If you turn in an application for an EMS or firefighter job, then there is an oral board interview in your future — it’s unavoidable. 

Yet despite this certainty, when the interview invitation letter arrives, panic almost always follows. You’re caught flat-footed.

Through my involvement in helping paramedics and firefighters get jobs, I frequently receive calls from panicked candidates who say they were blindsided by an unexpected interview. But we know this isn’t true. They just didn’t prepare in advance for what was likely the difference-maker in whether they made the cut or missed out on an opportunity.

Improving poor oral board skills
Your scores in the oral board portion are crucial in landing a position. So what are you doing incorrectly that is keeping you from getting hired?

The bottom line is that most candidates don't practice their interviewing skills enough to become good at it. This is true for any job interview. How are you going to stun the oral board panel within a short amount of time to convince them that you are more qualified to get the job over the other candidates? 

A key learning tool is using a tape recorder to hear what you are saying during these interviews. The recorder should go everywhere with you. But 99 percent of the candidates I talk to aren’t practicing with a recorder at all. I asked students at a college program recently how many of them had been practicing with a recorder daily. No one raised his hand. I asked, “How about weekly then?” Nope. Finally, about three hands out of 40 shot up when I asked if they used a recorder once a month. That, quite simply, will not cut it.

After sitting in on more than a hundred oral boards, I’ve seen many candidates do poorly. Failure is not always a bad thing; a big part of successful interviewing is experience gained through trial and error. But it’s clear that many poor interviewers don’t realize how poorly they respond to interview questions. It’s the most misunderstood and least prepared portion of testing. I've seen candidates with great credentials falter when it comes to presenting their qualifications at the interview. And if you can't present yourself well, you don't get the job…period!  Never! Ever!

I am reminded of one shining example where putting in ample practice time resulted in great success. This particular candidate, who had many certifications, had difficulties finding employment due to a speech impediment. However, after putting in hours of consistent practice, he excelled at the oral boards and even garnered two job offers.

With all due respect to the source of the following comment, this is one of the most important clues to why candidates have trouble with their oral boards:

“I recently had an interview, and I know my answers were great, especially after hearing how another candidate answered them. He made the list, and I did not. Go figure!”

Most candidates falsely believe their answers are great. And this problem is compounded when interviewees listen to the answers of other candidates and try to mimic their responses. Have you noticed that once a person gets a job or becomes a firefighter, they are instantly the expert on how to get hired? Try to be original with your answers. You want to convey to the oral board your unique qualities and experience that would benefit the department. After all, it’s a good chance that your competition has not practiced their interview skills, so why would you want to copy their answers?

If you’re succeeding at the written and agility portions of the test, which are usually pass-fail, and you’re not placing high enough on the oral board, then that’s where the problem lies. Most candidates who score low on the oral attempt to go back and pack on more credentials thinking that will get them over the hump. They think that they have to finish their degree or get through academy training first before reapplying. While these are sound strategies to improving your résumé, they do little to improve the skills needed for the oral board.

Candidates who get this far in the process usually feel discouraged and tell me that it seems like they have hit a wall. Some of their friends (with lesser credentials) have been hired. They’re frustrated and embarrassed.

Rather than dwelling on the frustration, it’s important at this point for them to focus on and improve your weaknesses, such as poor interview skills. In future articles, we will show you how to shorten the learning curve to close the distance between you and your badge. Like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz, we’re not going to give you anything you don’t already possess. We’re just going to show you where it is. There is a badge out there for you and we will show you how to nail it!

I’ll leave you with this testimonial to think about, from Steve Prziborowski, a Battalion Chief and paramedic in California:
 
“Do what you have to do to be more marketable, so you can take more tests and have something more to offer a department. But remember that it all comes down to that 15- to 30- minute oral board interview. I’ve seen some awesome candidates with résumés packed full of accomplishments who failed to make it into the top 50 percent due to an inability to sell themselves as candidates for a job.”