The best way to respond to this question is to be knowledgeable of the company prior to the interview. Find out about the company’s mission statement, goals, number of patients served and the demographics. You can find all this information on the web. Then prepare your speech as to why you would like to work at this company as a phlebotomist.
#2
What are your qualifications?

Think about your qualifications. Tell them where and when you graduated from your phlebotomy technician program. Definitely have your resume ready and your certification with transcript. Tell them about what you have learned. Don’t carry on too long, but if you brought a letter of recommendation letter, now if the time to present it to the interviewer.

#3
When was your last blood draw?

You may not think that this question is important, but it is. This is probably the most important question of the entire interview. They want to know that you are prepared to draw blood immediately should they hire you. The best answer to this question is to make sure that your last blood draw was in the past few days. If your last blood draw was over six months ago, you can probably forget about being hired for this job. Recency is the key. They want to know that they are hiring a phlebotomist who is confident and is up to date on their draws.

#4
Can you give an example of how you are a team player?

Don’t think that the question will be as easy as asking, “Are you a team player?”. They know that everyone will say yes to this question. Instead, they want you to give an example of what being a team player means to you. As good answer would be to say that you are always will to help fellow staff should they get behind.

#5
What are your weaknesses?

For most phlebotomists, this is a very hard question that no one is ever prepared to answer. To answer this question, think about your strengths and how they may be construed as a weakness. For instance, if you love to help people, then you could say that your weakness is constantly going out of your way to help others and sometimes losing track of time.

#6
What goals to you plan to achieve if we hire you?

You may say that this is a trick question. The question is, what answer are they looking for? They want to know if you plan on remaining with their organization over the years. If you tell them that you are planning on going to become a registered nurse, physician assistant or are planning on pursuing another field, then you have failed the interview. You will not be called back. The answer they want to hear is that you plan to be with the company until you retire. You should answer this with saying that you will help build a better working atmosphere by being pleasant and helpful to other staff and patients.

#7
Are you willing to work weekends?

Always say, “yes”. We all want weekends off. But hospitals know that call offs are the worst on weekends. They need to know that you are there in case they call you. Regardless, you will have to work at least two weekends a month. If you say, “no”, then you have effectively failed the interview.

#8

Are you willing to work overtime?

Everyone likes overtime. You need to say, “Yes”, of course. But come the time that you have just worked twelve hours and you are approached by the laboratory supervisor who asks you to work another four hours, you may not feel so inclined.

#9

What is your greatest strength?

This may seem like an easy question, right? But actually, it is not. Keep in mind that psychologists have written the questions that the human resource person is asking. First let’s look at how not answer this question. Do not brag! Do not tell them how good you are a soccer, baseball or the lottery. Do not tell them that you were the first in your class. Telling them that you have a great compassion for people and enjoy helping them in anyway you can, would be a good characteristic that is noble.

#10
Where do you see yourself in five years from now?

This question should be fairly obvious. They want to hear you say, that you see yourself as a vested employee of their organization.

Complicating matters is the fact that a phlebotomist does a lot. This makes a brief description inadequate for all but the most basic inquiries.

That’s why we’ve assembled the following multiple answers to the question of what is a phlebotomist. Let’s get busy answering it!

Answer #1

A phlebotomist is a medical professional that draws someone’s blood. The drawn blood is used for:

• Tests that may reveal, among other things, how well a person’s organs function as well as diseases and conditions such as anemia, cancer, coronary heart disease, and diabetes
• Transfusions that help surgeons replace blood lost due to injury or other incidents
• Medical research

Answer #2

A phlebotomist handles the following critical duties and more:

• Drawing blood
• Interacting with the people from whom they’re drawing blood to decrease any anxiety present
• Handling administrative/procedural responsibilities, such as confirming the patient’s identity and blood draw needs, labeling the blood, entering crucial information into a database
• Maintaining a phlebotomy blood draw kit and sanitizing their work area

Answer #3

Phlebotomists require training and experience to draw blood from a wide variety of people, including those of varying ages, weights, health, and obesity status.

Answer #4

The phlebotomist’s procedure for drawing blood requires many steps, each of which is as important as the others. The phlebotomist must:

1. Greet and identify the patient
2. Wash her hands and put on gloves
3. Apply a tourniquet to the patient’s arm
4. Disinfect the puncture site
5. Insert a needle and draw the blood
6. Dispose of the potentially hazardous needle in accordance with the law and established medical practice

… and more, all while ensuring the patient is calm. The phlebotomist’s job requires the careful application of skill and precision patient after patient, day after day. It can be a demanding job, but it can also be a rewarding job on many fronts.

Answer #5

A phlebotomist is well-compensated in a competitive field, earning on average about $35,000 per year (excluding benefits). The top wage-earners make nearly $50,000 per year.

Plus, there are many ways you can increase your pay in the field.

Answer #6

A phlebotomist is not a flobotomist. It’s a common enough spelling mistake and likely the reason why the following online searches don’t produce good results.

• What is a flobotomist?
• How much does a flobotomist make?
• Which school offers online flobotomy classes?

Why is it spelled “phlebotomist” with a “PH” instead of an “F”? Because it’s derived from the Greek words phleba-, which means “vein,” and -tomy, which means “to make an incision of.”

One More Answer

There’s one more answer to the question, “What is a phlebotomist?”

A phlebotomist is you. It’s your way to enter the medical profession without sacrificing years and, potentially, hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s a way to expand your job prospects, earn a reliable income, improve peoples’ lives and health, and so much more.

It’s easy to get started: click here!

There’s a lot about Monopoly that doesn’t resemble real life in any way. But the idea that one needs a strategy to increase earning potential? We’ll call that a definite resemblance.

The following tactics will help you determine the steps you can take now and those you may need to be prepared to take, to make a career in phlebotomy pay the wage that you seek.

1. Keep Learning

You earned your phlebotomy credentials the hard way — by earning them. Having pushed yourself as hard as you did, it’s tempting to relax. Don’t let up, though. Continuing your learning journey is an excellent way to increase your attractiveness to prospective employers. Every enterprise is only as strong as the people within it; developing expertise through continual learning demonstrates your commitment to excellence and makes you a great recruit.

2. Consider Changing Employers

Speaking of prospective employers: they can be the next step to higher pay. Employees who switch companies expect a 10% salary increase. Admittedly, a change in employers isn’t always required. If your supervisors recognize your commitment to excellence and lifelong learning, they’ll realize your potential and increase your pay to keep you in their team.

3. Go Where the Work Is …

Increasing your pay or job prospects isn’t always a matter of changing employers, however. It may be that a change in location is required. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following three states are the best for phlebotomist pay:

• California
• Alaska
• Washington, D.C.

This doesn’t mean living elsewhere limits your salary potential. But it does mean that there are areas in the country with a pay discrepancy because of factors such as population density or phlebotomist scarcity.

4. … But Don’t Panic If You Can’t

One thing working in your favor is that our entire country is steadily getting older. That increases healthcare demands and, therefore, the need for phlebotomists. The three states with the oldest citizens right now are:

1. Florida (with nearly 18% of its population over 65 years of age)
2. Pennsylvania (almost 16%)
3. West Virginia (15%)

This is another example of how geographic demographics may play a role in your earning potential.

Even if you sit tight in your current state, America’s changing demographics will come to you. The country’s 65-and-older residents will hit close to 24 percent of the population by 2060. That’s nearly 1 in 4 people.

5. Understand That Networking Isn’t a Four-Letter Word

For something as reviled as it is, networking doesn’t get the hint. No one likes it, but it’s going to stick around for a while. A LONG while. That’s okay since it’s a great way to meet the people and discover the opportunities that might make all the difference to your salary goals.

LinkedIn makes networking easier. No easy; easier. You might not have to hang out face-to-face with relative strangers, forcing small talk for hours without ever letting your smile fade. But it’s called “social” media for a reason, so it does require some diligence. For example:

• Write reviews for contacts
• Join, and participate in, LinkedIn groups
• Give others attention; don’t make it all about you … or you’ll become the person everyone avoids
• Contribute to groups, reviews, or something similar at least once a week to demonstrate how engaged you are

You’re in the Right Place to Make Phlebotomy Pay!

If you’re beginning to get the impression that entering the healthcare field right now is a good idea, you’d be right. That means it’s also an excellent field to enter if your ambitions are set at a certain salary level.

It won’t be easy; nothing worth having ever is. And you might never end up with all four railroads in Monopoly. But that doesn’t mean in the end that you won’t come out a winner.

What are you waiting for? Do not pass “Go”— learn more here!

Reason #1: Job prospects for phlebotomists are strong

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, now is an excellent time to get into phlebotomy. Employment growth between now and 2026 comes in at a robust 25 percent.  

Reason #2: Already large, healthcare’s role in the U.S. will only grow

Here’s a (very!) quick history lesson. Manufacturing employed seven million more workers than did the healthcare field. Around the beginning of the Great Recession, the retail industry employed around two-and-a-half million more people than were in the healthcare industry.

Healthcare surpassed both of those industries in 2017 and is only getting bigger. That’s thanks in part to the extended life expectancies in the U.S. in addition to our aging population.

Reason #3: Developing a phlebotomy career doesn’t take years

Depending on your situation, moving through your phlebotomy coursework, an externship or two, and a job search can take as little as a few months.

Would you like to be a surgeon instead? Who wouldn’t? It’s a high-paying, Hollywood-glamorized, and well-respected career choice. Unfortunately, it’s also one that requires a LOT of schooling and training.

• Begin with four-to-five years for medical school
• Add in two years of an internship and residency
• Wrap it all up with anywhere from three to eight years as a fellow in your specialty

What’s that? You’d rather make your career move in less than 15 years? And not have hundreds of thousands of dollars in school loan debt?

(And now you know why surgeons make the big bucks!)

Reason #4: You have greater control over your time with a phlebotomy career

Phlebotomy attracts many people looking for a better work-life balance. After all, no one wants to devote the best years of their lives to the sorts of corporate drudgery mocked so accurately in the television show “The Office.”

One student whose journey is emblematic of this came to phlebotomy seeking a change from a well-paying but utterly demanding desk job that required 70-hour work weeks. A 70-hour work week is fine if you don’t have a family, friends, hobbies, a desire to see the outdoors, or any such interests. But if you ARE interested in those things, phlebotomy is a fitting career choice. There aren’t any recurring 70-hour work weeks here.

Reason #5: There are few careers as rewarding as a phlebotomy career

A role in the healthcare field is as rewarding as they come. Yes, everyone has rough days now and again. But this is a field dedicated to improving, extending, and even saving lives. Becoming a teacher, firefighter, or military officer are similarly rewarding fields. If that’s where your desires lie, they will all help you contribute to improving our world. But for thousands of students who have walked through our doors, phlebotomy has been the ideal choice.

But wait! There’s one more reason …

Here’s how easy it is to begin your phlebotomy career: simply do one of the following:

• Call 734-762-3220 to speak with us about the many courses and certification options we offer.
• Click here to send us a message with any remaining questions you might have.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics; The Atlantic; Moguldom