Anyone else do West Metro in CO?

[Beiner]

I don't know about anyone else, but my interviews were short. It felt like I was in there for thirty seconds. I understand that it's about content and not length but come on! It felt like a blur.

[CaptBob]

This is from one of the raters on West Metros orals:

After recently sitting through hundreds of oral board interviews, I thought I’d offer up some of my personal observations to hopefully help those of you still testing. Most of it has been covered by the regulars on here before, but I thought I’d give you my own perspective as well:

Use Your Time Wisely: I was truly amazed at how fast some candidates completed their board. Our department has two boards and the candidate gets 15 minutes with each panel. We had a candidate who finished ours in 2:35 and the other in about 5 min. He couldn’t wait to get out of there. We obviously had a really hard time scoring him well with such brief answers. This is your time, we are only here for you, use all of it well.

Think Before You Speak: Take time to digest the question being asked of you. It will seem like an eternity to you, but just a few seconds of thought can help set the framework of a great answer. Though the eyes staring back at you might seem unnerving, you will have a second to think about it, form your answer, and speak well, thought out sentences.

Look Ready and Shake Hands: Not everyone came in wearing a suit, and you know what, that was ok. I understand that not everyone can afford or possibly borrow one. But if they came in looking prepared and confident, something you either have or don’t, that’s what makes you look ready. And always approach the panel and shake hands, even if they tell you to please have a seat. It builds on your confidence and it comes across professional to us.

Own Your Answers: Of the hundreds we interviewed I truthfully forgot most of what everyone said a few minutes after they left the room, unless they truly owned their answers…Those I remembered, and still do! Yes you need to say all the standard answers that a board needs to hear, but back them up with something unique to you. Help solidify those traits and desires with something you’ve done or experienced, something unique that only you can own. No one else has lived your life. There have got to be some great stories that made you who you are, so don’t come in their sounding like you’ve lived everyone else’s plain vanilla one either.

And lastly, smile! I know you’re nervous, and that’s expected, but with plenty of practice and preparation you can ease those nerves and let your enthusiasm for the job come through.

Good luck and best wishes,

[BCLepore]

If you felt it was a blur, you are probably correct.

Yes, it is about content. I am not looking for someone who speaks for a long period of time with no value, rather someone who has a well thought out answer.

The oral interview is the most important portion of ithe testing process. In fact, it is commonly weighted 100% of your overall score. While the other portions of the exam are important, they are usually rated as pass or fail.

You should have a very good feel for what the department will ask. Heck, there are only so many directions the panel could go.

I find candidates spend countless hours in the gym preparing for the physical agility exam. Yes, this is important. Very few candidates spend the time preparing for their interview. The one's who do get better scores and ultimately a job. The rest struggle.

I have the 85 most commonly asked fire department interview questions posted for free on my website. I encourage you to download them and systematically go through and answer each one. I do not encourage you to write down your answers in paragraph form, rather to write them down as bullet points. This allows you to recall the speaking points during an interview.

If you walk in the door of an interview and you get a question that is foreign to you. That's your fault because you did not do your homework. There should be NO surprises. The fire service is all about being prepared. This is the first step.

Good luck in your endeavors.

Paul Lepore
Battalion Chief
www.aspiringfirefighters.com

[DSMtuned]

I liked how every step of the process was weighted evenly. My strengths are in the written and the physical tests, which are usually pass/fail and then all the weight is put on the orals. This time my overall score was raised because of my strengths. I did OK on the orals, but could have come in with more confidence.

I didn't make it into the 24 guaranteed positions, but there is a possibility I could be hired off the list in the next two years. I'm disappointed because West Metro is my dream department, but still hopeful.

How did everyone else rank?

[Beiner]

How did everyone else rank?

You already know your rank? I don't know where I'm at but my interview was on the last possible days of interviews. I guess I'll find out soon enough.

[DSMtuned]

You already know your rank? I don't know where I'm at but my interview was on the last possible days of interviews. I guess I'll find out soon enough.

Yeah I got my rank with the letter in the mail. Hey maybe you haven't gotten a letter because you're going to get a phone call! :)

Good luck!

[Beiner]

I got my letter today. :( I didn't do too well, but I sure learned alot. I wasn't sure how I'd measure up against bigger competition. Now I know. Gotta work harder... I mean smarter, next time.