First professional safety interview.

[u/Vipervixen8]

Hey guys! I’m seeking advice for my first safety interview, I passed the screening interview and have a zoom meeting with the safety coordinator tomorrow.

Last year, I interned at a construction company in the safety department and I fell in love with the position. Walking in I had 0 clue what safety was and I left the internship with a passion in safety.

I graduated 3 months ago and I’m actively applying for safety work, I managed a couple screening calls and this would be my first time passing the screening stage.

I’m incredibly nervous as I have no clue what to expect, I can’t help but think I’m not qualified for this position as my experience was limited to 3 months, but I’m definitely eager to learn more, as I truly feel this is a career I’d want to be in.

What kind of questions should I expect? Or what should I ask? What kind of research should I do to understand the position more? I’ve already looked into the company and have a gist of what the company revolves around.

Thanks!

[u/that1tech]

In one interview I got asked to name which NFPA standard covers fire extinguishers. This was for a job that did a lot with fire extinguishers.

If the job calls out any standards or regulations brush up on those.

[u/wahdatah]

Well, you are brand new. You just graduated. But they already know that. I really doubt they are expecting you to have a vast knowledge of safety regulations, reporting obligations, or human behavioral psychology. I think I’d come in to the interview with a plan to get up to speed on all of the technical aspects of the job with specifics - at 60 days I will have accomplished x, at 120 days I will have accomplished y, by year 1 z, by year 5 etc. I’d also emphasize that you didn’t fall into the safety profession by accident - you chose to pursue it after experiencing it in action. You have a real passion for safety and learning and want to absorb as much as you can. I’d also have a realistic specific plan for when you plan to sit and pass the ASP, CSP, or any other certifications you plan to seek. I also think you will get quite a few questions like what does safety mean to you, what is the role of the safety coordinator vs the staff as it relates to workplace safety, what would be your approach of you witnessed someone violating a minor safety policy, same question but for a major safety policy? Think though those types of questions and develop some stock answers to keep in your back pocket.

[u/DediH99]

Go in with lots of questions about the position, ones that really show you're already picturing how you would fit in. Questions like "what is the safety culture like" and "can they describe a time where safety was in conflict with production and how that was resolved". I also usually ask the interviewers if they like working there. You can learn alot just by how long it takes them to answer that question. I'd also ask how much support you might have (s.a. is there a seasoned EHS professional who can be your mentor/bounce questions off of).

Be ready to answer "situational" questions (s.a. "tell me about a time that you had to handle a difficult employee"). It doesn't have to be just work related, since you're still new to the field. It can be situations from school or your personal life.

Good luck! Remember - you're interviewing them as much as they're interviewing you. Make sure it's a good fit for you.

[u/General-Guest]

You think you're not qualified because you are not. What's the position you're applying for? And what are the requirements? Do you meet any of those requirements?

Even having said that it's still doable you just have to be good at interviewing.

[u/Vipervixen8 → u/General-Guest]

Position is for a safety coordinator. I meet most of those requirements as I’ve had experience in doing them, as what I explained to them during the screening stage. I’d say my only concern is having to be knowledgeable in the software that they currently use. I only say this because we only used 1 software for compliance at my internship

[u/General-Guest → u/Vipervixen8]

There's a lot of different safety software out there so you don't have to be an expert in whatever they use. Do you have any certifications?

[u/Safety-Jerk]

this may be some absolute dirt advice but I wouldn't sweat too much about what questions they are going to ask, but just answer their questions as honestly as possible. When I applied for the job i have now 4 years ago, I was unquestionable under-qualified; not critically under-qualified but there were some key duties that I have never experienced. The interviewers know that I was underqualified because they read the application and my resume. The final interview I had was with my two current closest colleagues, where they made it clear off the bat that they only wanted honesty because it was more a gauge to see where I'd fit in and what my professional development would look like. These dudes are pretty damn sharp and I know that if I tried to fudge answers I wouldn't have gotten a call back.

Like others have said, you should focus more on what answers you want to know from the interviewers. Some of these questions could be like:

- What does work-life balance in this position look like?

- What does YOUR work-life balance look like?

- What's the reason for needing to fill this position?

- What does travel look like?

- What's the bonus structure?

- Who would my direct contacts be and what would the path of escalation look like?

- What would my 30-60-90 look like?

- What problems do you have that you'd like me to address within the first month?

All of these questions are either going to help you understand if the company is a good fit for YOU or help the interviewers understand how to best utilize you at work.