Fantasy Land – For Real!
If you want to become a firefighter, an Oral Board Interview is in your future. There is no way to get around it. So – know this: The Oral Board interview is like Fantasy Land. It is not like the real world. Your answers in the oral board might not be what you would do in real life. The board understands the rules and you can’t fool them. Don’t try to intellectualize and bring heavy logic to this process. If you do, someone who understands the rules in fantasy land better will get the badge. So, please follow the yellow brick road and don’t look behind the curtain.
You don’t think so? Hear me out.
A while ago, a fellow Fire Captain was sitting on an oral board. At the end of the day, the board members were completing their comments and scores. One candidate said, “I’m sure glad that’s over.” A few guys replied, “Yea, we are too.” The candidate sitting in the hot seat continued by saying, “Because, they are coming.” They look up and asked, “Who’s coming?” This candidate said, “The Martians are coming.” As you can imagine, they chuckled. It turns out that this guy was a genuine kook. But he did so well in the oral because he lived in a fantasy land and knew the rules. This is a true story!
Understand that if the oral board fires up a question that sounds like drinking on the job, it’s going to be about drinking on the job. If it’s a question that sounds like taking drugs on the job, it’s going to be about taking drugs on the job; It’s not going to be aspirin. If the question sounds like it’s about stealing on the job, it’s going to be about stealing on the job. If they fire up a question that sounds like sexual harassment, that’s what it’s going to be about, or they wouldn’t bring it up. If they fire up these questions, take off the disguise ask questions to verify what you suspect, and then respond in fantasy land. Don’t be like so many candidates by starting a soap opera.
Example:
You go into the locker room and see a fellow firefighter drinking something that looks like alcohol. What do you do? The clone, soap opera answer would be to try to get him into the day room, play cards, and try to smell his breath. Or, you might have him go home sick. You could even have another firefighter come in and relieve him. These are all soap opera answers. Don’t go this way. They are insulting to the oral board, and you will lose valuable points here.
Here is the gist: We are intelligent beings on the other side of the table. We have been where you are. We know each other. We know the job. Give us a little credit. Ask a question that would verify your suspicions and give a direct answer. DO NOT START A SOAP OPERA.
“Absolutely nothing counts ’til you have the badge . . . Nothing!”
Captain Rob
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