DONHR Firefighter Resume

[Slaymor]

Evening, I am a prior service navy Corpsman and currently work for Naval Station Newport Security as a civilian contractor. I have many certifications for firefighting as i volunteered on 3 departments and 2 Rescue units for many years before going active duty. I am applying for a firefighter position on a navy base through the Dept. of navy Human Resources site, but do not like their resume builder. Unfortunately I have to use it and was wondering if anybody had any tips or even a sample resume I could look at. I know with that system even one mistake can void you for consideration and am really looking forward to getting hired. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance Also I am on a time schedule and could use some input asap so i can get it submitted correctly.

[CaptBob]

Let’s say you are in the process of applying for a firefighter job. What factors play into the hiring panel’s first impression of you? Naturally, your physical appearance. Your choice of words, eye contact, and your handshake are also very important. But you may have overlooked the most important factor in making a good first impression – your application and resume.

I can't tell you how many times we've seen applications with misspelled words, poor grammar, and sloppy organization. It certainly gives me a negative first impression of the candidate, before I’ve even had the chance to meet them in person.

Putting in that extra effort to build a solid and well-crafted resume could be the deciding factor in getting hired. And having reviewed thousands of applicants’ resumes in my lifetime, I’ll provide you a few tried-and-true tips on writing a strong resume.

Unfortunately, the sad truth is that most resumes are poorly done. Many applicants will simply copy a generic business-style resume format, which usually features paragraphs that drone on and on about accomplishments and experience. This is not very well-suited for EMS/firefighter/paramedic jobs due to the high volume of candidates vying for the same positions. Reviewers only have a few moments to look at your resume before you walk into the room, so you need to grab their attention immediately.

I'm a huge fan of the one-page resume for entry-level hires; don’t even bother with a cover letter or a resume folder. Save a tree by being concise and don't make the job panel send out a search party to find your good stuff. Try imaging that the reviewer won’t spend more than 10 seconds looking over your resume. Hit them with your major qualifications and experience right away on one page.

Here are a few other points to consider:

Don’t list your education as the first item on the resume. That’s for business/corporate interviews. You should highlight your key work experience right away. EMT certification. Bam. Firefighting experience. Bam. Apparatus operation training. Bam.

Your experience doesn’t necessarily have to be listed in chronological order. Try building your resume with the most pertinent experience and information at the top of the page. I remember one candidate telling me that his paramedic certification and firefighting experience were his best qualifications. Yet he listed it at the bottom of his resume where it can be easily overlooked.

You should include the dates of qualifications and experience on the right side of the page where it can be easily referenced. This allows for more freedom when formatting the order of your resume.

Then supplement your qualifications with education, course work and other secondary extracurricular information at the bottom of the page to balance out your applicant package.

Here is how I would suggestion organizing your resume:

Carl Mcfly
1284 Main St.
Kensington, Ca 94588
Phone: 510-286-5890 e-mail: Iwantafirejob@aol.com

OBJECTIVE: To achieve a level within the fire service.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Firefighter Fire Department, CA 2-00 Present
Duties include but are not limited to fire suppression in structural as well as wild land environments and emergency medical services under highly stressful emergency conditions. Also, fire prevention, public education, vehicle and station maintenance under the supervision of a Captain, always focusing on providing quality customer service.

Engineer (Acting) 2-03 Present

Firefighter Fire Department (Auxiliary) 3-99 2-00
Perform in a probationary capacity under emergency situations, fire suppression, emergency medical services, also fire prevention, public education, vehicle and station maintenance.

EMT Ambulance Service, CA 3-99 2-00
Perform under emergency situations; emergency medical services under the direction of Redondo Beach and L.A. County Fire Department Paramedics. Vehicle and station maintenance and Code-3 driving.

INSTRUCTOR Emergency Response CPR 3-03 Present
Adult, Child, & Infant CPR training for the community as well as for the professional rescuer.

Owner/Operator Pool Company, CA 5-97 2-00
Service and repair of residential and commercial pools and spas according to County Health Department specifications.

EDUCATION: (is space is needed to keep on one page, these can be placed in two columns)

Bachelor’s Degree
EMT Defib and Combitube certified
Firefighter I
Red Cross certified CPR Instructor
Firefighter II
Federal Red Card System Member
Driver/Operator State certified
Class B Driver’s License

If you have space left using a size 12 fount on the first page you can add:

ACTIVITIES
Member of State University Track and Field Team.
Member of State University X-Country Team.
Volunteer for Hubbs Institute White Sea Bass Population Restoration Project.
Volunteer for Red Cross on various projects

That’s all you need. Nothing more, nothing less. Keep it simple.

Now that we’ve covered how to construct a balanced resume, we must not forget about another key element: presentation and delivery. Don’t even think that you can go into an interview and hand over your resume for the job panel to review on the spot. This upsets the normal flow of the interview. Be sure to FedEx or hand deliver a hard copy of your resume to human resources before the interview. Don't fax it.

And with the onset of technology, many departments have made applications available online. However, this new method leaves you susceptible to a whole slew of challenges. Make sure to double check spelling and grammar before clicking that ‘send’ button. There is no excuse for sloppiness or mistakes just because you apply online or through email. Also, make a copy of your online application before sending. I’ve talked to many candidates who’ve submitted online applications, but couldn’t remember the information they had put down six months later during their interview.

These resume tips will ensure that you are starting off on the right foot when applying for a job. After all, competing against other candidates and going on interviews make the application process hard enough as it is. Don’t give a bad first impression before you can even get your foot in the door.

[brownsquirrel]

Slaymor,
Are you applying for the one in Brunswick as well? I just put in for that the other day. I don't like how you have to document all of your volunteer hours on the application. I had to hand type all of mine (gotta love cut and paste!)
Anyways, good luck!

Nan

[arff42]

Slaymor,

Can I assume you are applying at Naval Base Newprt? I used to be a firefighter there. I can answer any questions you have.

Later,

Kev
Former IAFF F100

[wakenhutff]

Evening, I am a prior service navy Corpsman and currently work for Naval Station Newport Security as a civilian contractor. I have many certifications for firefighting as i volunteered on 3 departments and 2 Rescue units for many years before going active duty. I am applying for a firefighter position on a navy base through the Dept. of navy Human Resources site, but do not like their resume builder. Unfortunately I have to use it and was wondering if anybody had any tips or even a sample resume I could look at. I know with that system even one mistake can void you for consideration and am really looking forward to getting hired. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance Also I am on a time schedule and could use some input asap so i can get it submitted correctly.

I noticed your forum because I was looking for resume help as well.

I just used a resume writing service (I wanted something not so basic as the MS Word resume format) I used www.fdresume.com and they did the phone interview today and said they would have my resume to my by Tuesday in the pm. I don't know if this helps, I did a lot of looking around and they seem to be the best out there for firefighter resume writing. I'll shoot you an e-mail if I have any issues. If I like what I see, I'm going to have them write my cover letter as well.

have you ever thought about contract firefighting over seas?

[wakenhutff]

Everything on the Resume looks great, I give them a big plug for all the work they did.

www.fdresume.com

[SDFDCAR3]

I called e-mailed called fdresume yesterday and they seem like they know what they are doing. There was no pressure, just very informative. The guy I spoke with encouraged me to check other resume services to make sure I get the best service for what I am looking for and need done.

I will call a few others I see on the web and try to make the best decision on what resume service to go with.

If anyone has gone with another service and has been, or has not been satisfied, please post or e-mail so I don’t get taken into an internet black hole!