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A quick check in this forum and you will see that agencies are hiring again. You certainly don’t want to waste any opportunities if you’re selected to participate in a testing and hiring process.
The Number One Problem in Getting Hired!
If you turn in an application for firefighter job there is an oral board interview in your future — it’s unavoidable. You just don’t know when.
Yet despite this certainty, when the interview invitation letter arrives, panic almost always follows. You’re caught flat-footed.
I frequently hear 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.
Improving poor oral board skills
Your scores in the oral board portion are crucial in landing a position. Usually 100% of your score to get hired. So what are you doing incorrectly that is keeping you from getting hired?
Bottom line most candidates don't do enough interviewing to get good at it. This is also true for any job interview. You've got around 20 minutes for a 25+ year career. How are you going to stun the oral board panel to convince them to give you the badge over the other candidates?
Here’s some insight:
“You’ve said the oral board is the most important step in the hiring process and the step that is least prepared for. Well I can support your statement. As I watched the recording of my oral interview score for a really large city (reading upside down) I noticed 60's and 70's on the scores of those that interviewed before me. I would assume there were about 25 names on the sheet prior to mine. Rich
If you’re succeeding at the written and agility portions of the test, which are usually pass-fail, and you’re not placing high enough on the oral board, then that’s where the problem lies. Most candidates who score low on the oral attempt to go back and pack on more credentials thinking that will get them over the hump. They think that they have to finish their degree, certificates or get through academy training first before reapplying. While these are sound strategies to improving your résumé, they do little to improve the skills needed for the oral board.
“Stop looking in the magnifying glass at others . . . and start looking in the mirror at yourself. That’s where the problem is.”
From Firehouse contributing author Steve Prziborowski, Battalion Chief, Santa Clara County Fire Department:.
“Do what you have to do be more marketable so you can take more tests and have something more to offer a department, but remember that it all comes down to that 15 to 30 minute oral interview. I’ve seen some awesome candidates with resumes packed full of accomplishments that couldn’t sell themselves in an interview to even make the top 50%.”
The Number One Problem in Getting Hired!
If you turn in an application for firefighter job there is an oral board interview in your future — it’s unavoidable. You just don’t know when.
Yet despite this certainty, when the interview invitation letter arrives, panic almost always follows. You’re caught flat-footed.
I frequently hear 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.
Improving poor oral board skills
Your scores in the oral board portion are crucial in landing a position. Usually 100% of your score to get hired. So what are you doing incorrectly that is keeping you from getting hired?
Bottom line most candidates don't do enough interviewing to get good at it. This is also true for any job interview. You've got around 20 minutes for a 25+ year career. How are you going to stun the oral board panel to convince them to give you the badge over the other candidates?
Here’s some insight:
“You’ve said the oral board is the most important step in the hiring process and the step that is least prepared for. Well I can support your statement. As I watched the recording of my oral interview score for a really large city (reading upside down) I noticed 60's and 70's on the scores of those that interviewed before me. I would assume there were about 25 names on the sheet prior to mine. Rich
If you’re succeeding at the written and agility portions of the test, which are usually pass-fail, and you’re not placing high enough on the oral board, then that’s where the problem lies. Most candidates who score low on the oral attempt to go back and pack on more credentials thinking that will get them over the hump. They think that they have to finish their degree, certificates or get through academy training first before reapplying. While these are sound strategies to improving your résumé, they do little to improve the skills needed for the oral board.
“Stop looking in the magnifying glass at others . . . and start looking in the mirror at yourself. That’s where the problem is.”
From Firehouse contributing author Steve Prziborowski, Battalion Chief, Santa Clara County Fire Department:.
“Do what you have to do be more marketable so you can take more tests and have something more to offer a department, but remember that it all comes down to that 15 to 30 minute oral interview. I’ve seen some awesome candidates with resumes packed full of accomplishments that couldn’t sell themselves in an interview to even make the top 50%.”
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