Activities assistants come in handy when organizing special activities. They work with people in need of extra support and care, making them an integral part of society. Most activities assistants work in daycares, activity centers, and homes to offer different services to those who need them. Given their unique role, you need to prepare well for your upcoming interview if you are eyeing an activity assistant job.
This article will look at some of the questions you should expect in an activity assistant job interview. Our primary purpose is to furnish you with all the help you need when working on your interview. Take a look at the following questions:
1. Why Are You Interested In This Role?
I love working with the elderly, and I want to extend my services to this facility, given the excellent work you have been doing over the years. You have repeatedly made headlines for the care you extend to the aging population, which is heartwarming for a person like me who grew up with a grandmother. I believe that my primary purpose in this life is to serve humanity, which I will be glad to achieve in this facility. I will put in the work required to live up to the job description.
2. What are the Roles of an Activities Assistant?
My main job as an activities assistant in different settings is organizing and overseeing the execution of different activities. I usually come up with programs to promote physical activities, entertainment, continuous education, and increased socialization. I am also in charge of ensuring that the equipment is in perfect state, promoting high safety standards, handling logistics, and keeping proper records. Other roles include getting feedback for participants, managing resources and other employees, and sticking to the given budget and timeline.
3. What Are The Qualities That An Activities Assistant Needs To Be Successful?
An activities assistant requires several qualities for the proper dispensation of their roles. These include the creativity to come up with unique activities; focus and composure, especially when dealing with a diverse group of participants; reliability which entails punctuality and consistency; patience since some activities require practice; proper organizational skills to pull off an event and initiativeness which plays a vital role in preparation and planning.
4. What Major Challenges Did You Face During Your Last Role? How Did You Manage Them?
One of the things I am not fond of in this job, given that I primarily work with the elderly, is their passing on. I struggled to move on from the passing on of an older adult I had made a real connection and friendship with. He called me grandson, given that he had not seen his family for a long time. I would check upon him, and he would advise me on several issues until I found him gone on one of my visits. I had to come to terms with the loss, albeit slowly. However, I learned not to go in too deep when dispensing my roles.
5. Describe Your Daily Routine As An Activities Assistant
As an activities assistant, my roles vary from day today. However, they mainly revolve around coming up with and handling weekly, daily, and monthly events logistics aimed at proper patient, resident, and clients engagement; conversing with different participants to obtain proper feedback; managing resources, employees, and volunteers; and coming up with safe events. An activities assistant delivers fun to a given setting, ensuring that everyone involved experiences a good time and doesn’t feel left out.
6. Describe Briefly About Your Experience
This is my fourth year as an activities assistant. I have managed to work in children’s facilities and homes for the elderly, which have furnished me with a great deal of experience over the years. I have learned how to come up with activities that a majority enjoy and the individualized approach required when choosing activities. I have also been part of several teams, which convinces me that I will be a good fit for this organization.
7. What Kind Of Strategies And Mindset Is Required For This Role?
The best strategy required for this role is taking an individual approach to developing appropriate activities for a given group. An activities assistant must understand their audience well when choosing suitable activities, which extends to their needs and abilities. As for the right mindset, one should be positive when interacting with their target audience as it normally inspires hope and makes the activities more lively and engaging.
8. What Is The Biggest Challenge That You Foresee In This Job?
Even though I can work with different target groups, this is my first time working with children. Therefore, I will need time to adapt to this new target group. However, I fastly adapt to change, which means that I will not take as much time. I will also work with the existing team to blend in faster and easier in this new workplace given a chance.
9. How Do You Stay Motivated In Your Work?
The smiles I put on people’s faces and the positive impact I have on their lives are enough reasons to stay motivated in this job. Seeing clients happy and enjoying themselves gives me immense joy and gets me out of bed each day. I have also had great teams in my career that have always motivated me to be at my best, and I believe that I will experience the same in this workplace.
10. Describe A Time When You Failed In This Role And The Lesson You Learned?
In my amateur days, I organized general activities without taking time to learn about the needs and abilities of my clients. I later found out that some of the games and activities I had chosen didn’t favor the physically disabled, and therefore, they felt secluded. I apologized, went back to the drawing board, and came up with individualized games. This experience taught me to always consider the needs and abilities of clients before thinking about suitable activities.
11. Why Do You Feel You Are The Most Suited For This Role?
This is my seventh year as an activities assistant, working in different facilities and with various target groups. I have handled kids, the elderly, and the disabled, among many others. I am experienced in working with diverse people, which I am sure will play a significant role in this job. Also, I am a relationships expert, and I know how to create and maintain excellent relationships with my clients as well as the team, which is required in this job. I will definitely succeed given a chance.
12. Share With Us Your Greatest Achievement.
I have been fortunate enough to make significant achievements in my career. However, one achievement that warms my heart every time is organizing the 2013 Children’s Home Games Competition events, which saw kids from thirty children’s homes compete in different games. I worked together with a large team, coming up with activities that fit all types of kids, including those with disabilities. It turned out successful and later became the norm. I am glad to have inspired a trend that continues to date.
13. We Have Rules And Regulations In This Facility. How Will You Uphold Them?
I usually ensure that I understand all the rules and regulations of a particular workplace to be better positioned to uphold them. I will first try as much as possible to learn and acclimatize myself with the existing culture of this institution before organizing a meeting to go through the organization’s regulations with everyone else. I will also motivate my team members to adhere to and uphold all the organizational rules and procedures for a productive work atmosphere.
14. Why Did You Choose This Facility?
I have several reasons why I decided to settle for this facility. First, I love working with the elderly, who are your primary target. I lived with my ailing old grandmother when growing up and learned a lot by just taking care of her. I, therefore, made a vow to spread the love to other older adults when I joined this field. I understand what the elderly expect and how I can make it a reality for them. I also love this establishment. I believe that whatever you have done for the elderly is irreplaceable and should be emulated by all other organizations of the same caliber. This makes me optimistic that I will do a great job once I land this opportunity.
15. Do You Possess Any Artistic Skills?
I believe that one cannot survive easily in this field without a level of artistic skills. It spices up the job, making it easier and manageable. I can play a range of instruments, including the keyboard, which usually rids me of the need of sourcing support from a third party. I am also a good singer and can sing as I play the keyboard in the activities I organize for different facilities.
16. This Is A Retirement Home. How Do You Feel About Working For More Than 8 Hours?
I know that I may occasionally have to work longer hours in this field since I have worked on cruise ships and summer camps and been on 12-hour shifts. Even though I prefer regular shifts, I don’t have a problem working for more than that since I am flexible and hard-working. I believe that there will be compensation during such times due to the extra effort and focus needed. All in all, I’ll be available if needed.
17. What Do You Dislike About This Job?
Even though I wouldn’t mainly use ‘dislike’ in this case, I am not fond of certain aspects of this job. I work primarily with the elderly and occasionally develop genuine relationships with them. Therefore, one of the most challenging things is to watch them pass away. The first time a close client passed away almost threw me into depression. He was a friendly older adult who didn’t miss a chance to advise me. He magically knew when something was bothering me and gave me pieces of advice that I found worthy. He passed a year later, leaving me in a bad place. I am also not fond of the long shifts, even though I am willing to work on them since I understand how important they are.
18. Can You Work With A Diverse Group Of Patients?
I appreciate and embrace diversity. I have worked in institutions with diverse clients, including those with mental health problems. I always remind myself that I have to attend to everyone without favor. However, I would like to point out that it may be challenging to include a diverse group in a single activity which usually requires that I understand the needs and abilities of everyone before grouping them and organizing different activities. I usually ensure that everyone has and enjoys their activity even though there may be an overlap.
19. How Would You Handle Accidents During An Activity?
I usually keep in mind the possibility of an accident occurring during an activity. Therefore, I am extra cautious when planning different activities, bridging any gaps or possibilities as much as possible. I also watch the clients closely as the activity proceeds to watch out for and minimize the occurrence of an accident. In cases where an accident occurs, I offer first aid and call the medical facility to offer further help.
20. What Type Of Activity Would You Organize During Rainy Days?
Several activities would come in handy during rainy days. Having worked with clients during different seasons, I know and understand just the proper exercise for them. I will focus on something outdoor, being as creative as possible. I love painting, and therefore, I may help them paint a few items. I can also organize poker or table games, which I have come to discover that most people love. I will definitely find something they can do.
21. Now That We Have Discovered Rainy Days, What Would You Organize On Sunny Days?
Like rainy days or winter, there are activities that would be good for sunny days. However, I must take the clients’ conditions and needs into consideration when coming up with such as well as the local customs and their preferred types of activities. We can have an afternoon chess game or organize simple dance classes where everybody can sway their bodies or lift their hands to some music. Such days require something lively.
22. What Do You Love Most About This Job?
I am fond of several things in this job. I mainly love the connections I get to build when working with the target audience. Most of the clients are friendly and lively, which motivates me to give my all and be at my best at all times. I also love the fact that I get to impact others positively, making life a better place for them. Lastly, this job allows me to serve humanity, which I believe is one of the highest callings in the world. I enjoy doing my job.
23. What Are Your Expectations Of Your Colleagues?
Even though I have some expectations of the other staff members, I mostly expect a lot from them. I expect myself to be at my best always and work extra hard to succeed in this job, given that I love what I do. I also expect to create good relationships with clients and bring positive change to their lives. As for my colleagues, I expect cooperation and workplace collaboration for a good successful time, and I believe that it won’t be a problem since I am extremely good at team working.
24. What Do You Consider Is Your Greatest Weakness?
Even though I won’t term it as a weakness, I create strong connections with some of my clients and get devastated when they pass on or leave the facility. I once had to actively go to therapy when one of my clients passed away, given the connection we had established. Even though I am working on it, I am still human with flaws. However, I am glad that I am learning how to manage such situations better.
25. Where Do You See Yourself Five Years From Now?
Even though I choose to live in the moment, I know that I won’t be in the same place five years from now. I will probably be running an entire facility, given that I have been in this field for quite some time now. I have worked with a diverse group of persons and learned quite a lot about them, which I believe will put me in a better position to manage an institution. I am willing to put in all the work.
Conclusion
These are some of the questions you should expect in your upcoming activity assistant interview. Make sure that you take some time to brainstorm the most viable answers and increase your chances of landing a job as an activity assistant. We wish you all the best in your upcoming interview.
