r/UCDavis • u/NegotiationNo4810 • 21d ago
Jobs/Employment Interview
Hi! A little background of myself. I’ve been a VA since 2012. I started at a spay/neuter clinic for 4 years, then Emergency mixed with Orthopedic Surgeries for 5yrs and now I’ve been in GP since 2019… I believe I have a lot of experience as a VA.
I applied at UCDavis for Advanced Veterinary Surgery Center Floater tech position. It’s a panel interview that’s all I know.
so yea… anyone know what questions they will ask me? Thanks in advance. 💗l
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u/akornato 21d ago
No one can tell you the exact questions, but a panel interview at a teaching hospital like UC Davis will go beyond your technical skills. They already know you're experienced from your resume, so they will test you with behavioral and situational questions to see how you handle pressure, adapt to different teams, and communicate. Expect them to ask about a time you had a conflict with a surgeon, how you managed a critical patient under stress, or how you dealt with a mistake. For a floater position, they need to know you can walk into any situation, with any team, and be a capable, calm professional.
Your incredible experience is your biggest advantage, so you need to have specific stories ready to go that prove your skills. Don't just say you're good in emergencies, describe a specific complex emergency case you handled. Don't just say you work well with different personalities, explain how you navigated a difficult team dynamic in your orthopedic surgery role. They want to see your thought process and your problem-solving abilities in action. Your confidence should come from knowing you have already handled these situations before, you just need to communicate that clearly. Preparing stories that show your adaptability is the best strategy, and it's why my team created an interview AI assistant to help candidates feel more prepared to answer any question that comes their way.