Interview question for new grad

What are your goals for continuing education?

What are your goals for continuing education?  - PALS, NRP, Bachelor degree is what most students say. You may want to elaborate or be more specific in the interview. Chances are…other candidates probably said the same thing.

The interviewer is looking to see if you will advance your clinical skill set by obtaining certification and/or licensing in your new field. For example, you can address this question by saying “Once I complete my orientation and become familiar with my job description I would like to schedule my ACLS or PALS or NRP within 6 months.” Or “I plan to attend conferences and local seminars set up by the state chapters so that I am continuously learning and maintaining my CEU requirement.”

If you currently hold an associate's degree and wish to immediately obtain a bachelor’s degree, let the future employer know that you have good time management skills. You can say “I wish to obtain a bachelor’s degree in ____________ sometime in the near future. However, I will probably start with 3 to 6 credit hours per semester (1 to 2 classes) so that I’m not overwhelmed with my work and school schedule.” You can also say that you plan to complete your bachelors or masters degree online so that you can pace your school schedule according to your work schedule.

If the interviewer asks what field you are interested in, make sure that it is related to your field. Otherwise, it may not be a good time to mention that you completed your degree in Respiratory Care and you want to jump to Engineering, English, or some other discipline.

Let’s say that the ultimate goal is to obtain a bachelor's or a master’s degree, but if you’re not sure of what field. You can respond this way: “My goal is to obtain a bachelor’s (or master’s) degree to further my professional goals, but currently I haven’t decided in a major. I believe once I work in my new profession I will be able to discover my strengths and capabilities and then narrow my choices.”

For example, you may find that you work well with hospital staff and decide to pursue a degree in Management or Organizational Leadership. If you decide that you enjoy precepting students or have a niche for teaching the staff, Adult Education or a specialized science field may be the way to go. This will also serve the purpose of teaching in a community college or university setting if you decide to pursue a faculty or preceptor position.
If you are precepting students and find that you enjoy the adult learning environment, make sure that you have documentation. Colleges will want proof that you precepted students before applying for education positions.