Oral Board Interview

[Jharr3]

I have an interview with the city of tampa. Just curious if anyone knows what to expect on the interview itself? What type of questions should I be prepared to answer?

Thanks

[Truck18]

One thing that always helped me was to just look at a list of common interview questions and come up with an answer to all of them. In my experience the first oral board seems to have alot of the usual questions that are asked in all job interviews. If you have a specific example, story, or answer to go along with each question they ask you won't have to sit there and think of something to say. And not everything has to be fire related, if you have a story or an answer that has to do with another job or something else completely I wouldn't be afraid to answer with it. It shows you aren't always fire all the time. In my experience when you have some good answers already in your head it helps you relax a little bit and feel more confident on what you are saying to them. Do a search online for common interview questions, true they probably won't ask you all of them you find and they might throw in some department specific questions but if you think of specific answers for the tough ones especially I think you will feel much better going into the interview and come off as more confident. Just my opinion, and maybe a way to help prepare I hope it will help you out. Good luck in Tampa.

[CaptBob]

Truck18 Good advice. Sounds familiar.

The firefighter interview is like not other. Personalizing your answers to any of the possible oral board questions and practicing with a recorder (the recorder goes everywhere you car keys go) will put you in a better position for your oral board. You can find a sample list of questions here: http://www.eatstress.com/thirty22.htm

[CALFFBOU]

I have an interview with the city of tampa. Just curious if anyone knows what to expect on the interview itself? What type of questions should I be prepared to answer?

Thanks

Bro- If you plan on just walking in there and winging it, dont even bother showing up. If youre going to go in and use 80s phases like "Team Player" and "Give back to the community", dont even bother gasing the car.

You need to get original and find some truew qualities in yourself. Why do you want this job. What have you really done to prepare. Please tell us about yourself.

I would recommend looking at the material above and really getting a game plan together. Please PM me if you need a starting point.

-Bou

[FFighterRob]

If someone gave you the questions they will ask, and told you what to say, they would be doing you a disservice. First you would only be prepared for that test. Second you would sound like them and not you.

You need to get an answer you feel comfortable to the most often asked questions. Memorize them, so that you couldn’t forget them if you wanted. Then you are prepared for every test, not just that one.

I tell people to start with the following:

1. Tell us a little about yourself
2.Why do you want to be a firefighter?
3.What have you done to prepare for the job of firefighter?
4. Why do you want to work for this city, or agency?
5. What is customer service, and how does it affect us in the fire service?
6. What is ethnic diversity, and how does it affect us in the fire service?
7. A closing statement?

While they can ask you many different questions, these seem to come up most often. I would start with getting comfortable with telling them what you have done to prepare, basically an oral resume. Then work out a good response to why you want to work for their department, or what do you know about their department. These will usually count for a lot of your score, and we want you to sound comfortable and confident when you are talking about yourself, and our department. If you don’t sound comfortable and confident in yourself, it’s harder for us to feel comfortable and confident in giving you this opportunity.

Good Luck, Capt Rob
www.myfireinterview.com
(707)869-1330

[DennisTheMenace]

Truck18 Good advice. Sounds familiar.

The firefighter interview is like not other. Personalizing your answers to any of the possible oral board questions and practicing with a recorder (the recorder goes everywhere you car keys go) will put you in a better position for your oral board. You can find a sample list of questions here: http://www.eatstress.com/thirty.htm

Now THAT is a SPAM link.

[DennisTheMenace]

Bro- If you plan on just walking in there and winging it, dont even bother showing up. If youre going to go in and use 80s phases like "Team Player" and "Give back to the community", dont even bother gasing the car.

You need to get original and find some truew qualities in yourself. Why do you want this job. What have you really done to prepare. Please tell us about yourself.

I would recommend looking at the material above and really getting a game plan together. Please PM me if you need a starting point.

-Bou

Worked for me.... Strong hand shake, let them know what you have done in your life as you answer the questions, let them know you want it, and am more than willing to be the indian on your road to be the chief.

[JayDudley]

I'll say it one more time..."Since when is it spam when a person asks a question and a response is given plus a web site where you can get more FREE info". I call that helping a person out. Nobody is forced to go to the web site . So how about giving a person a break and let someone else get the info he/she needs

[DennisTheMenace]

I'll say it one more time..."Since when is it spam when a person asks a question and a response is given plus a web site where you can get more FREE info". I call that helping a person out. Nobody is forced to go to the web site . So how about giving a person a break and let someone else get the info he/she needs

Agreed, but that particular link provided no information and just on big online infomercial.
He has since fixed the link to provide 22 sample questions.
I will take credit for calling out the SPAM and getting the kid real answers.

[JayDudley]

If it takes what you do to get the right answers...so be it. I still think that if an individual tries to get answers to someone who asks and diverts them to a web site even if its theirs I see no problem with that. Maybe it just me but I wish I had this kind of access when I was testing for Fire entance exams.