Interview tomorrow!

[Dominion]

Well tomorrow I have a panel 'character' interview with two LT's and a Capt at the county 911 service. I'm not as nervous as I should be but I was looking for some pointers that I haven't covered.

Right now I've interviewed with this service once but decided to travel to Europe with my wife and turned down the position. I got up to the agility test last time. I passed the interview (which I'm going for tomorrow) and last time I wore some cargo pants, tennis shoes, and a polo. Tomorrow I'm wearing a pair of boots (no dress shoes that fit, shoulda looked before tonight ), black slacks, conservative white dress shirt, and either a dark blue tie or a dark-light blue stripped tie. Both look business appropriate.

I plan to do all the normal pre-interview stuff but I don't remember too much of the interview besides that it was pretty casual, hehe they had to keep telling me to stop being so nervous last time.

Advice/Suggestions would be great, on this step and any of the other steps coming up.

A bit on the services hiring practices might help, currently the process is thus.

Test - Rewritten, more comprehensive than the NREMT, more detailed. (Passed 80% woohoo)

Panel Character Interview (tomorrow) - Take an interview with either two Sgts 1 LT or 2 LT's and 1 Capt. Character style, nothing EMT related, mostly to make sure you can handle the position. (Questions like "What would you do if your partner was found to be falsifying reports?" and "What if you are partnered with a Sgt or LT who refuses to help clean the truck at the end of your shift, what do you do?")

Agility Test - Stair chair with 150-200lbs up two flights, across the training center, down two flights, and back in a different direction. CPR 3 minutes, testee on compression. Jump in an SUV window, KED to long board to stretcher to ambulance.

Polygraph - No clue what to expect here.

Medical Exam - Just a physical.

 

[Ridryder911]

Here is some basic pointers on dressing. Boots and ties usually do not mix unless you are from the Southwest, if you have to wear them be sure they are polished and clean. Unless you have a dress jacket, as well as short sleeves one needs to forgo the tie.. one can excuse it because of the heat.. be sure your pants are ironed and pressed, as well as the shirt. Be sure you are well groomed, finger nails trimmed and clean, maybe a little cologne but don't bathe in it. Breath mints are okay... but be sure there is no gum during the interview.

When interviewing be sure to stand when introduced and shake with a firm shake. If possible make a mental note of their names (at least the last name) usually repeating it. Make eye to eye contact during interview, with a sense of confidence but smile occasionally in between again being careful not to display being cocky.. there is a fine line. Be sure to answer their questions earnestly, and pause if need be to think about the answers. It is okay, as long as it is not an eternity.

Don't slouch in the chair as well as twirl around if it spins (this irritates me). Look at the panel when answering, look each of them in the eye. You can gather how you are doing, as well id you need to go further into the answer. Body language says a lot.

After the interview, thank each of them and tell it was a pleasure to meet them, and you hope to work with them. Usually, there is one that is in charge to guide you. Ask them the question(s) of where, if when you will be contacted, then again thank them.

You want to be sure to prepare for some questions as well. For example working conditions, hours, benefits, school, CEU's, working relationships with other public services (Fire, LEO, ER, etc) and of course pay (which many fail to ask). Have copies of your license/cards in a folder to give if needed.

Good luck!

R/r 911

 

[Dominion]

Thanks for the advice, so if I have what you're saying, unless the shirt is a short-sleeve or I have a dress jacket, forget the tie? The shirt I was wearing was a long sleeve, as all my dress shirts are, I've always considered the short versions to look odd on me. I need to go through all of our boxes that are in the closet I *MIGHT* have dress shoes there, otherwise it'll be my boots which are the next dressiest things I own.

I tend to be the type of person that looks into other peoples eyes. Learned this from Marine Corp ROTC from Highschool.

Thankfully the hiring manager of this service is quite possibly one of the friendlest, easy going, chatty people so after my interview I sat down and chatted with her and a full time basic casually about work environments etc. Mainly I found out that right now due to coverage the service is "Get here or get out, you work when you're scheduled and you come in when asked" , CEU's are covered by mandatory in-service's that are scheduled and allow enough classroom time to keep the state (24) and national, the service is a seperate entity but works closely with Metro PD and Metro Fire, transports to all ER's within Metro area, pay is discussed during the pre-test orientation (the 15-20 minutes before the test starts)

So I do know much about the service, I would find it more appropriate to ask the questions again as if never asked vs. the "I heard from...." approach. Not asking questions would seem more that I don't give a crap correct? From an interviews prospective.

 

[Ridryder911]

Short sleeve NO tie, long sleeve tie optional. Usually, one does not wear a tie unless you have a jacket.. not that one has to.. just considered odd sometimes.

Good luck!

R/r 911

 

[Dominion]

I'll have to think about the tie then, it looks nice with, without it's pretty conservative, just white shirt black pants.

I might just grab my tie and if I decide to use it, put it on there. The last time I interviewed for an EMS company the guy pretty much laughed that I came in looking so nice (same as what I'm wearing tomorrow). He said most including basics and medics come in with jeans and a t-shirt of some sort. The most dressy they usually got was khakis and a nicer shirt, untucked of course.

 

[Ridryder911]

I'll have to think about the tie then, it looks nice with, without it's pretty conservative, just white shirt black pants.

I might just grab my tie and if I decide to use it, put it on there. The last time I interviewed for an EMS company the guy pretty much laughed that I came in looking so nice (same as what I'm wearing tomorrow). He said most including basics and medics come in with jeans and a t-shirt of some sort. The most dressy they usually got was khakis and a nicer shirt, untucked of course.

An old saying I remember is .. " one rather to be too dressed up, than the opposite"...


Wear the tie.. it will make an lasting impression..

R/r 911

 

[Dominion]

Will post an update tomorrow and later after I hear back from em.

 

[Dominion]

Finished my interview, wow it was so much more stressful this time around. The last time the 3 people were very laid back and it was more like a conversation, this time it felt much more like I was being grilled. The questions were easy enough, things like "Name one stressful moment and how you dealt with it." "Name a time you were told to do something you didn't want to do and how you dealt with it."

But I think everything went well, I kinda watched as they wrote and I didn't get anything below Average on the response lists. This time around it was with a Sgt and two FTO medics. The worst question was "Name a time you had to think on your feet and how you dealt with it"

My answer was a transport to ER that coded on the way. Grilled me on what I did and why I made the decisions I made. Toughest question, now I just gotta wait till they contact me to let me know how I did. Fingers crossed, that's the hill, everything is easier from here on out. (Cept that polygraph, really don't know what to expect there)

 

[mperkel]

Finished my interview, wow it was so much more stressful this time around. The last time the 3 people were very laid back and it was more like a conversation, this time it felt much more like I was being grilled. The questions were easy enough, things like "Name one stressful moment and how you dealt with it." "Name a time you were told to do something you didn't want to do and how you dealt with it."

But I think everything went well, I kinda watched as they wrote and I didn't get anything below Average on the response lists. This time around it was with a Sgt and two FTO medics. The worst question was "Name a time you had to think on your feet and how you dealt with it"

My answer was a transport to ER that coded on the way. Grilled me on what I did and why I made the decisions I made. Toughest question, now I just gotta wait till they contact me to let me know how I did. Fingers crossed, that's the hill, everything is easier from here on out. (Cept that polygraph, really don't know what to expect there)

sounds similar to the interview i had today. Good luck to you. I'm very unsure about mine since i have no EMT experience.