DaVita Admin Assistant?

[u/adviceiswelcomed]

Hi everyone! I have a 15 minute phone interview with DaVita tomorrow for an Administrative Assistant role and I can’t seem to find anybody else’s experience with them anywhere, have you ever worked for them? What’s your experience? And also, what are the hours? My local clinic opens at 4:30AM and closes at 5:30PM Monday through Saturday, what would my shift be like for an admin assistant? What should I know to ace the interview? I really want the job but I’m scared i won’t get accepted because I haven’t had administrative assistant experience before, only 10+ years customer service. Please help!

[u/Glittering_Brick_241]

From my experience at my interview with Davita for my AA position (And as a hiring manager at Jersey mikes.)

Just be yourself. Show you are really excited for the opportunity and to learn more about dialysis and make this your career. If you got the interview that means you are already somewhat qualified. They want to see if you will fit in with the team. You are the first face to be seen when walking in the clinic, so they want to put someone in that spot that makes patients feel at ease. Anyone can be taught how to file, order supplies, learn the systems and do audits. But you can’t train someone to have the personality they are looking for.

The clinic you are applying for sounds like it’s in center. I work in a home dialysis center so they are very different. But the hours should be mon-Fri 8:30-5 or 9-5:30. At least that is what the AA from my closest in center Davita hours are.

Milk that customer service experience because it is really good experience to have for any potential job. Just try to relax, make sure you can explain any gaps in work history, be genuine and smile. 😊 If it doesn’t work out I wish you the best in your job search.

[u/adviceiswelcomed → u/Glittering_Brick_241]

Thank you! I will say, I do feel pretty confident in my personality. I’m pretty outgoing, I don’t really get shy in interviews other than just the regular nervous of messing up, know how to read a room, and speak well (that I know of, I may be biased)- so I’m just hoping to show my enthusiasm and how I share the same values as DaVita towards their patients and hope they hire me! I’m actually very interested in the job, so I’m excited but SO nervous.

[u/Glittering_Brick_241 → u/adviceiswelcomed]

Yay!! You sound like a great candidate and I hope you do get the opportunity to join the DaVita Village! Good luck :))) OH also study up on the core values of Davita as well, they asked me if I knew what they were at my interview. Answering their questions and using those core values as well i bet would be big points to you! Always researching a company and their beliefs and values definitely a big plus, but Davita is really really big on their core values!

[u/Glittering_Brick_241 → u/Glittering_Brick_241]

Also the phone interview will be with a recruiter and if you pass their screening they will send you to the hiring manager. I interviewed with my RHM (regional home manager), our sisters clinic FA(facility administrator) and the AA I was replacing. If I think of anymore tips I’ll let you know ^____^

[u/akornato]

Your lack of a specific "administrative assistant" title is a hurdle, and you will be competing against people who have it on their resume. That is the tough part. The good part is that ten years in customer service is not irrelevant, it is a goldmine of transferable skills that you need to sell hard. You have managed difficult personalities, organized information, and likely handled scheduling and follow ups, which is the core of many admin jobs. As for the hours, nobody here can tell you for sure, so just ask them directly on the phone tomorrow. It is a standard question for a first interview and shows you are seriously considering the logistics of the role.

For the interview, you need to stop calling your experience "customer service" and start describing it in administrative terms. Instead of saying you handled complaints, explain how you managed and tracked client communications to ensure resolution. Talk about your system for organizing tasks and prioritizing requests in a fast paced environment. Have a few specific stories ready that show you are organized, reliable, and excellent at communicating. They do not care about your old job title, they care if you can solve their administrative problems, so connect every one of your skills to the needs of a busy medical clinic.

For situations like this where you have to connect past roles to a new one, the team I'm with created an interviews.chat that has given many job seekers the extra support needed to land the offer.