Training videos / Screening & Interviewing

Sample Interview Questions

Some of the questions that follow may not be right for your situation. These suggested questions will help get you started on your own list.

  • How did you hear about this job?
  • Briefly tell me about your work experience and education. This will get the person to talk and set him at ease.
  • Where do you live? This question gives you information about how nearby the candidate lives. Living nearby with reliable transportation improves the chances of the PA coming to work regularly, coming to work on time and be less likely to want to leave early, and wanting to keep the job for a long time.
  • Do you have reliable transportation? This is important. It tells you whether or not you will be able to rely on the PA to be on time regularly and for emergencies.
  • Do you drive? Do you have a clean driving record?
  • Can you lift and transfer (put in number of) pounds?
  • Can you be at my home at 6:00 a.m.?
  • Do you smoke and drink?
  • Are you willing to fill out an application and give three references?  
  • Have you ever done this type of work? If the answer is yes, ask them to describe the work. If the answer is no, ask why they would like to do this type of work.
  • Tell me a little about yourself. Are you a student? Do you work? What do you like to do in your spare time?--Answers to these questions tells you a little more about the person. It gives you a sense if this is someone you can work with.
  • Does this work sound like work you would be interested in doing?
  • Have you worked or studied with any disabled people? If yes, tell me about it.
  • What was your best job and why?
  • What was your worst job and why?
  • If we were out shopping and someone asked you in front of me what was wrong with me, what would you say?
  • What interests you about the job of personal assistant?
  • Tell me about a situation where you made a mistake and how you handled it?
  • Is there any part of this job that you might find difficult to do?
  • If one of my other PAs was unable to work, would you be able to cover for her?
  • Have you ever been terminated or suspended from a job? If yes, what were the circumstances?
  • Are there any questions you would like to ask me?

Sample Job Description

Job Title

Personal Assistant (PA), part-time

 

Nature of Work

Suzy Rose is a college student at the State University (SU). A recent car accident caused a spinal cord injury. This resulted in paralysis and a loss of sensation below chest level. In addition, she has a partial use of her arms and wrists. She uses a motorized wheelchair and drives a lift-equipped van. While attending SU for pre-law studies, she needs a PA who also is her campus dorm roommate. She needs assistance in the morning and at night. She usually is independent in activities during the day and during on- and off-campus social activities.

 

Qualifications and Quality of Employee

Trained and experienced personal care attendants/aides are welcome to apply. However, student applicants with no experience can apply if they have the following qualities:

  • Be dependable, arrive for work on schedule, or call as much in advance as possible when unable to work.
  • Be on time or call as much in advance as possible when arrival will be delayed by 10 minutes or more.
  • The PA roommate who shares Suzy's dorm room always must be present in the room whenever Suzy is in bed. This is required since Suzy is not able to get out of bed on her own or attend to sudden medical or personal needs in an emergency.
  • Keep Suzy's thoughts, values, beliefs, relationships, and activities confidential and private.
  • Maintain a reasonably clean and neat personal appearance, while providing assistance to Suzy.
  • Never come to work under the negative influence of alcohol, medications, or drugs.
  • Be willing to discuss and resolve employment-related problems with Suzy.
  • Provide Suzy as much advance notice as possible when resigning in order to help me find a replacement.

 

Duties to be Performed

Each part-time PA will be asked to perform a specific section of Suzy's task checklist shown below. That section will be identified and discussed at the on-site interview with Suzy or her PA coordinator.

 

Assistance Needed

Need

How Long

Frequency

Approx. Start/
Stop Times

morning meds in bed

2 min

each morning

7 am

empty bladder

2 min

each morning

 

change/clean urinary device

10 min

each morn

7:05-7:15

laundry

3 hrs

M-TH eves & after accidents

after 7 pm

bowel/douche routine & shower

1.5 hrs

Su-T-Th eves

7:30-9:00 pm

 

Work Schedule and Comments

The schedule of duties will be discussed at the interview. The PA occasionally will be asked to help with non-routine duties. These will be requested and scheduled in as much advance as possible with the PA. PAs are requested to provide at least a week's notice when time off is needed and a four-week notice of intention to resign.

 

Job Application

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Work Agreement

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