Tell Your Unique Story
Earning a firefighter’s badge is a goal! And, your success in a firefighter’s Oral interview is all about your presentation skills. Our many decades of experience tell us that a candidate will do well to weave personal experiences or stories into his or her answers. A candidate’s life experiences are unique. Personal stories can present a clear picture of who the candidate is and how they will or will not be a good fit in the department. Sound simple? It can be.
We get it! It is not easy for firefighter candidates to relax and be themselves during the Oral. But, here is the truth. Your unique stories based on your personal experience will establish a natural bridge between you and the Oral Board panel. When you bring yourself to the table, you are more confident and will naturally be more conversational.
Preparation for the firefighter hiring process involves many things. If we have said it once, we have said it 100 times. Preparation is key! Once you have explored possible questions that you will be asked, dig deep. Discover how these questions relate to you. Find a connection to each question that will help your answer be truly yours. Yes – we are telling you to OWN IT!
If making notes helps – do it. If talking with others helps – do it. If emailing us helps – do it. If you want private coaching, do it. Once you have your answers down, move on to the next step. Record your answers. Today’s technology makes this easy. No longer do you need a tape recorder because your cell phone will have an app you can use. Listen to your answers. Edit out words such as LIKE, UMMM, YA Know – you get the gist. Practice your inflection. Work on your body language. Fine-tune your responses.
Once this is finished – practice, practice, practice! Then, practice again. Be ready! You never know when the opportunity to present your best will happen. You could get a call and be asked to show up in the next week. Make sure you are ready.
“Nothing matters until you earn the badge – and we mean nothing!”
Fire Captain Rob, retired”
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