Interview Questions for Nutrition Educator Candidates
Choose from among the following when selecting your interview questions. Ideally, you’ll schedule
enough time to ask all of them. However, depending upon the time staff has available to spend
interviewing and the number of candidates, you may need to pick and choose. If so, select at least one
question from each qualification area listed in bold. Pick 3-4 questions from the “Other Questions”
options. Remember that all candidates must be asked the same questions.
Required Qualifications
Below (in bold) are the qualifications required on the job description for a Nutrition Educator. Also listed
are questions that will help assess the applicant’s ability in each qualification needed.
A. Ability to organize work and to work independently.
 Describe how you like to be supervised. What kinds of questions and decisions would you typically
bring to your supervisor for discussion?
 Relate an example of when you chose not to involve your supervisor in a problem or issue and why
not. This example could be from a non-paid position.
B. Experience with socially, economically and/or culturally diverse populations. Demonstrated
commitment to working with diverse audiences.
 Describe your experience working with socially, economically and/or culturally diverse populations.
Why did you choose to work with this audience?
 Why do you think that it is important for UW-Extension to offer the programs it does? How would
you explain the need for these programs to a friend who was skeptical about them?
C. Ability to teach and present ideas effectively.
 What characteristics do you have that make you a good at teaching people?
 Describe a time when you helped someone with a diverse background such as (give an example from
your county) learn something. How did you make it a positive and effective experience?
D. Strong interpersonal skills in a team setting and on an individual basis.
 Describe your experience working as part of a team on either a paid or non-paid basis. Give an
example of how your team solved a problem and tell us about your role in the process.
 Describe a time when you had to use verbal communication skills to get a point across or to help
someone understand your way of thinking.
E. Ability to keep accurate, complete and timely work records.
 Describe the records and reports you have had to complete. What did you do to ensure they were
completed accurately and on time?
The following three qualifications (F, G and H) are related to transportation.
F. Ability to regularly participate in meetings held at sites through the geographic area served.
G. Ability to make individual arrangements for transportation adequate to meet position
responsibilities and essential job functions.
H. Ability to assume weekly travel throughout the county and occasional travel within the district
and state.
 This position requires that the person be able to travel throughout the county meeting with families,
individuals and organizations. (Describe for the candidate the average amount of time spent per
day/week out of the office and how often they will be expected to travel for state and district
meetings. If meetings require overnights, describe frequency to candidate.) Is there anything that will
prevent you from doing that?
I. Ability to schedule evening and occasional weekend work.
 This job requires that you be able to attend meetings and conduct training at various times, including
some evenings and weekends. (Describe for the candidate the average amount of time per
week/month that will require evening and weekend work.) Will this be a problem for you?
Preferred Qualifications
A. Paid or non-paid experience related to food and nutrition education.
 Tell us about your knowledge of food and nutrition. What are your thoughts on or experience with:
MyPyramid food guidance from the USDA:
Pre-natal nutrition:
Feeding babies and young children:
Food safety:
Food shopping and food choices to stretch food dollars:
(Add topics important in your county)
B. Previous paid or non-paid experience with families living with limited economic resources.
 Describe your experience working with families who are living with limited economic resources.
 Did you do anything differently than you would with families not on a limited income? Why or why
not?
C. Group leadership and/or informal teaching experience.
 Describe your leadership experiences(s) and give an example of a time when your leadership role
made a difference.
 Tell us about a time when you had to help someone learn something. What did you do? What
worked and what didn’t?
D. Have knowledge and demonstrative ability to work cooperatively with other agencies and other
community-based services and organizations.
 What agencies and community organizations in our county are you familiar with?
 Suppose you had a disagreement with someone in an agency not affiliated with the University system.
How would you solve it?
E. Residence in geographic area served.
(This should be evident from the address given on the application. However, border counties may
have special needs. If so, you will want to list the residence requirements on the position
announcement so you don’t waste time interviewing applicants who are not eligible.)
Other questions
1. How did you find out about the job opening?
2. Why did you leave your last job(s) or why are you planning to leave? What would have made a
difference in your job to keep you there? (You can also ask this question about a volunteer job.)
3. Describe the job or volunteer accomplishment you are most proud of.
4. What do you think will be the most challenging part of this job and why?
5. Why do you think you are the best candidate for this job?
6. What school or life experiences have you had that will help you in this job?
7. What motivates you to go that “extra” mile?
8. What other kinds of jobs are you applying for? Do you have any offers now, which require a
decision by a certain date?
9. If you were offered this job, how soon could you start?
10. What questions do you have?
Information you must present during the interview:
 This is a salaried position meaning that no overtime is paid. Describe the hours the person would be
expected to work given the present programs.
 The person will be paid once per month. (Describe pay schedule.)
 Overview of benefits. You don’t need to provide a complete benefits orientation, simply list the
benefits covered and provide the applicant with the handout covering benefits in detail.
 Salary.
 Reporting relationships.
 Other (list information you will provide to ensure that all applicants receive the same details about
the job.)