The college admissions process is a daunting task for students and their parents. From researching schools to completing applications to writing essays, the process can seem never-ending. That’s where enrollment specialists come in. These professionals work with students and their families to identify the best colleges for them and walk them through the admissions process.
If you’re interested in becoming an enrollment specialist, you’ll need to be prepared to answer a range of questions during your job interview. In this guide, we’ll provide you with sample questions and answers that will help you shine during your interview.
Why do you want to work as an Enrollment Specialist?
Let’s be honest: This is not a job you dreamed of as a kid. Nobody did. But it is a decent administrative position with a good salary, and you should try to find something positive about it. I suggest you to find the connection between your strengths and the duties you will have in your new job.
For example, you can say that you excel in administrative work. You have good attention to detail and typewrite at a decent speed. You can work independently, and rarely make mistakes while working. Considering your skills and education, you find the job of an enrollment specialist a good choice, at least at this point of your career.
Another alternative is referring to the meaningful purpose of the organization you will work for, the reason why they exist. For example if you apply for a job with a rehab, you can say that you understand the damage addictions cause to families all around the country, and would like to participate on an initiative which helps people getting rid of their addictions.
You are not a specialist in the field, but administrative workers are also important. No facility can exist without them. Hence you see a meaningful purpose in this work…
How do you manage pressure at work?
Reveals time management skills and how the candidate prioritizes work.
Interview Questions for Enrollment Specialists:
Reveals the candidates relevant work experience.
How do you imagine a typical day in work?
You should mention two things for sure. First one is that you expect to spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen. Dealing with email communication, working with the database of applicants, entering data from one place to another, etc. This, combined with some paperwork, will be typically be the core of your job.
Another thing is proactive approach to work. Ensure the hiring managers that you won’t wait for miracles. If you see that someone forgot to include something on their application, you will pick up the phone and give them a call. When the deadline approaches, you will send out reminders to all applicants who still have to submit some documents to be considered for the program.
That’s the attitude they seek in a good applicant for this job.
From the time one gets an interview call to the time the actual meeting happens, everything is usually a blur.
Primarily, the goal of both is the same. However, an admissions officer works more on the ground level. He handles admissions queries, assists students in filling out admission forms, and provides general administrative support to the admissions office. An admissions specialist’s work is a little weighty. It includes creating and implementing strategies to engage and support students through inquiry and admission procedures.
Even if what is written here is 100% true, you still have to prepare for an interview. The cliché there are no second chances to make a first impression is not farfetched.
That is a saga that is inevitable. What we can do to make things a wee bit better is to research what questions we will be asked during an interview. An admissions specialist, for instance, can take ideas from the following sample interview questions to prepare for his interview:
There is so much that goes on in an interviewee’s mind that it is often difficult to fathom what the actual interview will hold – one always moves a step further, contemplating the ifs and buts of the interview, rather than concentrating on the real questions that will be asked.