secondtime

Tom was 35 years old. He was being considered for the hiring process in a large county department. I told him if he was going to have to take the physiological test to contact me first for coaching. He didn’t. Tom called devastated with, "What do I do now? I’m out of the process. I asked him if he had thought out his questions before he had volunteered information. He said he had not. I asked him why he hadn’t called me before the test. He said, "Things were going so great I didn’t think I needed your help." What do you think now Tom? I told Tom that we don’t just concentrate on preparing candidates for the job oral board interview. We are a resource to get candidates to the badge. We shorten the learning curve in every portion of the testing process. We provide the Secret Nugget information for the best book for the written test, physical agility programs, audio and video tapes from our seminars and coaching by phone on how to "Conquer the Job Interview", background checks, and yes now the all important psychological test. Tom said, "They let me shoot myself in the foot." I said, "No Tom, you shot yourself in the foot." Even golf professions get lessons to keep their game sharp.

Tom was hired by another department who didn't give a psych test. After one year, he had the opportunity to test for the department he had dreamed of working for. He came in for a tune up coaching session and made the cut for the job pending the medical that included a psychological evaluation. He panicked. He obtained our "Special Report on Conquering the Psychological Interview". With coaching, he realized the mistakes he made on his first interview.

As he entered the room for his interview after the written portion of the psyche test, he sat in one of five possible chairs directly across from the psychologist. He put on his game face. The doctor had him fill out a personal family history and release forms for other information. He asked him if he would be willing to take a polygraph based on his information. Some psychologists will do this to intimidate you into giving information you do not have to share.

No matter what you sign, understand if it was not listed that a polygraph will be part of the hiring process, they can't demand that you take one. Especially if everyone else is not going to take one. Just go along with the drill.

Tom was honest to a fault in this first psych interview. Like most firefighter candidates, they want this job so bad, they will tell the psychologist anything they want to know. Big ERROR!

He knew now not to volunteer any information that would be ammunition to shoot him with. He didn't list or say anything about his crazy family of origin, questions like "any of your parents have a major illness", or toss out anything that could allow the interviewer to get his foot in the door to again take him out. There are no halos over fire engines, but you had better be squeaky clean.

All the psychologist is trying to determine is the profile that is created by written test. Tom's interview was short this time. This concerned him.

Tom is 36 years old. He called last night that he passed the psych test and just accepted the job for the city he thought would never come his way. His extended family had rushed over while he was talking to me on the phone. I could hear the champagne corks popping. Tom was crying like a baby. So was I.

It doesn't get much better than this.

Ask Tom if it's worth it to do it the proven way.

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

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