Panel interviews

Video-based testing may or may not be announced beforehand many agencies post a list of specific requirements for candidate selection, such as a written examination, an oral panel interview, and video testing, and some substitute the video-based test for the preliminary interview. 

Although it is true that most interviews share the same features, a few have pronounced differences. For example, a panel interview involves several interviewers— a difference that requires you to answer questions more concisely than you might in a standard interview, where there is more room to be expansive. Learning how to gauge your skills and responses to... 

Even if you are scheduled for a panel interview, you will still have a one-on-one interview with your potential supervisor, which should last at least an hour. The interviews don t necessarily occur on the same day. 

The person who moderates a panel interview is usually the senior person in the room. The arrangement varies from company to company, although it should be fairly clear who the moderator is because he or she will be the person to set the stage for you. 

However, panel interviews can be stressful. This is something that most candidates underestimate. It is challenging to build rapport with each panelist. Also, panel members don t always decide before the interview what t)q)es of questions will be asked and who will ask them. So, while you re answering one question, the panel members are busy thinking of the next one. This rapid-fire questioning technique can be both hectic and demanding, and it requires that you think on your feet. 

The second mistake you can make in a panel interview is to be reactive rather than proactive. On one hand, it is important to pay attention to the questions and make sure you answer them. On the other hand, you want to maintain some control of the interview and tell some of your success stories. First, focus on answering the questions being asked, and then switch your focus to using your success stories. For example, take a look at the following interview to see how you might accomplish this. 

If you tell your stories in a compelling way, your audience will want to hear more. If you ve ever made a speech, delivered a paper, or made a presentation in class, you know the drill People ask questions afterward. If your topic has been particularly stimulating, they get excited and start asking questions simultaneously, without waiting for each other. In this situation, you may feel relaxed because you know your subject and feel in control of it. You should feel the same way about a panel interview because the subject matter is you. Prepare to talk about yourself as you would any other subject of a speech or presentation. 

If a panel interview is either on the same day or within a day or two of a one-on-one interview with your potential boss, write him or her a thank-you note, and he sure to write individual notes to everyone on the panel. It is also a courtesy to thank your potential employer for arranging fhe panel interview. Remember to point out anything that came up in the panel interview that was of special interest to you or that relates to your particular fitness for the job. 

Chapters 5 and 6 describe every type of job interview you might experience. One of the most difficult aspects of being interviewed for the first time is not knowing what to expect. If you don t know the difference between an informational interview and a panel interview, or if you ve never even heard of a case interview. Chapters 5 and 6 will guide you through every variety and permutation. Through helpful interview scenarios, you will learn how to put your success stories to work. 

Thought leadership One of the best ways to leverage a Google+ Hangout is to do a panel interview or interview with an influencer in your space, a thought leader in your company, or even partners and customers. 

The first questions to be considered when designing a control panel are what information is required and how much of it will be appropriate. Too little information may increase the amount of inference that the worker is required to make to predict the state of process parameters that are not directly displayed. This is especially important for emergency situations where the human information processing system is taxed heavily with many tasks. On the other hand, too much redimdant information can overload the worker. It is essential, therefore, that the information needs of the worker are identified through some form of task analysis and worker interviews. 

This technique sets out to collect data about near-incidents or critical events that have been experienced by the operating team but that are unlikely to be documented. The basic premise of the technique is that events that could have led to serious consequences would tend to be remembered by the workers. Through individual or group interviews, significant events are recalled which are then analyzed in order to generate useful information about the difficulties involved in the performance of a task, the adequacy of the operating procedures, any problems with the equipment or control panel design and so on. The technique can be used in three areas ... 

Most companies will purchase a range of datasets from a variety of commercial companies who specialise in collecting and collating such data. The sources of information are wide and varied and includes panels of GPs and specialists who record what they are prescribing and for what indication, to information from wholesalers and pharmacists. Companies will also sponsor individual market research studies with questionnaires and face-to-face interviews with individual panels of doctors or focus groups. 

In most municipal or county departments, the oral interview is a very important part of the application process, so important that there may be two of them—a qualifying interview and a selection interview. Each jurisdiction will have different priorities, and each interviewing panel will ask different kinds of questions and have different standards in judging the answers, especially in a first interview. But all of the questions will focus on essentially the same factor the character of the applicant—who you are as evidenced by what you have to say for yourself... 

The panel that interviews you will be made up of professionals—not just professional firefighters, but department personnel officers and interview specialists as well. They may hold any rank a deputy chief, chief, or even a commissioner may serve on a panel. In some communities, the panel might include a civilian or two. Be aware that most community representatives are prominent citizens with some managerial experience, and they do not take this civic responsibility lightly. It is a good idea to find out in advance the makeup of the panel in your area. And always keep in mind that their experience and their position command your respect. 

Many departments will ask you back for a second round of interviewing. This is usually called the selection interview or, in some places, the chief s interview. It can be much like the qualifying interview, only conducted by higher-level personnel. Or it can be more of a formality, in which the applicant is allowed to ask questions of the panel before officially being accepted for the job. Either way, it is important to take this interview every bit as seriously as the first. 

If you are meeting the chief, treat it as an executive-level interview and be sure to dress accordingly. You will have been through the qualifying interview already, so you will have the chance to review your performance. What can you learn from it What went well Where could you improve Your qualifying interview will have been evaluated by the department, and that evaluation will be among the background material the second panel refers to. For instance, there could be follow-up questions or requests for clarification of previous answers. 

It is most likely impossible, and a waste of time, to anticipate the exact questions you will be asked during the oral interview. But it is still possible, and important, to prepare yourself for it. You know the panel has the information you gave them on your application form. Think about that for a minute. What did you tell them about your background, your skills and abilities, and your character ... 

Give this your serious attention. How you present yourself at the interview—your first face-to-face meeting with your prospective coworkers and bosses—is a sign of how important the job is to you and of your respect for the panel. Fire departments have a paramilitary command structure Orders go down the ranks to mobilize a trained, disciplined fighting force. 

And don t be late. It is advisable to arrive 15 to 20 minutes beforehand so you can compose yourself, relax, and get the feel of the place where the interview is being held. Arriving too early gives you too much time to wait, think, fidget, lose focus, and make yourself nervous. And showing up late—well, what would you think if you were on the panel, looking at the applicant s empty chair, then at your watch, then at the door, ready to do your part in the important task at hand, but forced to wait for someone who appar-... 

With questions like these, as with all the questions you are asked on application forms or in interviews, it is critical that you answer truthfully. This certainly means don t lie. But it also means don t try to scope out the panel and tell them what you think they want to hear. To begin with, it is impossible to know what even one person wants to hear you say, much less a panel of three or more people. They may not know themselves. If they ask standard questions, they may be satisfied with standard answers, but a personal response that is out of the ordinary may capture their attention and make you stand out from the other applicants. 

So, should you strive for the uncommon answer that makes you different from the rest But how would you know what different was without knowing how everyone else answered As you can see, this approach can t possibly work. It s a dead end. Besides, experienced interviewers can usually recognize a false sentiment or phony tone, even if your answer isn t technically a lie. And the more sincere you act, the more your lack of sincerity will show through. In the end it is safest, and smartest, to give a personal response, to tell the panel the truth—as you see it. 

Interview panels often ask questions in which they describe a firefighting situation that raises certain ethical or professional dilemmas. They want to get a sense of how you may respond in such a situation. Some departments ask these kinds of questions almost exclusively. Some don t ask them at all, feeling that it is hard to imagine a firefighting situation until you have been in one. 

Scenarios are also used to hypothesize emergency conditions You arrive at the site of a fire call and find a woman in hysterics, screaming and gesticulating out of control, in the street. What do you do If you are unfamiliar with such situations, being confronted with one, even in an interview, can be stressful. And that s the point. Stress is an occupational hazard in firefighting. Questions that produce stress let the panel see firsthand how you handle it. This is one reason why many jurisdictions give preference to candidates with EMT or military experience. The ability to perform under conditions of stress is one of the key worker traits in the firefighting profession, and it is important that you develop and be prepared to demonstrate this ability. 

The oral interview is a crucial step on your way to becoming a firefighter. You can and should prepare for it. So, do some research both on the life and work of a firefighter. And do some research on yourself—your background, opinions, strengths and weaknesses. Self-awareness leads to self-confidence, especially in an interview situation. Seek experience in areas where you think you need it. Practice interviewing skills. Demand the best from yourself. The panel and the profession certainly will. 

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