Volunteer Coordinator Interview Preparation Guide

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No one likes to hear that you can’t keep to a budget but at the same time it is important to share how quickly you identified this and got back on track. Did you think creatively, negotiate more fiercely, did you slash expenditure in other areas or identify a new revenue stream? It is best to avoid blaming others (even if it was someone else’s fault) but ideally you can discuss how you nearly come close to over spending but used specific measures and budgeting tactics to come in on budget in the end.

This is a fairly simple follow-on question that can be useful to assess your judgement and experience in terms of getting things done. You probably do not have enough information about the specifics of the role and company guidance at this stage so try and opt for something a bit more vague that involves mentioning the brand or client’s needs and what has been previously discussed. For example, try something like:

My priorities would differ according to the needs of the client and the resources available at the time. In my own time I prioritise according to… whereas for an event I use the client and company to guide what is most important and set key milestones right from the start

This is usually asked to see if you are a good fit for the current team so bear this in mind when answering because you may end up discussing the traits of your potential boss or colleagues. Keep it broad and give good reasoning for what you find useful and harmful, you may benefit from discussing the traits you admire in others and saying something like

Great communication skills are key for a team and those who are very open and honest I find I work with best.

Event planning can be challenging and highly pressurized and future employers are interested in how you deal with this event stress. They also want to ensure that they aren’t going to waste time with someone who can’t hack it. Reassure them, not only that you thrive under pressure, but also that you have outlets to channel and deal with the demands of being an event planner.

Everyone loves an entrepreneur, right? Wrong. For clients, this is often considered a positive because it shows you are full of ideas but for a potential employer having your own dreams and aspirations shows that you might not be in it for the long haul. They won’t want to invest time and energy in training you if they think you are going to take it all and leave. Find an answer that implies you are creative and have vision for the future without making them feel like you can’t be loyal.

You need to navigate this question carefully as some have the “customer is always right” mentality and event planning is a people-centric role, where customer service is key. They want to understand how you would deal with high pressured situations and navigating customer needs in line with company policy so focus on your resolution and how you dealt with it more than the actual issue at hand and NEVER bash a client or attendee, directly or otherwise.

To prepare for a job interview spend some time thinking about past scenarios and experiences and what you learnt from different situations, such as dealing with difficult clients or irate attendees.

While this question is an invitation to do some chest pounding, remember to illustrate strengths that will benefit the employer and are relative to the position. For example:

☛ being a problem solver
☛ being a motivator
☛ being a natural leader
☛ the ability to perform under pressure
☛ a positive attitude
☛ loyalty

This can be tricky because all platforms have pros and cons and the company or client may have a specific favorite in mind. Event marketing is key and social media is a valuable tool so make your experience clear in which you have dealt with and where you have seen the most success. If the role involves a level of event marketing you will need to highlight that you are adaptable to other social media platforms to suit the needs of the event and audience. If your personal social media accounts are public make sure that your own channels show some of your flair and skills for social media.

There are all sorts of creative ways to raise funds! Think about the fun things you have seen. You may have witnessed: - A community Olympics or sports games event where teams pay to participate - Trivia tournaments - Auctions - Dancing with the Stars Community Edition - Gala - Casino Nights - Talent Shows - Fashion Shows - Jail Night - having people raise enough 'bail' money to get out of jail Simply share 2-3 creative ideas you have witnessed! Here's an answer example: "For my college marketing association, that I was secretary for, we held an annual casino night at the college. Each year, the event alone was successful enough to meet our annual budget."

This question can be as much about morals than anything else and they want to know how you would convince a client to take your suggestions as well as how far you would go. Don’t dwell on the difficult client aspect, stick to your persuasions and letting your expertise speak for itself. You could make suggestions such as:

I would create an opportunity for the client to accompany me to test or view things for themselves to give them a better first-hand experience that allows me to better explain my recommendations.

Focus on your strengths here and avoid putting others down, be specific and give examples of how you have dealt with event fails or navigated tricky situations. Discuss everything you can but avoid naming competition or bashing other planners. Competition or not you may end up working with them and you don’t know your potential boss or client’s relationship with them either!

An innocent question. But a question that if answered improperly, can be a deal breaker. While many individuals will be looking to a new job as a means of increasing their salary, “not being paid well enough at your last job” is not something you want to mention to your interviewer. After all, are you not likely to leave this particular job if you found you could make more down the street?

If you’re currently employed and leaving of your own accord, craft your response around enhancing your career development and a seeking out of new challenges.

If your current employer is downsizing, be honest about it, remain positive, but keep it brief. If your employer fired you or let you go for cause, be prepared to give a brief – but honest – reply. No matter how tempting it may be, or how “unfair it was that they let you go” steer clear away from any and all drama and negativity. Any experienced employer understands that sometimes things happen. Staying positive is key here.

Again this goes back to prioritising but the specifics of event venue selection can be important to many brands and clients as this is one of the larger (costly) decisions that are made. Explain how you would narrow down options for the client and then work closely with them so they don’t feel as though you would make these decisions without understanding their needs. This would also be a good time to mention your venue negotiating skills to get the best deal.

Ever since my first paper route at age 10 I’ve been doing something to keep myself busy and earn money. Back then, it was obviously about earning some spending money. What I didn’t realize was that I was actually starting the journey of establishing what I liked to do and how I fit in to the grand scheme of things. I then worked as a junior computer tech in my last 2 summers of high school. It was here that I discovered what I was passionate about and what I wanted to do. I enrolled in college to get my degree in computer sciences, and I have been working around technology ever since.

This one is all about job commitment.

Some people make job hopping a career in of itself, and your answer here can be telling. Here, your interviewer is determining if you are:

☛ someone who sets goals
☛ someone who has a vision
☛ someone who is reliable
☛ someone who demonstrates commitment
☛ someone who is loyal

While no interviewer expects someone to stay at a company forever, try and craft your response in such a way that shows progression in your career, and alignment with the Company’s needs and future. Again, self awareness is key – your employer doesn’t want to send you down an unwanted path, resulting in wasted time and energy for everyone.

☛ How would you rate yourself as a leader?
☛ Do you find our mission important and why?
☛ How does your experience make you right for this role?
☛ What’s your experience with databases? How would you use them to recruit volunteers?
☛ What system would you use to keep track of volunteers?
☛ Are you familiar with background checks? When would it be necessary to conduct one?
☛ What’s your experience in training volunteers/employees?
☛ What type of software do you think a volunteer coordinator needs? Have you used any in the past?
☛ What do you need to know to create a schedule for volunteers?

☛ How would you encourage diversity among volunteers?
☛ How would you promote the recognition of volunteers’ work in the community?
☛ Imagine one of the most committed volunteers tells you they want to quit. What do you say?
☛ You will need to work with people who don’t receive any compensation for what they do. How do you motivate/reward them?
☛ Imagine you interview a volunteer who seems a nice, outgoing and enthusiastic person. Yet you find that they lack time-management and organizational skills. What do you do?
☛ If you didn’t have enough volunteers, would you take any person who applied? What would it take for you to refuse a volunteer?

☛ How do you measure the success of your events? Do you use qualitative or quantitative data?
☛ Describe your most successful event planning experience. What did you do that made it so successful?
☛ What do you think makes a good event?

☛ Describe a time you dealt with an argument between volunteers
☛ Recall an instance in your time as a volunteer when you found it difficult to stay motivated. What did you do? What do you think a volunteer coordinator should have done?
☛ Tell me about a time you had to work while being short staffed. How did you manage?
☛ Describe a project/event you coordinated successfully

☛ Have you ever gone over budget? How did you deal with it?
☛ How have you negotiated with sponsors, vendors, and partners to make more room in the budget?
☛ What tools do you use to manage your budget?

☛ What event technology/software do you use/prefer now? What new event technology are you excited to try?
☛ What marketing technology do you use to promote events? How do you manage your social media, advertising, and email campaigns?
☛ How do you stay up-to-date with the event industry?

☛ How do you prioritize your time? What organization tools do you use?
☛ When kicking off a new event, what are the first steps you take?
☛ Have you ever managed more than one event at a time? Did you complete both events successfully and if so, how?

☛ Tell me about a time when you had to accommodate a last-minute change. What did you do and who was involved?
☛ What do you do when you are feeling stressed?
☛ Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult client. What was the result?

☛ How long have you been attending ABC Church?
☛ Please tell me how you learned of this volunteer position.
☛ Tell me why you would like to volunteer for ABC Church.
☛ Why are are interested in this particular volunteer position?
☛ Can you give me an example of another volunteer position you had and the responsibilities you had in that position?
☛ Do you have any physical limitations for jobs that require physical activity?
☛ Tell me how you typically resolve conflict.
☛ What are some tasks that you enjoy doing?
☛ What are some tasks that you would prefer not to do?
☛ What hobbies do you have?
☛ What do you do for a living?
☛ How would your friends and family describe you?
☛ When can you begin your volunteer job?
☛ Do you have any questions for me?

Many consider this question to be a loaded gun – dangerous in the hands of the inexperienced. Often times, an interviewee will start talking salary before they’ve had an opportunity to illustrate their skill set and value making any sort of leverage valueless. Here, knowledge is power, as salary often comes down to negotiation. Do some research into your industry to establish base rates of pay based on seniority and demand but keep in mind – your employer is hiring you for what they believe you are worth, and how much benefit they feel you will provide.