Each healthcare institution has its reputation. But not every medical assistant can work in the hospital, clinic, nursing home, or school. Sometimes you apply for a place that is rather average–or at least not special in any way. And sometimes you apply for a job in a hospital with terrible reputation, or for a MA job in a particular setting (think a detention facility, native community healthcare center, and so on). In 90% of all cases, regardless of the place where you apply for the job, they will ask you, sooner or later, why did you choose their place, and not of dozens other places where you can work as a medical assistant, perhaps even earning a better salary.
As I tried to suggest at the beginning, this question is easy when you apply for a job with some top-notch healthcare facility. But you have several good options for an answer regardless of your future place of work. These include: Location of the job (close to your home, in your favorite area), type of patients you will deal with (children, students, adults, elderly, people belonging to particular community), shift patterns (for example when you try to avoid 24 hours long shifts), recommendation from a friend (who already works at the same place), specialization you want to follow down the road (think mental health etc), and other.
Let’s have a look at 7 sample answers, one for each option. On the top of that you will find on my list a couple of unconventional answers. Read them all, and pick one that resonates with you the most, and fits the scenario you face in your interview or with your job application. Then adjust it slightly to make it original and fitting for your personal believes and values. Enjoy!
7 sample answers to “Why do you want to work here?” interview question for medical assistants
- Honestly the main reason is the reputation of your hospital. This place is renowned all over the country, and who would not want to work here? You have the best people onboard, and not I do not speak only about doctors and nurses, but also other medics and paramedics, and the managers. I would love to join your team, because I also want to provide excellent service to the patients, and make sure that everyone receives excellent care and attention here. On the top of that, I just love the facilities you have here, for both patients and employees. This place stands out in my eyes, and I cannot imagine a better place of work for my career of a medical assistant.
- It may sound trivial to you, but the main reason is the location of your clinic. I live just five minutes drive for this place. In my former job I spent 90 minutes commuting to work everyday. If you take 250 working days in a year, that’s almost 400 hours wasted in the car each year, time I can spend with people I love, or simply relaxing after work. Sure, I also like the job description and the salary offer, but the location of your place is the no. 1 reason why I want to work here as a med. assistant.
- I always dreamed of working with children. Perhaps it is because I spent a lot o time at doctor’s office when I was a child. And good nurses and other healthcare staff made a huge difference in this otherwise negative experience. I would love to pay back the favor, not to them directly, but to other children who find themselves on a hospital bed… It is an unfortunate situation indeed, but we are here to try to make their time at least tolerable, and to bring smile to their faces whenever possible. Only children stay at this hospital. And I want to join the team of people that takes care of them.
- It is mostly the shift patterns. I know healthcare is my calling, and I would not change this career for anything else. But I tried the work in hospital, and I just couldn’t handle the night shifts, and the 24 hours long shifts. My body just didn’t cooperate. However, working as a medical assistant here, I can avoid night shifts and extra long shifts altogether. In my eyes, your school is a place that will allow me to pursue my calling, while keeping in mind my own health and limitations that hindered me in my past jobs.
- Jessica, my best friend from school, has been working in this center for the past 5 years. She knows the place inside-out, the managers, the nurses, the doctors. Also the workload, shift-patterns, pluses and minuses of the job. We’ve talked about it for hours, and after everything she said to me, I decided to try to get a job here as well. She said me good things about your place, and it will also be a huge plus to share the workplace with a good friend. But I want to assure you that it isn’t my only reason. I studied the job description, and tried to learn as much as I could about your place. And I must say I find it a great match, and hope you will give me a chance to prove my qualities in the job.
- My main reason is that I want to specialize in mental health nursing. I know that I cannot get the job right now, but also know that I can get the required working experience here, at your place, which will allow me to pursue my career goals. Having said that, I do not see this job as a mere need to an end… I like your psychiatric clinic, the methods you use while treating the patients, and I would be proud to work here.
- To be completely honest with you, I do not care much about my place of work. With my age I cannot choose that much anymore. All places prefer younger people, as if age played a role here–in my view it doesn’t. You gave me a chance to apply and to interview, and hence you are my first choice right now. But I do would not mind getting a job in any other hospital too… At the end of the day, you will find good and bad things at every place, and the same goes with colleagues. Perfect place of work doesn’t exist, and I am not a demanding employee. Just give me a chance to provide my care to your patients, and I promise that you won’t be disappointed…
Ready to answer this one? I hope so! Do not forget to check also 7 sample answers to other tricky interview questions for medical assistants:
- Medical assistant: What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Medical assistant: Can you tell us something about yourself?
- Why should we hire you as a medical assistant?
- Most common medical assistant interview questions.
