Who is an orientation leader? This individual serves as a resource for incoming first-time/freshmen college students, incoming transfer students.
1. Why Are You Interested In This Role?
Your interviewer wants to know the reason as to why you want to work for their company. Consider saying that you want to practice your knowledge and skills and that you want to learn from them.
Sample Answer
“Upon learning that you were recruiting for this post, I did not hesitate to apply since I had all the qualifications listed. I am interested in working in this role to put in place the skills and knowledge I have gained from previous experience. Also, I believe that I have room to advance and improve my skills since I am still young and energetic. After seeing the huge number of students expected to join your institution, I want to be part of the team to guide them on the orientation process. Lastly, I would like to use the skills and knowledge I have gained to earn a living and support my family. I hope that I will have the opportunity to serve in this post at your institution.”
2. What Are The Roles Of An Orientation Leader?
The interviewer wants to learn whether you are aware of the duties that you are supposed to perform as an orientation leader. Talk about the main duties and responsibilities that you are expected to perform as an orientation leader.
Sample Answer
“As an orientation leader, I am supposed to;
i) Welcome and acclimate new students and their families to the campus during orientation programs.
ii) Promote interaction among new student groups by facilitating icebreakers when discussing college transition-related concerns and opportunities.
iii) Create and perform in tradition and revue, a fun and multi-media performance hosted at campus.
iv) Facilitate evening activities to help students develop social connections.
v) Communicate with students before and after programs with social media and mailing campaigns.
vi) Engage with a diverse and energetic team of student leaders
vii) Assist in the preparation of orientation activities.
Those are the key duties and responsibilities that I would like to perform in your institution as an orientation leader.”
3. What Are The Qualities That An Orientation Leader Need To Be Successful?
The interviewer wants to know what qualities you think may help you be successful in this role. Talk about the qualities that you have that are critical in this role.
Sample Answer
“As an orientation leader, there are some qualities that I should have in order to perform well in my duties. Firstly, an orientation leader should be able to work with diverse students, parents, faculty, and all the staff. Secondly, I should be very punctual and dependable since there is consideration of time during events. Thirdly, strong communication skills are very critical since there is a lot of communication involved in this role. Lastly, it is essential for me as an orientation leader to have integrity, authenticity, have a positive attitude towards my role, and show leadership potential. ”
4. What Major Challenges Did You Face During Your Last Role? How Did You Manage?
The interviewer wants to know what difficulties you faced in your previous role. You should talk about the main challenges and how you solved them
Sample Answer
“Since the world is still struggling to curb the spread of coronavirus, it has been a hit to orientation departments. Since meetings were banned and schools closed, many orienteers have opted for virtual events, which are not as impactful as one on one meetings. Of course, we have to help the government fight this deadly virus. As a result, we have opted to conduct online orientations even though they still have lots of challenges compared to the one-on-one orientation. This was the major challenge that I have experienced so far.”
5. Describe Your Daily Routine As An Orientation Leader?
The interviewer wants to know how your daily schedule will look like. Give them a very organized schedule from the first activity of the day until the last activity.
Sample Answer
“After getting to work, we all have a meeting to see what we have for the day and head towards the auditorium to start our daily activities. We open with a word of prayer and sing the college anthem followed by the national anthem. After that, we welcome all the students and parents and start taking them through the programme. We then break into groups and know each other before playing games and conducting surveys. Here, we take them through academic affairs and sports, which are essential in campus life. We thereafter issue rewards. Since there is always a disk jockey, he plays the favorite part of the event, entertainment. At least everyone dances, and this goes until late at night. We head to our beds for the next day.”
6. Describe Briefly About Your Experience
Here, the interviewer wants to know about where you have worked before and what skills and knowledge you learned. Talk about your past experience and for how long you worked in this role.
Sample Answer
“I have worked in several colleges and universities as an orientation leader. I started it all at Banford University, where I interacted with many people and gained a lot of experience as well. After working there, I also worked for Canger College in the same role too. For most of my career as an orientation leader, I have been working for KCA University, where I must say that I advanced my skills by learning from other team members who have played this role for many years. I hope that you will consider my experience as an added advantage to secure this job. And so, experience is the comb that nature gives us after we are bald.”
7. What Kind Of Strategies And Mindset Is Required For This Role?
The interviewer wants to know the attitude that you have towards this role. Talk about what would be your main focus on this career.
Sample Answer
“Being an orientation leader needs a very strong positive attitude towards the role in order to perform well. One needs to mainly focus on giving the students, staff, and parents the best service ever as far as orientation is concerned. When talking to them during welcoming, you need to show the good image of the institution on your face. You need to smile at them and welcome them using respectful language: sir, madam, professor, etc. I believe that I will get the chance to portray the good image of this great institution through my skills and knowledge.”
8. What Is The Biggest Challenge That You Foresee In This Job?
The interviewer wants to know of a difficulty that you think will affect this industry in the future. Talk about the main challenge that you foresee in the field.
Sample Answer
“Keeping up with the rapidly advancing world in the technology field is a challenge that is likely to face this field in the future. Since we started hosting orientation events virtually, there is a lot of technology that will be required. Unfortunately, we have to spend more energy and resources trying to make things work as this is a new way that has just changed abruptly. I hope that we will manage to cope with the upcoming technology and use it to benefit us more. ”
9. How Do You Stay Motivated In Your Work?
Your interviewer wants to know more about what keeps your daily morale. Consider talking about achievements and awards in your career as your biggest daily motivators.
Sample Answer
“As an orientation leader, my biggest daily motivation has been the success, achievements, and rewards that I have attained while in this role. As earlier said, I have been able to work in different institutions for a number of years. That means that I have had promotions, achievements, and awards due to my commendable work. Whenever I serve people well and give them a five-star review as their customer feedback, I feel that I am using my skills to solve other people’s problems. That’s enough motivation for me, and it is what I love doing most.”
10. Describe A Time When You Failed In This Role And The Lessons You Learnt
Since the interviewer knows very well that you must have made a mistake in your career and the outcome was not as expected, share with them a time when you failed in your role and the lesson you learned from it.
Sample Answer
“We all know that we learn from our mistakes. As I was preparing for the orientation program, I left some steps that I thought would just stick into my mind. To my surprise, there was a lot that I did not talk about and a lot of information was left out. I learned that it is good to plan orientation early and note each and every step of it.”
11. Why Do You Feel You Are Most Suited For This Role?
Your interviewer is asking you why you feel that you are the only right candidate they are looking for to work for them. Talk about your unique qualities, skills, and experience that you possess but think that your fellow candidates don’t.
Sample Answer
“First of all, I think that I am the right candidate you are looking for because I have all the qualifications needed to work in this post. In addition, my five years’ experience should be considered as an added advantage to me. I already know all the activities and what to do whenever something comes up. I am not starting from scratch since no training is required for me, I just have to adapt to the campus guidelines and I will do a great job. Lastly, having gained enough knowledge and skills, I have worked well in several universities. Attached are the award certificates I gained as a reward for being the best orientation leader. This shows the great job I am about to do for this institution.”
12. Share With Us Your Greatest Achievement
The interviewer wants you to tell them what it is best that you have ever achieved in your career. Talk about any awards, promotions, and achievements you have acquired while working in this role.
Sample Answer
“Since I have been able to use my skills and knowledge well in this industry, I have received several awards from the University Chancellors for being one of the best orientation leaders that they have worked with. In 2015, I won this title as a result of the customer feedback about the orientation process. There was a way the students and the parents would rate your service by using our badge numbers as our identification. They would do this on a mobile-like gadget that collected feedback from the stakeholders.”
13. Take Us Through The Orientation Process.
The interviewer wants you to explain the phases involved when doing orientation. Talk about the main steps and briefly explain what happens in each phase that orientation goes through.
Sample Answer
“When doing orientation, there are steps that an orientation leader should follow to ensure it is an effective one. The steps are;
i) Pre-orientation stage – This is where it all starts by sending documents and updates about the orientation via emails or messages.
ii) Introduction of the institution or a workplace – This is now the institution’s introduction for familiarity.
iii) The follow-up orientation stage – This is the last stage that the orientation department follows up to know how students or new employees are adapting to the institutional guidelines and environment.”
14. What Are The Benefits Of Being An Orientation Leader?
Your interviewer wants to learn whether you know the value of your job. Tell them the benefits of being an orientation leader.
Sample Answer
“As an orientation leader, I have benefited a lot and benefited other people as well. There top benefits that I have witnessed are;
i) I get the opportunity to develop leadership skills such as group facilitation, problem-solving, and, and team building.
ii) Serve as a role model while assisting in recruitment, transition, and retention of new students
iii) Great resume builder
iv) Receiving formal training and opportunity to attend leadership conferences.”
15. What Essential Elements Would You Include In Your Training?
The interviewer wants you to tell them what essential components you would include in your training planning. Talk about what it would be all about.
Sample Answer
“My training program would not miss;
i) Gathering proper information about the institution
ii) Team building
iii) DEI training
iv) Small-group facilitation
v) Role play
vi) Logistics review
This would be a well-equipped program that will make you cover everything that you need to cover that day.”
16. Share With Us Some Tips Of Conducting An Organized Orientation.
Your interviewer wants to know what strategies you would use to make your orientation successful. Talk about the measures you would look into to make it a success.
Sample Answer
“To succeed in organizing an orientation, I would;
i) Share the orientation agenda in advance
ii) Communicate orientation expectations and benefits
iii) Conduct ice breaker services
iv) Promote engagement in college traditions to build community
v) Encourage involvement in social events
With those tips, I could create a very organized orientation that will be a benefit to the freshmen and their parents.”
17. What Is The Purpose Of Conducting Orientation?
The interviewer wants to know if you know the purpose of conducting orientation. Talk about the key purpose of conducting them.
Sample Answer
“One of the main agendas of conducting orientation is to gain the employee or student commitment to the job or campus. You want to make them get interested in the role they are about to play in the institution. Secondly, to reduce their anxiety and get their minds calm and settled. Thirdly, to help them get used and understand the new environment, they will be spending most of their time in. Lastly, we conduct orientations to convey their expectations from the role.
18. What Is Your Biggest Strength?
The interviewer wants to know what it is that you are best at while working. Talk about what you would perform best in your career.
Sample Answer
“The biggest strength that I have in my career is working in teams. I always believe in teamwork and that combined efforts help accomplish the task easily.”
19. What’s Your Biggest Fear?
Your interviewer wants to know what it is that you wouldn’t like to happen to you in your career.
Sample Answer
“As an orientation leader, I would refer to failure as the biggest fear in my career. I just fear failing in tasks that I should perform.”
20. How Would Your Previous Boss Describe You?
The interviewer wants to see your relationship status with your previous boss. Say how they would describe you.
Sample Answer
“My previous boss, Madam Carole, would describe me as a respectful, hardworking, and friendly young man who loves helping others.”
Conclusion
This is a role that can benefit you in many ways. Answer the questions as above and you will pass. All the best!
