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If you turn in an application for firefighter job there is an oral board interview in your future — it’s unavoidable.

Yet despite this certainty, when the interview invitation letter arrives, panic almost always follows. You’re caught flat-footed.

Through my involvement in helping firefighters get jobs, I frequently receive calls from panicked candidates who say they were blindsided by an unexpected interview. But we know this isn’t true. They just didn’t prepare in advance for what was likely the difference-maker in whether they made the cut or missed out on an opportunity. READ MORE HERE

A candidate posted a question on a bulletin board asking the best way to approach the common scenario of being given an order on an emergency scene that puts my life, or others in jeopardy that may also go against standard operating procedures.

Someone posted and answer that looked like it came right out of one of the books out there with question and suggested answers.  Turns out it was word for word from one of those books!

My reply: . . . . Too many will use these suggested answers word for word like someone posted here.  If I picked this right up so can other panel members. …READ MORE HERE

I can’t believe how many candidates I talk to on the phone that don’t know how they sound to others.  They’re soft spoken, monotone like they’re giving a patient assessment, with no enthusiasm, inflection with a lot of pause fillers.  Many are not using a simple tool that could tilt things in their favor. The voice recorder on their smart phone! READ MORE HERE

Don Hewitt, one of the pioneers of television news and the creator of CBS’s “60 Minutes” said, “The key to my success is four words that every child in the world knows.  Tell me a story.  Learn how to tell a story and you will be a success.” It’s the same with getting a firefighter badge!

The toughest thing for candidates to do in an oral is to be themselves on purpose. Your stories establish a natural bridge between you and the panel. When you’re yourself, you become conversational because you are on your own turf. This alone can lower the stress and the butterflies. READ MORE HERE

This is one of the toughest questions to answer without sounding like a Clone.

From a candidate: I have thought long and hard about the answer to “why do you want to be a firefighter”. I’m having a tough time putting it into words. My biggest desire to be a firefighter is because I love the way the department functions first as a family, then as a job. READ MORE HERE

Let’s say you are in the process of applying for a firefighter job. What factors play into the hiring panel’s first impression of you? Naturally, your physical appearance. Your choice of words, eye contact, your attire and your handshake are also very important. But you may have overlooked the most important factor in making a good first impression – your application and resume before you walk into the room.

I can’t tell you how many times we’ve seen applications with misspelled words, poor grammar, and sloppy organization. It certainly gives me a negative first impression of the candidate, before I’ve even had the chance to meet them in person. READ MORE HERE