Tricky questions
Tell us about yourself?
First off, i want to thank you for your time and the opportunity to be interviewed today for the role of a career firefighter.
Having researched the role thoroughly i am confident i have the skills and qualities that are required for this position.
I would describe myself as a confident person both resilient and adaptable and pride myself on my physical and mental well-being.
I take extreme ownership of my actions and strive for continuous improvement.
Over the years i have worked in a wide range of industries and gained a lot of skills and experience that i feel have prepared me for this role.
I have held multiple management positions where the need for interpersonal skills was vital for working with both the community as well as team members.
I also had to overcome problematic situations and challenges that would arise and act decisively in a professional manner.
I currently work in the building supplies industry but have experience as a personal trainer, gym manager and retail management.If you employ me as a fire fighter i will be able to transfer these skills i have gained from these positions and use them to provide an exemplary service to my team, the department and the community in which i am serving.
Lastly, on a personal level, i am a devoted father of three and enjoy keeping active and routinely visit the gym to ensure my physical fitness is optimal.
Why should we hire you over the other candidates?
You should hire me for three reasons.
First, i come with a lot of life experience both personal and work.
through these experiences i have gained many skills and attributes that are expected in a fire fighter.
Second, i hold my self accountable in all areas and take absolute ownership in my personal development.I don’t settle for second best and put my best foot forward every chance i get.
And lastly, i consider myself a compassionate leader and team member.
I believe that if a team member is struggling it is my duty to pick them up and if they fail i fail.
Again i take absolute ownership in all areas of influence and will ensure my team gets across the finish line successfully and more importantly, safely.
What is the most important attribute of a fire fighter?
I believe the most important attribute of a firefighter is being a team player.This is due to the fact that your team will be relying on you and you will be relying on your team to ensure tasks are carried out successfully and most importantly safely.
The other attributes i believe are important in a fire fighter are integrity this involves being open, honest and consistent in everything they do.
They need to display courage and selflessness to put them selves in dangerous situations to save others.
They need to show compassion when working with your team as well as the community.
They need to have a high level of commitment to what they are doing and who you are doing it with as their life may depend on it.
And lastly a good sense of humour i feel this can help with building team morale.
What is the most important attribute of a fire fighter?
I believe the most important attribute of a firefighter is being a team player.This is due to the fact that your team will be relying on you and you will be relying on your team to ensure tasks are carried out successfully and most importantly safely.
The other attributes i believe are important in a fire fighter are integrity this involves being open, honest and consistent in everything they do.
They need to display courage and selflessness to put them selves in dangerous situations to save others.
They need to show compassion when working with your team as well as the community.
They need to have a high level of commitment to what they are doing and who you are doing it with as their life may depend on it.
And lastly a good sense of humour i feel this can help with building team morale.
What aspects of this job appeal to you the most? the least?
I have always wanted to work within a team who were unified by the same goal, a team that conducts them selves with a high sense of integrity and work ethic in order to achieve a common goal, in this case the protection of life and property.
I would also like to utilise the skills i have acquired while coaching to help educate our communities on fire prevention and to hopefully one day assist new recruits or candidates to become excellent fire fighters.
Now i understand there are un desired aspects of the role as well.
I think i speak for a lot of people when i say my least desired aspect of this role would be to see people suffer, in any form.
Purpose.
Protecting and preserving lives, property and the environment.
Values.
We do the right thing
We serve and support
We are better together
We strive to improve
If hired, what would you contribute to this fire department?/What skills and qualities do you have that will make you a good firefighter?
If hired, i will be able to contribute the skills and experience i have developed over the years.
During my time as a trainer i coached group fitness classes for the local community and feel i could utilise this experience to speak to the public and educate them on fire prevention.
I have experience with mechanical engineering and working on cars having briefly studied this while i was younger.I’m also handy with tools that I'm sure will be utilised while in the role of a fire fighter.
I have prior experience with Hazardous materials and was once certified in handling these substances.
I gained this experience while i was in charge of an unmanned fuel station and was responsible for the routine safety checks of the site as well as the bulk fuel tanks.
Lastly, over the years i have been working i have held a first aid certification and attended many refresher courses over time.
and in the past needed to utilise the knowledge gained from this to respond to medical emergencies.From minor sprains and breaks too having to resuscitate a heart attack victim using a defibrillator.I feel this experience will help when dealing with medical situations while in the role.
What do you think are the daily responsibilities of a firefighter?
I understand that the fire department actually wears several hats in the community.
Although the primary role is to protect life and property through responding to emergencies, other responsibilities include station maintenance, training, public service/education, inspections and other fire prevention measures.
Why do you want to be a firefighter?
I want to be a firefighter because i have always felt compelled to serve my country and my community and to be able to make a difference with my work.
I want to be able to work alongside like minded individuals in a organisation that takes pride and upholds very high standards and values.
I understand the role varies and is not just a reactive role of attending to incidents and helping people in time of need.
There is also the proactive side that appeals to me which includes fire educating our communities on fire prevention.
Another reason why i want to be a fire fighter is because there have been incidents in the past where i have had to step up and be the first to respond and i can remember feeling a strong sense of pride and accomplishment from doing so.
I remember the moment that sparked my interest to be a firefighter, it was a situation i faced while working as a gym manager.
I had just witnessed a head on crash outside on a corner of a busy road.
Realising i was one of the first to witness the crash, i was faced with the task to ensure emergency services were called, further harm was prevented and the victims were ok.
I instructed a gym member to call 111 and with the safety of myself and others being my main priority i was able to use nearby road cones to divert traffic while others attended to the victims.
As a result, further accidents were prevented and local fire fighters were able to get to the scene and take over.
I have also witnessed other situations where fire fighter have made a difference in our community and have always thought it would be an absolute honour to serve along side them.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years?
Having a career as a fire fighter, and because I have a passion for progression, ideally I would like to see myself progressing through the ranks. I will enjoy the opportunity to constantly learn and develop in as many areas as possible with the goal of becoming the best i can.
As I also enjoy training others, through the experience and knowledge I will gain, I would like to pass this on and teach other would-be fire fighters to become their best within the organisation.And maybe one day being on the other side of this interview table.
Personally, I see myself as a devoted father invested in raising my children with strong values and morals. Setting great examples and demonstrating that anything is achievable through hard work and determination.
“Give me an example of how you’ve worked as part of a team.”
A more recent example i can recall was during an assessment phase on PAC DAY.
The team i was placed in were given a task where we were instructed to cross a makeshift lagoon.
We were instructed to cross without touching the ground and were given 2 ladders 3 tyres a 20 kg pail and a bucket of water.
We were also instructed to get this all back to the other side without spilling the water from the bucket.
Within the team we all decided that it was best to get the bucket of water over first as this seemed to be the hardest task.So two members of our team proceeded to make it across strategically using the tyres as steps to avoid touching the ground.
This was a success, so they rolled the tyres back to where we were.
We then proceeded to use the tyres and the ladders as a platform to get the rest of us over all while communicating openly and sharing the load of the 20kg pail to ensure it wasn’t dropped.
This was a success, and as a result we finished with plenty of time left which i remember left he instructors quite impressed.
“Tell me about a time you’ve had to respond to criticism of your work.”
In my previous job as a gym manager, i was often faced with complaints and criticism from members who were dissatisfied.
I would always listen openly and treat every situation as an opportunity to improve.
I can recall a situation i was faced with while managing a gym.
A member had emailed complaining about the poor standard of cleaning in the bathrooms.
I took ownership of this situation and phoned them to apologise for the poor standards and that we were in the process of finding new cleaners.
They seemed satisfied with the apology. However, i then followed up with them 2 weeks later to advise that we had since found new cleaners and that if they notice anything in future to let us know.
As a result they were very happy with the follow up, and remained a member of our gym.
“Have you ever taken the lead on improving processes in your workplace?”
I remember the first management position i held, which was department manager of Chilled and frozen foods at paknsave.
We had just opened the supermarket 3 months ago and i was quickly promoted from 2ic of a different department.
I was given the task of taking over the current manager as he was going into another role himself.I had my work cut out for me as the staff were poorly trained and and systems were not the best.
Being a systematic person i took the lead on improving these systems.
The first action i took was to ensure the staff were properly trained.
So i formed a list of all the tasks and duties required of them and sat down with them individually to discuss areas they needed help with.
I then formed a development plan with each of them to ensure they were competent with these tasks.
I then worked on the systems, which in this case was the process of ensuring stock levels of the department shelves were optimal.
I did this by dividing the department up in sections and giving each staff member on shift the responsibility of maintaining their own section.
This resulted in a better filling process which meant my department was more successful, the staff were happy as they were able to manage their work load more effectively and were given the appropriate training required for the job.
“Tell me about a time you’ve worked effectively under pressure?”
I can recall a situation i faced while working as a personal trainer.
It was a busy morning in the gym and i was training one of clients when i heard a bang from the other side of the gym.
I looked over to see one of our members had fallen off the rower.
I immediately rushed over to see if he was responsive which he was not.I instructed one of the gym members to call 111 and another trainer at the time to get the defib we had on site and i started to do CPR.
With the assistance of another trainer we attached the defib but no shock was advised so i continued with CPR.
I was lucky that one of the members happened to be an advanced first aider and was able to take over CPR while i controlled the crowd that was starting to form around the scene.
I then noticed the members son, who was deaf and had just noticed what was going on and started to panic.I had to try and calm him down and explain what was happening the best i could.
I managed to disperse the crowd that was forming and made sure access was available for the paramedics.
It was not long after the local fire crew turned up and was able to take over the situation.
In the end it turned out the member had suffered a heart attack and needed a bypass surgery which was successful.
I was very proud of the way i handled myself that day and felt like i made a difference.This is one of the many reasons i would like to pursue a career as a fire fighter.
“Tell me about a time you managed multiple responsibilities. How did you handle that?”
When i first started working as a personal trainer i was working part time in the evenings and was responsible for building my business while also running group fitness classes as part of my agreement with the gym.
At this time i was also working full time as a department manager and duty manager at the local Paknsave.
On top of all this i also had the responsibility of my than 5 year old son who i had shared custody of.
I handled this in a few ways, firstly i have always had good time management and organisation skills and applied these skills to ensure nothing was missed.
I made sure that what ever my duty was at the time it i had my full attention and i prioritised my tasks according to importance.
I also ensured i made time for myself, to work out, rest and de stress when needed to avoid burnout.
As a result i was able to grow my client base as a trainer which allowed me to eventually leave my role at paknsave and focus solely on my own business and have more time for my son
“What’s your greatest professional achievement?”
My greatest professional achievement would have to be starting my own business as a personal trainer.
I was in a situation where i was working full-time as a department manager for paknsave.
I always wanted to venture into my own business and had a passion for health and fitness so i decided to study personal training part time.
I was able to complete my studies and was offered a job as a personal trainer straight away.
I accepted the job, and started working part time while still holding my full-time position at paknsave.
Eventually i was able to grow my client base enough to leave my full-time job and focus on my own business.
This eventually resulted in becoming a well recognised trainer in the community and eventually led me to the promotion of gym manager which gave me the opportunity to further develop my management and leadership skills.I was also able to become a mentor to the new trainers that i would later on board.
“What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in your professional life?”
I think the biggest mistake i have made in my professional life was not taking advantage of a job out of fear of not being ready.
I was put an a situation where i was encouraged by my workmates to apply for a department 2ic role that had just become vacant in the supermarket i was working for at the time.
However i didn’t feel i was up to the challenge at the time and did not apply.
This resulted in regret and i would later learn that i was in fact more than competent for the role.
however,I learned a very important lesson from this, and that is to never doubt my self or hesitate to go after something i want in life.
I think if it wasn’t for that lesson i might not be standing in front of you today.
“Give me an example of a goal you achieved, and how.”
The most recent one that comes to mind would be passing PPT and PAC day.
With the overall goal of becoming a fire fighter i realised i had to break this into smaller steps so i decided to do this by breaking it up into each stage of the application process.
I then wrote a list of all the areas i will need to work on in order to be successful in each stage.
For PPT, i started with a practice day to see if there were any areas i needed to work on, luckily this wasn’t a weak point for me but i continued my training to ensure i was ready on the day.
For cognitive, i wanted to make sure i was ready and confident come testing so i enrolled in a 12 week course through Edvance training which helped with the preparation for this test.
As a result i passed the test and surprised myself how quickly i was able to complete it.
For PAC day, i increased my cardio training to make testing easier on the day and practiced my presentation until i was satisfied i was ready.
Although i couldn’t prepare for the unknown elements of the day i was satisfied with the preparation i did do and as a result was able to progress to where i am today which is my next step of my goal, the interview process.
“Tell me about a time you’ve been micromanaged, how did you deal with that?”
When i was working as a gym manager i was faced with a situation where the owner sold the gym which essentially meant i had a new boss.
He was new to the industry and wanted to be more hands on and involved with the day to day running of the gym.
Not that this was a bad thing but it did get to the point where i felt i was being micromanaged.
Due to the fact that we were new to working together i knew i had to give him a reason to trust me in order to change this.
I did this by making sure to communicate openly and update him as often as i could and when given a task to do i would update him every step of the way so he was aware of the progress.
As a result he felt comfortable with the work i was doing and although i would continue to keep him updated often, i felt like i was no longer being micro managed.
“How do you reflect on past work to make sure you move forward?”
I like to take a step back, look at the big picture and set new goals in the areas needing improving.
Ive had to do this a few times while working as a trainer.
I was faced with a situation once when i had a few clients stop training with me for personal reasons and left me in a tough spot financially.
I knew i had to do something to get new clients so i did what they call a SWOT analysis which analysis your Strengths, weakness’s, opportunities and threats in order plan a strategy to achieve the desired objective.
In this case, increase clients and in turn increase income.
I realised that one of my strengths was converting sales from the free group fitness classes i ran.So i decided to increase the class frequencies as i had more time on my hands with the reduction of client.
I then emailed the members that attended my classes an offer to train one on one and as a result i got a lot of interest and was able to replace the clients i had lost.
“Tell me about a time you exercised leadership.”
over the years, having been in multiple management roles, i have had to exercise leadership skills a lot.
One time that stands out the most for me was actually one of my first management roles.Which was the manager role for a chilled and frozen department in paknsave.
I was 23 at the time and had just taken over the role from another manager who unfortunately did not posses very great leadership skills.
Because of this the morale within the department was low as well as the willingness to work as a team.
When i took over i made this my responsibility to turn this around.
I held a few team meetings in the beginning to discuss the concerns my team had and listen to any suggestions they may have to improve things.
They voiced their opinions and i listened and showed compassion towards them.Because of this they felt valued and appreciated.
Which in turn increased their willingness to work as a team which in turn also increased Morale.
I noticed staff attendance had increased also and the willingness to pick up extra shifts when i called on them.
I also found i was often approached by staff in other departments asking if their was any vacancies within the department as they would like to have me as their manager.
I turned the department around by being compassionate and listening to my staff as well as working along side them to show we are a team.
This is one of my proudest leadership experiences i have.
“Give me an example of when you’ve motivated others.”
As a trainer one of my main jobs was to motivate people to achieve their health and fitness goals.
One example i can give was when i partnered up with another trainer and ran a 8 week transformation program in the gym.
The program consisted of 3 group fitness classes a week as well as 1 on 1 training with a trainer.We would regularly check in with our clients especially on the days we didn’t see each other to ensure they were staying on track with their goals.
We also set up a facebook group so the participants of the challenge can motivate each other and we would often share tips and advice.
As a result, upon completing the challenge everyone made progress on their goals and felt more comfortable in the gym which motivated them to keep attending.
Some of the participants also carried on training with myself and the other trainer as they appreciated the extra motivation we gave them.
“Describe a decision you made that wasn’t popular, how did you get people on side?”
Working in management often meant sometimes i had to deliver bad news.
In one situation, while managing a gym, I had to inform the trainers who were contractors that the owner was wanting to increase the rent in which they paid to use the facility.
This came with a bit of backlash and concerns from the trainers.
I decided to call a meeting with the trainers and listen to their concerns and the main concern seemed to be how sudden the change was expected to happen.
With this in mind, i approached the owner with the proposal that we stagger the increase overtime so the trainers have the opportunity to increase clientele to make up the difference.
The owner was willing, so i discussed this with the trainers and also told them that i would help them with any marketing and lead generation to help increase their clients.
As result they were willing to accept the change and i continued to help them with new leads and internal marketing of their business.