Interview vs. Grandparents 50th on a caribbean cruise

[dacino]

Obviously, celebrating with your family in the caribbean :) . After passing a written and physical I recently recieved a letter notifying myself of my interview date with a department i'm very interested in a nice area for a full time job. My grandparents scheduled and paid for the cruise a year ago to celebrate thier 50th anniversary. Since this department didn't give me any dates I had no idea this was going to happen. Typed on my letter it read "No changes of interview dates or trades will be allowed" not unlike any other department. So after calling and briefly explaining my situation I took myself out of the hiring process. I sent a letter to the chief thanking him for the opertunity and besides this small setback look forward to seeing him in 2007 during the next hiring process. Has anyone ever had any luck getting another date in a situation like this?

[CaptBob]

It has and can happen depending on the agency. I know candidates who acquired permission to come on a day of interviews and wait to see if there were any no shows. They all got in their interviews.

[wnwd00]

dacino,

sorry to have to be the one to say this but i think that, the reason you took yourself out of the hiring process is a pretty weak one. if you want the job you need to be committed to getting it.

i also hope you understand that the agency that you declined and took yourself out of the hiring process with will not forget this especially if it is a smaller agency. if and when you come back for an interview in the future i bet this will come up and they will ask about your commitment to the job, their department and possibly your community.

i understand you have to do what you have to do as far as family is concerned but your potential emplyer is going to look at it like "if this guy wont make an interview work how can we be sure he is going to show up for work during a natural disaster or when he has another family event"

remember perception is reality.

[dacino]

No matter what you've done for yourself or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?
I love the job of a firefighter and wouldn't imagine doing anything else for a living (currently part time). The department will test again in two years. Whats more important than family, call me old school, but if you have an opportunity such as this how can you pass it up. If I was 34 and knew this was my last test for my dream department i'd agree it would be a tough decision, but I'm currently 21 and have my life ahead of me. Having my grandparents here and celebrating such an accomplishment with my family tops being number 1 on any list. I am definetly a commited person, I work very hard at doing well on tests and have ended up top 15 on all tests i've taken so far while continuing to work on more certs.
In my experience a dept wants you to care about your family, because that attitude transers into the station, which reminds me of an interview question i've had and wonder how others would answer... "All possible babysitters are busy and its 1.5 hours before the start of your shift, 2 kids and wife are sick in bed, what do you do?" that was ALL the info and wouldn't give any more. I appreciate your opinions and thanks for the input captbob, your free info is a great starting point.

[Jim917]

Dacino, you made the right call.

You were NOT an employee who failed to show up for work or respond to a call. You were an applicant who was put in a tough spot by a) your grandparents who scheduled this trip without checking your availablity on the ouiji board and b) the potential employer who has a rather harsh and unrealistic policy.

You have your priorities right. I'm sure you'll land on your feet in a job where your loyalities will be put to good use. Good luck. :)

[Bones42]

There's always another chance for a job. How many times will there be a 50th anniversary?

Dacino, you made the right call. Ditto.

[JBrehm]

I'm not firefighter, but you made the right choice. Family first, especially if it's a prior commitment, of course though this isn't an absolute. In the case of a natural emergency, I would think firefighters would probably make sure their family (whether it be their dept family memebers, or immediate family members) that they're with at the time was taken care of before going to work helping.

BTW, Dacino, when asked that interview question about no babysitters and a sick wife and 2 kids, what answer did you give? I would think you would take that day off as a sick day, or until you found someone to watch the kids for you and then go in to work.

[BCLepore]

Enjoy the time with your family. The fire department will always be there, your grandparents won’t.

Before you completely give up on the interview, call the personnel department and explain your situation. There is a 50/50 chance you may get a sympathetic ear that will reschedule your time.

Enjoy the cruise!

Paul Lepore
Battalion Chief
Author of:
Smoke Your Firefighter Interview
The Aspiring Firefighter’s Two-year Plan
Smoke Your Firefighter Written Exam (Coming soon)
www.Aspiringfirefighters.com