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Since 100% of your score in obtaining a firefighter badge is in the oral
board, what are you missing that's keeping you from gaining that badge?
April 1, 2005 issue
Over 2,265 badges and counting have received their badges from this
program! Thousands more have been hired by using the free information
from our web site and having their questions answered by phone or
e-mail.
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Know when to tune out. If you listen to too much advice you may wind up
making other peoples mistakes.
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Austin Texas Testing B-pad and oral board information here:
http://www.eatstress.com/austin.htm
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In This Issue
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1. Quick Presentation Skills Tip
2. Entry Level Skills Tip
3. Robs Corner
4. Promotional Level Skills Tip
(Entry level should read this too)
5. New Badges
6. Humor
7. Resource Websites for Candidates
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1. Quick Presentation Skills Tip
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First This: It's Your Turn in the Hot Seat!
You’ve spent time, money and put your life on hold to gain the necessary
education and experience to become a firefighter. Your oral board will
determine the future. It’s game day. You have around 20 minutes to
stun the oral board into giving you the opportunity to ride big red.
Are you ready to sit in the hot seat and see what you’ve got?
At the Chabot College (Hayward, CA) Seminar on April 13, 2005, with
Captain Bob, you can gain the time-tested strategies of oral boards you
might be missing. In a no-nonsense, straight-from-the-hip in a total
of 2+ hours! --you will gain more information and insights than most
candidates learn in an entire lifetime.
Please send Captain Bob your questions on what you want to make sure
that is covered at the seminar: mailto:
captbob@eatstress.com
Captain Bob will give a FREE presentation; It's Your Turn in the Hot
Seat. What are You Going to do to Stun the Oral Board into Giving you
the Badge! at Chabot College in Hayward (CA).
DATE: Wednesday April 13, 2005
TIME: 6 pm to 8 pm
LOCATION: Room 510 (in building 500)
This free seminar is hosted by Captain Steve Prziborowski, Fire
Technology Coordinator at Chabot.
If you’re planning on attending please RSVP
sprziborowski@chabotcollege.edu
to reserve a spot.
Can’t make the seminar? Get the Gold Package Program taped at our live
seminars here http://www.eatstress.com/goldpackage.htm
Resume Hand Outs
A firefighter suggested:
I think you should include a resume with your application AND be
prepared to hand a copy to each potential interviewer. When I
interviewed, it was in front of a panel of seven people. I made sure to
greet and shake hands with each person and when the time was
appropriate, had each one a resume. I also kept a copy in front of
myself incase I lost my thought, or forgot to mention something
(interview nerves). you can get a neat looking folder/binder to bring
your materials with you (resumes, pen).
This extra effort on your part will show that you came prepared for the
interview and may be the little thing that could help you when it comes
to decision time. Good Luck!
CB Reply: It's your choice. But believe it or not, the candidate is not
running the interview. You don't want any surprises in your interview.
All you have to do is piss off one rater and your score could drop you
out of the running.
I can tell you after being on over 100 interview panels this just
doesn't play as good as it sounds to start handing out resumes when you
walk into the room. If you have the opportunity to submit a resume make
sure it arrives in enough time to be placed in your file. We will look
at it before you walk into the room. If you're thinking you are going to
hand out your resume we might glance at but not read it. If you try this
caper of trying to hand out, yet, an additional resume it can upset the
normal flow of the interview.
And, glancing down reading your own resume could be taken as insulting
to the panel and smells of not really being prepared.
>From the candidate:
I'd have to disagree. Having your resume out in front of you as an
EMERGENCY REFERENCE incase you stumble will look better than sitting
there with a case of the babbles. Not any one person has all the
answers. Look neat, be prepared, practice answering questions BEFORE the
interview and stick with it. its the best job out there!!
CB Reply: Timing?????? You can do this anyway you want.
Maybe I'm wrong, but isn't part of the interview process trying to
determine if a candidate can prepare to work in a stressful situation,
make it through the academy and being placed on the floor to be able to
respond to anything they might throw at them?
If you have to take in notes to review to make it through the oral, will
you need the same to function in the position?
After witnessing several candidates attempt to read from a script I
don't believe it's putting their best foot forward. It interferes with
their timing, inflection, causes them to add in lots of pause fillers
like an's, ums, you knows and become monotone.
No doubt many can have butterflies. The trick is to get them all to fly
in the same formation that counts. There are better ways to prepare.
We report. You decide.
>From CALFFBOU Ok, my turn...
Ok, I admit, I have failed. Failed probably at least 20 times at
Firefighter oral boards. Why? Because I didn’t have my lines down. I
wasn’t prepared in my head. (Now I am)
YOU NEED TO BE READY WITHOUT YOUR RESUME BEFORE YOU WALK IN THE DOOR.
"Why do you want to be a Firefighter?" Ummm...One moment while I look at
my notes. Ummm...Do you see the actors look at the scrip during the
final shot? No, of course not.
Are you going to have the IFSTA manual inside the burning building with
you during fire attack? No. Get a clue, my friend. Have your lines
down. Know your work history and where you’ve been. No need to look down
at a script/resume during the interview process.
I am speaking from experience, not because I know Capt. Bob. Know your
lines, know your past and know yourself. Be ready ahead of time.
Stoppping to look down at a resume only looks unprepared and slows down
the interview process. The guy after you might be more ready and get the
job. -Bou
Wait! Test Drive Captain Bob’s Selected Inside Secrets to Gain A badge
at here
http://www.eatstress.com/testdriveintro.htm
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LA City Oral Board inside information Here:
http://www.eatstress.com/la_city_test.htm
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Check out http://www.eatstress.com/newpage2.htm and learn how entry
level and promotional candidates are improving their interview scores up
to 15 points and nailing that badge!
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Want Captain Bob to come speak to your group? See
http://www.eatstress.com/seminar.htm
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2. Entry Level Skills Tip
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Believe it or not the evaluation with the psychologist is part of the
interview process!
The phone rings. I could tell by the caller ID this was a candidate
I’ve talked to recently.
Steve asks me if I have any information on the MMPI2 test?
CB: Yes, that’s the written portion for the psych test. Why do you ask?
SM: Well, I just failed a psych.
CB: You have our Gold Package Program with the Becoming a Firefighter
book, right?
SM: Yes.
CB: Are you aware that the Conquer the Psychological Special Report is
a section the book?
SM: Yes.
CB: Did you read it before your psych test?
SM: It happened so fast I didn’t have time.
CB: What, they woke you up in the middle of the night and gave you the
test? Let me get this right, you had our report and didn't take the time
to prepare before you went in.
SM: Well, really I thought that I could just go do it and pass. I guess
I’m another one of those stupid guys you write about.
CB: Let me take a shot at this. You volunteered information during the
interview with the psychologist and created trails where you didn’t have
to?
SM: Yes.
CB: You told the psychologist anything he wanted to know?
SM: Yep.
CB: You got chatty and thought this guy was your friend?
SM: Yea, I guess I did.
CB: You thought there was some kind of doctor patient confidentially?
SM: Yea, I did.
CB: Then there should be no mystery why you failed. Had you read the
report we wouldn’t be talking right now. You went in and stepped on
most of the land mines possible. At some point it's completely up to
you.
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If someone asks you what you need to help you get a firefighter badge,
tell them you want our new Gold Package!!! Check it out here!:
http://www.eatstress.com/goldpackage.htm
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Bottom line getting a badge is all presentation skills!
Check out
http://www.eatstress.com/faq.htm for the
FREE 101 Inside
Secrets How to Get a Badge!
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Ask Captain Bob any questions
E-mail Mailto:captbob@eatstress.com
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The secret Formula to get a badge here:
http://www.eatstress.com/formula.htm
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3. Robs Corner
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Fear Factor?
I find a lot of people who have the tools and the ability to do great in
an interview, stutter stumble their way through what would have been a
excellent interview because of their lack of confidence. I tell a lot
of people, after listening to their presentation, that I know they have
the ability, that they could do it, but that they needed to get to the
point where “they" know they can do it. How do you get to the point
where you know you can do it?
You practice. Just like if are learning to throw a ladder. First you
would start by memorizing the basics, memorize your answers to the most
common questions. Then you would practice throwing the ladder in a safe
controlled environment, like practicing you script in front of the
mirror, talking into a tape player, and talking while you drive or walk.
Then you would practice in a drill-like situation, like taking mock
interviews and presenting yourself to people whose opinion you trust.
But no matter how much you practice in a training, drill-like
environment, you will still make mistakes at the first real fire, we all
did. There is no way anyone can make a drill stressful and real enough.
Although some may disagree, this is why I say take every test you can,
the more times you throw a ladder at a real fire the less stress there
is and the easier it is. Testing is the same. Everyone will make
beginner mistakes in their first interviews, that is why you want to
make sure you prepare and have a few interviews under your belt before
you test for your dream department.
There is a learning curve in interviews, however you can speed that up
by making sure you are doing the right thing in your presentation, and
then applying yourself whole heartedly to practicing, so you to can know
in your heart that “YOU CAN DO IT!”
CAPTAIN ROB (Thank you)
NRTC@SONIC.NET
http://www.eatstress.com
You can read more of Rob's wisdom by visiting
http://www.eatstress.com/robs_corner.htm
Captain Rob is Captain Bob's Son. He does all the entry level coaching
by phone nationwide. You can contact him direct with your questions or
set up a coaching appointment at 707-869-1330. or e-mail Rob at
nrtc@sonic.net
For more on entry level coaching visit
http://www.eatstress.com/private%20coaching.htm
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4. Promotional Level Skills Tip
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With a promotional interview are closing questions not a good idea??
Reply: I don't think so. A closing statement is another matter.
Asking the Panel Questions?
Candidates have been told that you always have to ask a question if
you’re given the opportunity at the end of an interview or you will lose
points. In a regular or corporate interview that might be true. Not true
in a fire oral! You never, ever, ever, have a question. We don’t expect
you to have any questions. I had a guy one day ask, “Since I live so far
away, can I start at second step pay to help pay for my gas?”
Try this. Take a 3 X 5 card and write some questions on it. Put it in
your shirt pocket before your interview. If that question is asked
(here’s the “Nugget”) you can take the card out of your shirt pocket,
pause as if your gathering your thoughts and then say, “No, I think we
covered everything thank you.” Then put the card back in your shirt
pocket.
Testimonial:
Hey Captain Bob,
My name is Wade Rockwood, and I have worked for the Salt Lake City Fire
Department for nearly nine years. I recently purchased your program
because I had heard some good things about it. I ordered it after passing a
filter exam and upon entering a 'Captain Candidate School' that SLCFD started
new this year. While your program was not my sole source of preparation, I did
find it to be quite helpful to say the least. After our filter exam (15%),three
week class (20%), seniority points (of which I had nearly the least amount! -
5%), and the hell day of an assessment center (60%), I ended up number 1. This
was my first promotional exam, and I was competing against some amazing
individuals.
I am certain that your program played a part in all this, and I wanted
to share my good news with you.
Thanks again,
Wade Rockwood
Salt Lake City Fire Department
For more on our promotional program visit
http://www.eatstress.com/promo.htm
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5. New Badges
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Captain Bob,
I wanted to write and let you know how appreciative I am for the role
you and your son played in me getting hired. I started this journey
towards firefighting in August 2002 and after 2 1/2 years I got hired.
When I started testing I really had no idea how the process worked or
how to present myself in a way that accented all my accomplishments. In
the Spring 2003 I had my first personal coaching and the second in Fall
2004. I tested with approximately 25 departments across the West coast.
Steadily I saw my scores rising from test to test. Then in late
February I received the call that I was hired and had scored #1 on the
test. That was out of over 300 candidates that had applied. Definitely
one of my biggest accomplishments.
I really feel the service you provided was motivational and directional
rather than specific. What I mean by this is that I still had to do an
enormous amount of work to prepare myself for these interviews. I spent
many hours combing through my background and presenting myself to a
microphone. Your program helped me streamline my whole interview
attitude. I worked on all the aspects of the interview that Rob and I
had spoke about. Towards the end of this process I had taken 8
interviews in the span of a month and a half. During that time as each
interview unfolded I felt closer and closer to the job. Ultimately I
nailed the job and once again I'd like to thank you for your part in my
journey. I hope many other potential firefighters have the same
experience I did.
Thank You, Paul
I've been meaning to write this but I decided to wait until I got off
probation because I'm pretty superstitious. Well, after 4 years of
testing I was given the gift of the greatest career in the world. After
an 18wk academy, probation, and countless obstacles, I am now a real
firefighter.
Special thanks goes out to my very supportive family, especially my wife
who has been with me through it all. Also to and Captain Bob, whose
teachings clearly helped me get hired in the first place. If you are
reading this and you are trying to become a firefighter, don't ever give
up on your dream to become one. It really is the greatest career in the
world. Pete
Dear Capt. Bob
I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank you for your
program. I purchased your program before I took my oral, psych, and
polygraph. Your program helped me develop a program and confidence that
I needed to go and pass the exams. I want to say your program is a great
one and helped me to get the job I wanted. I have a start date of April
8th 2005 and am looking forward to starting. To anyone that is
considering this program and books DO IT! It will get you that extra
step and assistance to put you over the top. Thanks again Capt. Bob for
your time and help to get people the job they want.
Chris
Illinois
Dear Captain Bob,
Two years ago I was hired by my volunteer department.
Then after about a year and a half of service I
decided that I wanted to try for a larger department.
I took my first oral board and bombed it; I knew that
I would need help to get back in "testing shape". I
ordered your program and the very next test I took,
killed it. My answers just rolled out of my mouth,
and the board just ate it up. I'm pleased to say that
I got the job and the best part, it's a lateral
position so not only am I getting a new badge but a
nice raise as well.
Thank you so much.
Ryan Denver, CO
Captain Bob:
HELLO THIS IS ADAM AND I GOT THE JOB. JUST THOUGHT I WOULD DROP AND
EMAIL AND I WILL BE CALLING YOU IN THE NEAR FURTURE...THANX FOR
EVERYTHING!!! I AM A PROBIE!!!!!!!!!
Capt. Rob
Just wanted to thank you again for all the help and to let you know the
good news. I have been hired with Roseville Fire Dept as a fire/medic
and start my academy on the 7th of this month. Russell
More badges here:
http://www.eatstress.com/badgesnew.htm
To see how candidates have improved their position in gaining a badge
visit
http://www.eatstress.com/newpage152.htm
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Check out the current "Bonus Nugget" oral board tip
http://www.eatstress.com/bonusnugget.htm
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6. Humor
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16 THINGS THAT TOOK ME OVER 50 YEARS TO LEARN:
by Dave Barry, Nationally Syndicated Columnist
1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative
on the same night.
2. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race
has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word
would be "meetings."
3. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never
want you to share yours with them.
5. You should not confuse your career with your life.
6. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
7. Never lick a steak knife.
8. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.
9. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling
reason why we observe daylight savings time.
10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests
that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging
from her at that moment.
11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to
make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven.
12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age,
gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down
inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.
13. A person, who is nice to you, but rude to a waiter, is not a nice
person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)
14. Your friends love you anyway.
15. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur
built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.
16. Thought for the day: Men are like fine wine. They start out as
grapes, and it's up to the women to stomp the crap out of them until
they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.
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7. Resource Websites for Candidates
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Perfect Firefighter Candidate. Job listing and a complete resource web
site with a community bulletin board.
http://www.firecareers.com
Don McNea Fire School, Inc. is the #1 Firefighter Preparatory Entrance
School in the Country. They have the inside information how to tackle
those psychological and personality questions on the written.
http://www.fireprep.com
Learn how entry level and promotional candidates are improving their
interview scores up to 15 points and nailing that badge!
http://www.eatstress.com/newpage2.htm
FREE 101 Inside Secrets How to Get a Badge!
http://www.eatstress.com/faq.htm
Check out the specials for entry level and promotional testing:
http://www.eatstress.com/newpage6.htm
Polygraph---Don’t even think about going to polygraph without first
checking out www.polygraph.com
FIREHIRE, Entry-level firefighter examination process:
http://www.firehire.com
Firenuggets.com "The magazine dedicated to keeping firefighters safe"
http://www.firenuggets.com
Firemanjobs: firefighter employment job listings
http://www.firemanjobs.com
You can learn more about physical agility training from
www.firefightersworkout.com
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ARTICLES FOR YOUR PUBLICATIONS
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I have many articles available for reprint in your
publication, newsletter, etc. You may use
articles written by me that you see in FireZine or
visit our web site @
http://www.eatstress.com/faq.htm
All you have to do is print the article in its entirety along
with the by line, the credits, and complete contact
information found at the bottom of the web site page. I would
appreciate a tear sheet or electronic copy too. Thanks
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For Back Issues of Fire-Zine
http://www.eatstress.com/firezinearchive.htm
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THE SMALL PRINT
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TIME TO SHARE. Please send your
ideas, questions, your success stories and when you
nail that badge to captbob@eatstress.com
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Nothing counts til you have the badge . . . Absolutely Nothing!
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Code 3 Publishing. Fire Captain Bob Smith, Speaker, Author, Publisher
Information Products on How to Get a Badge.
Web site: http://www.eatstress.com
Over 300 pages of helpful
information.
5565 Black Ave. Pleasanton, CA 94566 (near San Francisco)
Phone: 888-238-3959 local 925-846-3959 Fax: 925-846-9650
E-mail Mailto:captbob@eatstress.com
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