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Question:
I am about to get hired by a local fire department. The last and final step of this long process is a 5 hour long physiological test/interview. I have NEVER taken one of these before. A friend of mine who works with Miami-Dade police says to pass u need to be 100% honest. Any advice or insight is helpful. Thanks a lot.
Reply:
I can't believe what many candidates reveal! Candidates often call me after going to an oral board, doing background checks or psychological interviews. They are concerned by some information they have given. Often it is related to something from their past. My first question is who besides you knows this? Who could they contact that could tell them this information? The usual answer is no one. This is my point.
Why do so many candidates create a trail that could open a can of worms and keep them from getting the job of their dreams? Especially if the department is not giving a polygraph test. Many feel they have to be honest to a fault to get this job. Candidates tell me, "They were hammering so hard I felt I had to give them something." Please spare me this part. Think twice before creating a trail that no one can find. Especially if they don't ask and it doesn't make any difference.
Those candidates who are honest to a fault diminish their chances of passing the psychological interview! That's right. You folks want this job so bad you will tell the psychologist anything they want to know. Once you start down this road of total honesty, creating trails where you don't have to, you get into big trouble. Especially when the psychologist says, "Everyone has skeletons in their closet, this interview is not designed to eliminate you from the process”, or you don't want to be too squeaky clean. So you open up. Then the phone stops ringing and no one will talk to you. You are out of the process Mcfly. And, you don't know why.
A large city fire department recently called in twelve candidates for the psychological interview. Only three passed. Those three candidates were our guys. They got our special report that took us a year an a half to prepare, to know where the land mines were before they went in. Ask them if it was worth knowing the inside secrets?
We have taken candidates who have failed four psyche tests, got our report, then passed their next psyche interview. This is serious business when you are finally offered a job conditionally on passing the medical; part of the medical is the psyche. You can taste that badge. You don't want to blow it when you get this close. Ask the nine candidates whose dream vanished after their psych interview.
"Just because your paranoid . . . doesn't mean they're not after you."
Absolutely nothing counts 'til you have the badge. Nothing!
"Captain Bob"
Ask "Captain Bob" Any Question
Fire "Captain Bob" Smith has coached countless entry level and promotional candidates to get their badge. He is a retired 28-year Hayward, Ca. Captain, speaker/author of the audio/video program "Conquer the Job Interview," the book "Fire Up Your Communication Skills" ISBN 09657620-6-8 and a member of the prestigious National Speakers Association. You can book him as a speaker or get a copy of his books and tapes by calling toll free at 888-238-3959.
E-mail: captbob@verio.com Web site: http://www.eatstress.com