Tips on applying to get a job with CFA Career Firefighter

1. This information is intended as a resource
and guide for those who may not have
competed as well as they would have liked
with the interview phase of the CFA
recruitment process.

2. We encourage you to continue with your
own individual preparation which should
not just centralise on the interview
component of the recruitment process.
Remember final decisions are made on
whole of application performance - not just
the interview alone.

3. Interview Tips

4. It’s difficult to prepare for a behaviour-
based interview because of the large
number and variety of possible
behavioral questions you might askes

5. The theme of the questioning is around
the applicant’s motivation,
understanding of the organisation and
the role and how well you can
respond to behavioral based
questions.

6. It is recommended that after every interview you
self-evaluate your performance as soon as
possible. This for most of us usually occurs
once we get in the car after the interview has
concluded. If you feel you did not provide the
best responses to some questions it is most
likely a good indicator that you can do better.

7. The detail you provided for your example
may not have reflected enough depth or
the example/s you gave may have only
partially answered the questions.

8. Preparation

9. 1.Understanding the role and the
organisation
It is important to utilise your station visits to find out as much as you
can about these two topics. The information you obtain via the
internet will only give you a base level view. Some candidates make
the mistake of using the visits to discuss the recruitment process
and likely interview questions; although this is a natural subject to
cover it will not cover the above topic enough to make you
competitive amongst other candidates.

10. 2. Understand your motivation and why you
want this job
This response will vary from individual to
individual and it is not one that we will
be able to help you with.

11. 3. Know your work skills and attributes
You need to be comfortable and capable of talking fluently about your
skills and experiences and have detailed specific examples based on
your work experience to back up your responses.
In the first instance have good understanding of the differences
between a “skill”and an “attribute or trait” .
Have a thought understanding of your own skill set and attributes,
particularly those relevant to the role.
Once you have done this it is always a good practice to write them
down - including your experiential examples to help embed them in
your responses.

12. Arm yourself with a small arsenal of example stories that can be
adapted to many behavioural questions.
Candidates who tell the panel about particular situations that relate to
each question will be far more effective and successful than those
who respond in general terms.
Vary your examples; don’t take them all from just one job
experience. If you Volunteer for CFA or SES or other organisations
these are also an excellent resource for showcasing your skills and
abilities.
It is preferable that your delivery style at interview is as natural as
possible.

13. Actively listen to the question and try to avoid constant
probing/rephrasing of the questions by the panel.
If you want to use notes during the final interview, it is permitted
however if the notes distract you from the flow of the interview and
you are simply reading from them, it will put doubt in the minds of
the panel that the words are your own.
Given the nature of behavioral questioning it is unlikely that notes will
assist you greatly however if you wish to use a “notes page”ensure
it in point form so that provide assistance as a “memory jogger”
Panel members are looking for answers that are honest-unrehearsed
and natural.

14. Remember final decisions are made on the whole application
performance - not just the interview alone.
As you will have detected during your attendance at each stage of the
recruitment process this role attract a high calibre candidate, it is
very competitive.
The reality is that you can feel you have performed well at interview
and still fail to gain selection.
Many good people do not make it through to the final stages because
of the “competition”. Others may have met the criteria more closely
this time.

15. Review your preparation, consider the next appropriate time to re-
apply, make sure it suits you strategically.
Good Luck with your preparations going forward.
Regards,
Career Firefighter Recruitment Team