitors but it is important to be aware of what changes they are making. Very well. I have been in the industry for over 6 years.

27 :: What qualities do you believe are important to have as a manager?

Great managers tend to empower their employees to be successful through strong coaching. They understand how to manage relationships - this is commonly referred to emotional intelligence. They have to be able to handle both client and staff situations that require them to be calm under pressure to clearly think of solutions to complex problems. Most importantly they must be able to articulate the vision to the team and inspire them to work together to collectively achieve that goal

28 :: What type of mentors do you seek out and why?

Think of your top 3 mentors and what attributes they exhibit that you want to emulate. Common attributes include passion, desire, will, leadership, ability to influence others, intelligence.

29 :: What are ideas or initiatives you've led and what was the outcome?

Describe your most unique ideas and initiatives that had the best results for the company. Make sure you highlight your creativity, your results, your diligence and your ability to execute.

30 :: What do you know about our competition?

Make sure you do your research on their competitors. You can find this by going to yahoo finance and click on their competitors (if they are public). From there research the news on them and go to their websites to understand their positioning on solutions and vision. You can also research local regional companies that are their competition (if it's a smaller private company on a regional scale) by simply typing in similar product offerings in the Google search followed by the city. Make sure you know their competitor's vision, products, culture, and how they are differentiated against their competition (and if they're not, how they could be)