How to answer situational questions?

[th151429]

How do you answer situational questions?
-do you just give the answer to the question asked or do you elaborate more? I feel like amswers are to short but I do not want to ramble either.
-after I answer the question do I explain why it's important in the fire service? Most of the questios I've been asked have nothing to do wiith the fire service.

Example: If you ask your boss for extra hours at work and some hours come open but you and your buddies already had plans to go out of town, what would you do?

[JayDudley]

I've always said....."Be careful what you ask for." If you had requested extras hours and are given the chance to get them.....Tell your buddies your going to be at work. If you are asked that question in an interview simply state..." Thank you for the extra hours and I'll be there."

Some times it's the easy one's that trip you up....I asked a Candidate what his shoe size was and he had a total vapor lock......

[powerhourcoug]

OP:

What Jay said. I'm pretty confident you won't see that question again though.

There aren't many situational questions out there, honestly. Pretty much the same questions (stealing, drugs, integrity, conflict, sexual harassment, dealing with adversity, work ethic etc.) just dressed in different ways.

[BCLepore]

The answer to your question is to ANSWER THE QUESTION first. In other words; Here is what I would do in that particular question........then followed by the reason WHY you would follow your course of action. The goal is not to make the panel ask you a follow up question. This is especially true if we are interviewing dozens of people. The more people I am interviewing, the less likely I will be to chase you down for a complete answer.
When the panels asks if there is anything you would like to add to your answer, they are telling you that you did not answer their question completely. They are throwing you a rope. If you are wise you will take it.
Paul Lepore
Division Chief
Aspiringfirefighters.com