Hey everyone! I recently took the opportunity to do a station visit with Clovis Fire and wanted to share how it went, along with a list of topics a captain shared with me that you can expect as questions in almost any interview. (If you'd rather skip the story and just grab the questions, the list is at the bottom) How the Visit Went: - Don't bail if no one's home: I arrived about 10 minutes early, but ended up waiting around 20 minutes because the entire station was out on a call. If you ring the doorbell and get no answer, just hang tight and wait for them to arrive. Also, don't ring the door bell too often, I did that at a previous station and got an earful, I'd say wait about 2-4 minutes per ring. - Dress right and bring food: I went in full formal gear, slacks, white button-up, and polished shoes and grabbed a pack of giant cinnamon rolls from a local mom-and-pop spot. - Do your homework first: Since I’m not from the area, I brought up what I already knew about the city and station culture. I asked them to check if my info was right and to fill in the blanks on things you can't find online. - Be Vulnerable & Get Reps: I was honest and expressed that I was nervous and that this was my first interview. I asked if they would be willing to drill me with some questions and give me feedback. That conversation led to one of the captains giving me a solid goldmine of advice. Key Interview Topics to Master According to the captain, you should be ready to speak on these core topics for almost any department interview: - Who are you? (Your background, character, and story) - Best decision you've ever made - Worst decision you've ever made - Conflict and resolution - Most physically demanding experience - A time your integrity was questioned - A time your honesty was questioned - Why are you here? (Why this job, why this city, why this department) - What motivates you? - What do you know about the department you're applying to? - Your work ethic