I’ve participated in 150 or more interviews in my career. So for the sake of argument, let’s say 150 interviews that average about 15 candidates per interview. That’s 2250 candidates and each interview is about 30 minutes. That equals 67,500 minutes of listening to candidates’ answer questions designed to tell me why I should select them. I have heard every imaginable answer. Let me rephrase that, ” I have heard every standard answer possible” I could go the rest of my life without hearing another candidate regurgitate the standard ” I just want to help people” or ” It’s an exciting career” when asked ” Why they want to be a firefighter” If this resonates with you and you are in the standard answer club, now is the time to cancel your club membership. Here’s a different concept; make your answers your own. Go to your next interview
and try it, I promise it will make a difference. If your going to break away from the safe, standard answers you first need to do some homework or soul searching. In order to develop your own answers you first must peel away the layers until you reach your
truth. A great place to start is “Why do you want to be a firefighter”? What is the REAL reason? Did something or someone inspire you? Did an event change your direction in life? Do you have a family member or mentor in the fire service? What is for you? We (the interview panel) know it’s an exciting career, we know you get to help people but we don’t know your unique life experience that is driving you to this profession. Tell us
about that. A great benefit to making your next interview your own is that It can’t be duplicated and it should be easy to remember since it’s based on your thoughts and life experience.
Let’s compare standard answers vs personal answers.
1. Standard answers will not separate you from the others.
2. Standard answers require less thought than personal answers.
3. Standard answers do not allow the interview panel to get to know you.
4. Candidates who use standard answers often try to give the interview panel the answer they think we want to hear.
5. Standard answers are boring. We have heard them all before.
6. Standard answers are NOT what the interview panel is looking for.
Personal answers
1. These will separate your from the crowd. Their unique.
2. Harder to develop, but much more powerful when delivered.
3. Must be appropriate, concise and meaningful.
4. Allows the interview panel to get to know you.
5. These cannot be duplicated, they are yours alone.
6. Easier to remember, since it’s your values or experience.
7. Must be truthful, sincere and answer the core of the question. Don’t ramble.
8. Personal answers allow you to tell the interview panel what you would REALLY do or say in a given situation. If you tell panel what you really feel, think, believe or expect
then your answer is always correct. Use appropriate filtering of course, but as long as you remain “between the lines”, your answer will be better than a standard one.
The time to develop your personal answers is long before your next interview. This process takes time. You need some alone time to really think about what you believe. Take one question at a time and peel away the layers until you uncover the truth.
Try it with these common questions;
1. Why do you want to become a firefighter?
2. What have you done to prepare yourself to be a firefighter?
3. Tell us about your education, work experience and background that would make you a good candidate?
4. Why should we hire you?
5. Why do you want to work for the City of XYZ Fire Department
6. Is there anything you would like to add? Closing statement.
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Michael Keefe
P.O. Box 1304
Phone No. 650-642-1317
Alamo, CA 94507
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.911interviews.com
