A program assistant performs administrative roles for projects by answering calls and responding to emails. For this role, a degree in business management is an added advantage.
Below are 20 questions that will help you prepare for the next interview.
1. Why are You Interested in This Role?
It is good to demonstrate that you are enthusiastic about taking up this role. The interviewer wants to establish if you are interested in the role. Tell the interviewer why you were drawn to the role.
Sample Answer
“I’m interested in this role because from the job description I believe my experience and academic qualification place me as a great fit for the organization. I have three years of experience as a Program assistant in addition to having a degree in Business Management. My academic background and skills have prepared me to meet and surpass your expectations for this role. In addition, I have been reading about the company and I enjoy the culture in terms of the programs run for staff.”
2. What are the Roles of a Program Assistant?
It is important to articulate the roles that you expect to handle as a program assistant. The interviewer wants to establish if you are aware of the roles you will handle. Ensure you keep to the job description.
Sample Answer
“As a program assistant, I expect to handle administrative tasks such as answering phone calls and responding to emails. In addition, I will ensure office supplies are available when needed. I will also plan and write minutes for meetings that the office needs. I will prepare presentations for staff members. I will also organize travel arrangements for them. At times I may also be required to run errands on behalf of other staff members. I believe I will also be key in creating and implementing processes in the organization as this is key in smooth running of operations.”
3. What are the Qualities That a Program Assistant Need to Be Successful?
To be a successful program assistant, you need to possess certain qualities. As with any profession, some qualities will make you succeed. Share with the interviewer the qualities while demonstrating that you possess the qualities.
Sample Answer
“To be a successful program assistant, you need to have great interpersonal skills, communication skills both written and spoken. Great organization skills are also great for this position as it will be instrumental in ensuring successful meetings and appointments as well as travel arrangements for the staff members.”
4. What Major Challenges Did You Face During Your Last Role? How Did You manage Them?
As a Program Assistant, you will be expected to be multi-talented and therefore meet the different needs of the staff members. Share with the interviewer the challenges faced and how you solved them.
Sample Answer
“In my previous role, I was expected to know how to fix everything. One time the printer developed technical issues and I was expected to fix it. Al my attempts to fix it backfired and as a result, staff could not print some essential documents. To counter this challenge I ensured that I have contacts of service providers so that we get assistance fast. I had never anticipated that fixing the”
5. Describe Your Daily Routine as a Program Assistant?
The interviewer wants to establish that you know what is expected of you every single day. Share what role you expect to play.
Sample Answer
“As the workday starts, I expect to ensure the office is clean and adequate supplies are available. I will also answer phones and schedule meetings and appointments as required. I will prepare materials and equipment for any meetings expected to take place during the day. I will also respond to emails and share information with relevant personnel.”
6. Describe Briefly About Your Experience
It is good to relate skills and experience gained to the job description. The interviewer wants to establish that you are a good fit. Share what skills and experience will be instrumental to the position.
Sample Answer
“In my previous role as a Program Assistant for Metropolitan International, I was able to develop my organization and communication skills by successfully planning meetings and travel arrangements for team members. The role also utilized my problem-solving and organizational abilities. I was able to handle different projects with different timelines and ensured the successful implementation of the same. I was successful at handling multiple calendars and planners and in the process improved my organization skills.”
7. What Kind of Strategies and Mindset is Required for This Role?
To be successful in this role you need to have a particular mindset that the interviewer is looking to establish. Share what you think will make you successful.
Sample Answer
“I understand the position requires a confident and organized person as it involves dealing with different personalities. I have experience in a multi-cultural set up which has honed my interpersonal skills. I am a go-getter and always endeavor to achieve any goal I set for myself. I also have developed my communication skills both written and oral which is a good strategy for this position. I believe with this mindset I will be able to meet and surpass the performance goals expected of me by the organization.”
8. What Is the Biggest Challenge That You Foresee in This Job?
The interviewer wants to establish how you handle challenges. Share what you anticipate may happen and how you will be able to handle it.
“Program Assistants are expected to be available for everyone at any time required. This might affect how I deliver on the other roles. I expect as a new hire this will be a challenge that I will have to address. To counter this, I will create clear boundaries so that I may be able to meet the other performance goals. I need to set clear boundaries at the onset to avoid being used to do roles that are not part of my work, therefore, neglecting mine.”
9. How Do You Stay Motivated in Your Work?
Motivation is something you have to chase every day. The interviewer is interested in knowing what keeps your spirits high. Share what works for you.
Sample Answer
“I derive motivation in being able to meet the needs of staff and customers. I enjoy being of help to them. I also work hard in honing my customer service skills and organization skills. I set a challenge daily that I have to do better than the previous day. Achieving this helps keep me motivated. This challenge has helped me in refining my planning and organization skills. Close collaboration with colleagues and positive feedback from clients keeps me motivated too.”
10. Describe a Time When You Failed in This Role and The Lesson You Learnt?
Are you able to learn lessons from your failures? The interviewer wants to establish if you can identify the lessons learned and how you plan to improve in that area. Share a story about how you failed and what you learned from the experience.
Sample Answer
“One time in my previous role, during the high season the workload increased. As it was my first year in the role, I expected that I will manage the workload. I kept reassuring my colleagues that everything was under control. I feared being branded a failure as I had reassured everyone that I will handle it. In the end, I could not manage and had to ask for help. From this experience, I learned that it is okay to ask for help before getting overwhelmed.”
11. Why Do You Feel You Are The Most Suited for This Role?
The interviewer wants to establish if your skills, experience, and personality match the role. Here, share what makes you successful in handling such a role.
Sample Answer
“My skills and experience match the job description for his role. In particular, my planning and organization skills make me a great fit for this position. Over the years, I have worked on improving my planning and organization skills as well as time management abilities to make my work easier. I have taken online courses on time management and I know this will be instrumental in making me a great fit. I am also committed to learning new skills that will enable me to succeed in this role. I believe I am a great fit for several reasons but most specifically for my commitment to deliver results and surpass performance goals.”
12. Share with Us Your Greatest Achievement.
The interviewer wants to establish if you have moments that make you proud. Give an example of what you did well and got recognized for it.
Sample Answer
“In my previous role, the company adopted new policies and procures to be able to make everyone work effectively. I was a team leader in the creation and implementation of the policies. I was able to successfully explain to other team members what the procedure is and the objectives to be met. The team also understood their role in the processes well. As a result, the procedures were successfully implemented and within the scheduled timelines. I earned an award for being a great team leader and was the employee of the month twice in a quarter.”
13. As a Program Assistant How Do You Refine and Implement Processes?
To refine processes, you need to have a clear understanding of them. Share with the interviewer what you will do. Give a clear process of how it will happen.
Sample Answer
“To refine and implement a process, I have to understand the process itself. I will also identify the challenges that the process has. I will brainstorm on the likely solutions and assess their pros and cons. Once I have identified the best course of action, I go ahead and start the implementation. I will also ensure that all parties involved share in the solution suggested. Once everyone is invested in it, the implementation becomes fast.”
14. If You Are Given Several Complex Tasks With Different Deadlines, How Will You Plan Your Work?
With handling projects, this will happen. You will have several tasks with different deadlines. Share with the interviewer how you will handle this.
Sample Answer
I plan the tasks required, I outline the different deadlines. I normally break down complex tasks into bite-sized tasks that will keep me moving forward. I prioritize the deadlines and ensure that each is met. I also delegate some tasks to fellow team members to ensure we move with speed in meeting deadlines.”
15. How Do You Handle Mistakes In Your Work?
Mistakes are bound to happen in every role. Admitting and rectifying the mistake ensures that people learn and become more efficient in their roles. Share with the interviewer if you will acknowledge the mistakes and how you will rectify them.
Sample Answer
“When I make a mistake at work, I acknowledge it and give a plan of how I will rectify it. I apologize and go ahead and work towards rectifying it. I do not take time to look at the mistake and beating myself up. I go ahead and implement the plan of action to rectify it and then ensure I do not repeat the same mistake.”
16. How Do You Plan, Organize and Prioritize Your Work as A Program Assistant?
As a Program Assistant, you will handle different projects and as a result, you will need to plan, organize and prioritize the work. Share with the interviewer how you plan to do this.
Sample Answer
“I keep to-do lists for daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. I always ensure that I review this at the start and the end of my workday. I have also learned to effectively use Google Calendar to plan my tasks as it will give me reminders of the work I should handle. I also ensure that I keep my focus on long-term goals and keep revising them so that I do not forget. I have also worked on my time management and organization skills to ensure that I work efficiently.”
17. What Does Diversity and Inclusion Mean To You?
This position entails handling people from diverse cultures and having diverse opinions. It is good to be able to handle and meet the needs of everyone. Share with the interviewer how you have succeeded in handling different people in your past.
Sample Answer
“I believe diversity involves engaging with people with diverse traits, experiences, and backgrounds. We need to connect and engage with workers from different backgrounds. To successfully interact with co-workers and clients, I will need to accept that our experiences about life and other issues are not the same and at times will not agree on certain issues. Everyone should be included so that, everyone feels involved and they participate in the projects that the organization has.”
18. Have You Ever Dealt With a Difficult Coworker?
Positions requiring a high interaction with staff members are bound to have some difficult people. How you handle the difficult coworker is what is important for the interviewer.
Sample Answer
“I once had a coworker who procrastinated his work to the last minute and as result planning meetings would be difficult as he would always not be ready. I spoke to him to find out what was wrong. It turned out that he would delay typing his work to the last day. As a result, he would get caught up with presentations that were not ready. I agreed to assist him if he brought his work to me early. As a result, meetings would not be delayed as a result f the late submission of presentations.”
19. Do You Have Any Questions Regarding This Role?
It is important to have a question relating to the role or the company. Do not say you do not have a question. Demonstrate that you did your research and there are things that you feel weren’t satisfied with what you found.
Sample Answer
“Yes. From my research, I saw that the company runs various programs for the staff but it did not go into details. Do you mind sharing what these programs entail and how have they helped the organization meet its objectives?”
20. If offered the position of Program Assistant, what should the company expect in the next three months?
The interviewer wants to know if you have a set of goals you are working on. It is important to have a clear plan of action when starting a new position. Share what you expect to have done in that period.
Sample Answer
“For the first three months, I expect to learn as much as possible as it relates to this position. I will also concentrate on understanding the company culture and how I will fit in. After this period I will be well versed in company processes. I will also demonstrate my dedication to this position through showcasing reliability, timeliness, hard work, and knowledge.”
Conclusion
Program Assistants perform key tasks in ensuring projects are well implemented. Once you master this interview questions and answers will ensure you are successful in your next interview.
