Why are You Not Getting Hired as a Firefighter?

23 January 2021
Chief Brent Collins, President, www.FirePrep.com

Why Are You Not Getting Hired as a Firefighter – A Self-Evaluation

Say you have been testing for a year or two to try and get hired by a fire department.  You are finishing fairly high on the exam, you’ve gotten to some oral interviews, but you aren’t being hired.

At this point, you need to step back and do a self-evaluation of where you are. 

  • Are you taking enough tests?
  • Are you preparing for the written test or just walking in? If you are just walking in without preparing, what do you think your success rate is going to be?
  • Are there testing subjects that you aren’t good at? It could be reading comprehension, math or mechanical.  Are you using practice exam preps to get you over that stumbling block?  If you are good on 90% of the testing subjects but bad on 10%, that 10% is going to cost you the job.  You need to focus your studies on the subjects you are having a hard time with.  Practice and practice until you get better.
  • Is it the oral interview? Our website, FirePrep.com, and this blog have all kinds of information and strategies on how to be successful on the oral interview.  Are you practicing and recording yourself?  Do you know what you sound like?  Are you giving cloned answers or are you making your answers personal to separate you from the other candidates?  That’s where Capt. Bob’s Oral Interview Exam Prep products on our website can help you.  It’s the only exam prep we recommend for the oral interview because it’s the best in the country.
  • Are you failing the physical agility? If so, why?  Are you preparing yourself and getting into shape?  Are there certain parts of the physical agility you aren’t doing well on?  Have you looked to see if your community college offers practice for the physical agility?  On our blog, we have workout strategies as well as tips for the CPAT and Firefighter Mile to help you.
  • Is your resume up to date? Are you getting passed over because the first thing they see is your resume and it’s unprofessional?  Make sure it’s current and looks professional.  You want their first impression of you to be a strong one.
  • Are you currently an EMT, Paramedic and Certified Firefighter? Having these certifications on your resume is something you really want to look into.  Fire Chiefs want candidates that are ready to hire and not have to put them through schooling.  It will take you about 1-1/2 years to get these certifications but it’s well worth it.  It will put you in a much better position to be hired.  We highly recommend you pursue those certifications.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a process.  It might take you one, two or even four years.  But when you get that job, it’s a job for a lifetime.  Some candidates give up and say they can’t do it, even after they’ve gone through EMT, Paramedic and Firefighter Certifications.  They start looking for another career.

At times, a department may be hiring one or two; another time they may be hiring five or six.  You don’t want to miss out on those opportunities by giving up.

Good luck in your pursuit of the greatest job on the face of the earth!  Remember – luck goes to the prepared!