Some of you may be considering the same thing as you think about your FF application. Using examples which are interesting, unusual and compelling is a tall order but you also know that anything that’s mediocre or run of the mill probably isn’t going to get a second look. So how can you make sure you have the sort of experiences you need to get your audience to sit up and take notice?

A key part of this is simply to get out of the house and get involved. Not everything has to take a lot of money; it’s amazing what opportunities present themselves if you are a bit creative in your thinking. It’s also really important to do things that you like, and this will mean you stick at it and get the most out of it. It’s all very well thinking that you should really do some volunteer work but if working in a shelter or mentoring teenagers just doesn’t appeal, there is no point. It’s probably a good indication that your talents don’t lie in those areas and there is something else you should be doing to make the most of your time and making your unique contribution.

Extra activities shouldn’t just be about looking good in an application. It’s about doing things which grow your confidence and broaden your horizons; that get you interacting with people outside of your normal social group and allow you to experience the immense satisfaction of excelling or contributing in some way.

You may be surprised about the richness of experience that new or even your existing activities can provide to both your life and your application. While I was busy thinking I needed to join a marching band or plant trees in Africa, I overlooked the things I HAD done. These didn’t fall into the usual categories, but had a lot to offer after all. It’s worth taking a fresh look at your own experiences; have you done something which you really enjoyed? Have you done something that you are proud of? Have you made a difference, even to just one person? And if the answer at the moment is no, then now is the perfect time to make a start.

Imagine a room full of individuals mad keen to get into the Fire Service. Picture what they may look like. In some respects it’s easy to imagine isn’t it? There is usually one key thing which they will have in common which you may not see in people applying for many other jobs. (Clue: they don’t tend to be the scrawniest bunch of people we’ve ever seen).

Getting promoted

Similarly, think about a group of serving firefighters looking for their next promotion. What might you see? It might not be obvious from a visible perspective, but what you are likely to have is a room of people who have registered their interest in progression, had a word with their boss or are keeping their ear to the ground about when the next selection process might be. Then they wait.

Now, if you had entered a marathon, would you register your interest then wait? Or would you register and then get started on making sure you are up to the task?!

Fitness doesn’t just mean one thing

When we run our Firefighter Bootcamps we spend a few minutes going round the room asking what people have done so far to prepare for this demanding role. 100% can detail, at length, the physical fitness activity they have committed to for the last year or more. They list team sports and individual training, extreme activities and strength building. They would not dream of waiting until they got a letter through the post inviting them to attend their fitness tests, and THEN start thinking about getting in shape. That would be crazy!

But then, if we asked ‘and what have you done to prepare for the selection tests? What training have you been doing for your brain? What focus have you given to your attitudes? What about your behaviour?’ We would be met with pretty blank looks. Because honestly, who does prioritise this? It’s easy enough to go for a run or hit the gym, but anyone properly interested in becoming a firefighter should know that this component is only a fraction of the selection process. And more important than that, it only accounts for a fraction of the role of a Firefighter.

Sticking with your comfort zone? So is everyone else!

You might approach firefighters to talk about the role, go into your local station or contact friends or acquaintances who can fill you in. You join a gym; you know that you have to show willing, so you volunteer for a few extra duties. These things take commitment, but are still relatively straight-forward, and lots of people do them. And all these people tend to get the same results.

Remember, for most of us it is easy to fall into the trap which limits the steps we are prepared to take to the ones we feel comfortable and familiar with. But these may not be the only steps which will get you to where you want to be.

Take a deep breath, and step outside the box

It’s far harder to step outside the box and see what else you may have to do. When you don’t know where to start, it is a lot more straightforward to stick to what you know, but in order to achieve your goals, there is a lot more you need to do.

Whether you are limbering up for the big jump up the corporate ladder or getting in shape to be suitable firefighter material it is vital that you think of your ‘fitness’ from several perspectives.

To be selected or promoted you need to learn how to prove yourself. You need to learn how to present EVIDENCE. You need to start to train your brain and review your behaviours.

Fit on the inside and out

It’s fairly easy to spot if someone has been working out and fine tuning their physical fitness. It’s not so obvious what you have been doing to prepare yourself on a deeper level. But this does not mean it is any less important. In fact, it is the one big difference between those who will succeed, and those who will be disappointed.

With the FRS you are luckier than you might think; you do have plenty of guidance about what you need to achieve- the assessments shouldn’t be a complete shot in the dark. The answers you are looking for are right there in black and white- in the PQA framework. But the question remains – how do you make sense of it?

You wouldn’t be alone if you are finding it a struggle to work out what it all means. After all, the PQA framework covers a lot of concepts.

The good news is, it is just a list of examples of how you might demonstrate a particular skill (or PQA). It’s not a prescriptive list of everything you HAVE TO do. That’s why it’s such a mistake for people to think they have to memorise the framework. It isn’t what’s needed at all!

For example, to demonstrate ‘Openness to Change,’ the framework suggests a Firefighter would need to:

This might seem a bit difficult to get a handle on, a bit theoretical. It can put you off. But if you break it down, all it is actually saying is, ‘show you can be flexible about change and that you will do what you can to support this for the good of the organisation’. There are loads of ways you might be able to show this, and each individual will do so in their own unique way.

So if what is in the PQA framework doesn’t really sound like you, don’t worry, it doesn’t have to. You just have to work out what it is you DO actually do, and focus on that.

In this DVD we cover

• The biggest mistakes that will put an end to your Firefighting career before it’s even started (and how to avoid them!)
• The easy way to fill in your Application form and open the door to the next stages (so you get a chance to storm the fitness tests and impress real firefighters in your interview);
• How to showcase your talents and hit your personal best (we guarantee you WILL NOT be doing this properly at the moment and it IS costing you your trainee Firefighter place)
• The little known secrets of making yourself a better candidate EVERY single day, so you can get started right away while your competition wastes time doing all the wrong things
• Why 90% of Application forms are disregarded straight away (and how to make sure yours isn’t one of them)
• How to make your assessors really sit up and take notice- so you go straight to the top of the ‘yes’ pile once and for all!
• How you can look at your application with fresh eyes and see EXACTLY why your answers are being rejected, and EXACTLY what you need to do to fix your mistakes.
• The short-cuts to getting ready for the written tests and making sure your answers are SPOT ON which you can start using immediately
• Which pieces of advice on the Internet about becoming a Firefighter are downright wrong (you MUST know this to do well)
• How to make sure you don’t scupper your chances of passing your Interview with flying colours
• The proven formula for SAILING THROUGH the 2 most important answers (and what these are!)
• How you can dramatically reduce the time you spend preparing- and get much better results

PLUS – Extra Materials

• All the extra PDF documents, exercise materials, quizzes and question sheets you need to work through this information as effectively as possible.

 
Statistics show that 90% of people fail the application process. With our knowledge 75% of applicants pass!

 

Here is what they had to say

Example Feedback Form from our last Bootcamp – Click to view

The following tips will help you:

1. Make photocopies of the application form to practice on*. Make sure you keep the original form for your final copy though!

2. Read through the form slowly and make sure you understand it. It’s easy to make silly mistakes from rushing or not paying proper attention.

3. Draft your answers in rough first. Think carefully about your examples and how they prove what sort of person you are.

4. Instructions on the form will tell you how to fill it in. Block capitals, black ink and so on; make sure you follow these instructions.

5. Do not leave blank spaces, If it asks you to supply a postcode or telephone number make sure you do it, and put it in the right box!

6. Check spelling and punctuation, then get a friend or colleague to double check it for you, then write out your final copy carefully.

7. Make sure you get it sent before the closing date and allow extra time for slow postage and delays.

*Or contact us to request an electronic practice one.

Application forms are designed to screen you out rather than in. Because of this you need to put a lot of thought and effort into answering each question, to be competitive in your application. The application form must impress, if you don’t make the effort to fill it in correctly, don’t expect any Fire and Rescue Service to make the effort to read it or invite you for the next stage. Remember this is the only chance you have of getting to the next stage, so take your time and do the best you can.

Candidates are required to provide examples of where they feel they meet the essential requirements of the role; these are called Person Qualities and Attributes (PQAs). Candidates who meet the essential requirements are short listed and invited to the next stage of the selection process. (You can find much more about the PQAs at http://www.frsdevelopment.com/what-are-pqas)

It is important to be 100% honest in your application. Make a copy of your completed application before submitting, it is invaluable to have a record of exactly what you said on the form for when you get called for an interview.

With the Fire Service we are luckier than we might think; we do have some guidance about what we need to achieve so the assessments aren’t a complete shot in the dark. The answers you are looking for are right there in black and white- in the PQA framework.

Now you may already have looked there, but are finding it difficult to work out what it all means. After all, the PQA framework covers a lot of concepts, and it would be impossible to demonstrate them all. But that isn’t a problem, because you aren’t meant to. The PQA framework lists examples of how you might demonstrate a particular skill area. For example, to demonstrate your ‘Openness to Change’ the framework suggests a Firefighter would need to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the need for progress within the Fire and Rescue Service;
• Accept change both within the Fire and Rescue Service and in their own role and adapts effectively;
• Be aware of the impact of changes to the Fire and Rescue Service on their role;
• Identify ways of supporting change and take action where possible.

If you break this down, what it is actually saying is, ‘show you can be flexible about change and that you will do what you can to support this for the good of the organisation’. There are loads of ways you might be able to show this, in your own individual way. It’s not that you are expected to demonstrate it exactly how the PQA framework describes it; it’s more than you need to make sense of it yourself using terms that mean something to you. Here are some examples of PQAs made easy! You might choose to write them slightly differently, but as long as the essence of what they describe is the same, it doesn’t really matter.

* Middle and Strategic Managers only

For more details of the PQAs at your level, click the appropiate link below-

Firefighter PQAs
Supervisory PQAs
Middle Manager PQAs
Strategic Manager PQAs
PQA Framework

Once you have worked out how to make the PQAs more meaningful to you, then you can work out how you will go about showing how capable you are of doing these things in your own individual way.

At our in-depth and practical training event:

• Learn the secret of how just 10 minutes every day can send your promotion potential through the roof?
• Get invaluable feedback on your current standard of performance
• Find out the 5 BIGGEST MISTAKES people make in their ADC 1 and how YOU can avoid them
• Learn the easy-to-apply formula for writing answers which score the highest marks
• Have a chance to take part in a mock group discussion exercise and find out how effectively you get your points across
• Gain all the insights you need to properly showcase your talents and perform to your PERSONAL BEST (you WILL NOT be able to do this unless you are taught how)
• Have a go at a role-play to gain a fascinating insight into what you excel at, and what you do which could be jeopardising your promotion
• Learn our inside tips on how to consistently get top scores in both stages of your ADC (you will be amazed how easy these are to apply!)
• Improve your confidence to perform on the day without being effected by performance crippling nerves
• Get the inside track on the 3 simple ways to instantly increase your promotion potential – starting immediately

This training gets RESULTS. Out of the boot camp attendees we have heard back from, 100% of them passed their ADC1 by the end of that year and 80% have now passed their ADC2.

PLUS

It’s Great Value- even more affordable than last year!

Select your date and venue from October 2010- Nottingham; March 2011- Bristol; or July 2011- Birmingham

There has been a lot of upheaval in recent years with regards to assessment and career progression in the UK fire service. What used to be a relatively straightforward matter of getting through your exams and then applying for promotion has changed dramatically – it is no longer about promotion, but about development. The processes used now are much more lengthy and multi-faceted, and include Assessment Development Centres (ADCs) where candidates are assessed on their Personal Qualities and Attributes (PQAs).

This article looks at what candidates considering promotion at supervisory, middle and strategic management levels in the service can do to prepare for and successfully negotiate the ADC process, and move one step closer to promotion.

Assessment processes

Promotion opportunities in the fire service were previously related to success in technical examinations. For many people, this system appeared more manageable – in that you revised and hoped that the right questions would come up. However, under the new assessment processes which have been introduced in the service, candidates undertake an ADC, during which assessors evaluate how well the underlying attitudes and behaviours of candidates match the PQAs – the core values and priorities of the service.

Although these new processes have been in place for a few years, they are unfamiliar to many in the service, and many candidates are rather less confident in gaining promotion than individuals were under the previous system. This apprehension has nothing to do with ability, but more to do with uncertainty about what is expected at an ADC and how to get it right. But, while a candidate cannot ‘revise’ as such for an ADC, they can certainly prepare and improve their chances of passing.

ADC exercises

An ADC is not a place, but an event which allows assessors to assess the potential of a candidate for further development. It can be held anywhere – a fire service headquarters or an external venue – that has sufficient rooms to manage the different activities in close proximity. It may take up to a full day and, generally, up to eight candidates are assessed on any one day.

The day consists of several different activities or exercises, which are job simulations reflecting the types of activities/tasks you would have to do in the position being sought. This gives a ‘preview’ of your potential, and how effectively you are likely to perform in future roles.

The event is carefully timetabled to ensure each candidate has the same amount of time to complete each exercise, and there are regular breaks throughout the day. Candidates may find that they complete the exercises in a different sequence, but all will have completed the same activities by the end of the ADC within exactly the same timeframe.

The assessors will generally be fire service managers and human resources/support staff. Each exercise is assessed by two assessors, who sit discreetly at the back of the room during role-play exercises. They are not there to judge you personally, but to match the way you behave against the PQA criteria. Two assessors will also mark your written work, but this is usually done after the event.

The role-players that you will do the exercises with may be professional actors or fire service personnel who have volunteered to take part. Their role is to work with the script they have for each exercise and adapt it, depending on what you say, but making sure they provide certain information needed for the exercise. They will also have information that they will not volunteer unless you ask, or make it easy for them to do so through the approach you take. The role-players do not have any part in assessing you.

Misleading advice

There is a great deal of well-meaning advice available with regard to how to get the best out of an ADC but, unfortunately, not all of it is accurate. Here are a few of the popular misconceptions that candidates might have:

1) I need to revise topics such as legislation, technical developments and procedures

This is not the case. The ADC exercises are based on the PQAs, which show your potential to be a good manager. If you consider the really effective managers, it is often not their technical skills that first come to mind. It is far more likely that your perception of their management skills is based on factors such as how they build cohesive teams, resolve problems, communicate their view and ensure high standards are maintained.

2) I need to memorise the Generic BARS

The Generic Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales (Generic BARS) provide a comprehensive guide to effective behaviours which are specific to the fire and rescue service, and are used to score candidates for ADC exercises and assess their potential.

There is so much information contained in these guidelines that once you begin an exercise, it will be very difficult to remember it all. Plus, not all of it will be relevant. It is far better to read through this information in a general sense but to not become too fixated on retaining it. If you understand the concepts of the PQAs, you will automatically demonstrate the right behaviours.

3) I need to be able to recite key phrases of the PQAs

The assessor can easily spot a ‘buzz phrase’ from a candidate during an exercise, and is not often impressed. For instance, stating that ‘I intend to build relationships with others’ provides limited evidence of your real approach to working with others. Instead, if you describe how you intend to build these relationships, you present a much more convincing case of your potential to do this effectively in the role.

4) I need to know how to run an airport/leisure centre/council department

The context for ADC exercises is different from the fire and rescue service environment for specific reasons. Across the UK, fire service processes and candidates’ experience can differ. In order to ensure that all candidates approach the ADC from a level playing field, a fictitious external organisation is used as the basis for all the tasks.

All the information you need to understand for the tasks is given on the day. How well you perform them is down to your individual capabilities. Many of the responsibilities of a manager are similar, irrespective of the situation. For instance, irrespective of whether you are the manager of a fire service Watch or a leisure centre, you will still need to be able to work effectively with others, create solutions and provide clear guidelines for others to follow. The context does not matter – how you behave does.

5) I need to find out which PQAs will be assessed during each exercise

Each ADC exercise is carefully put together to give you the opportunity to demonstrate a range of specific skills. The exercise instructions will give you clues as to what you need to do, and the conversations you have with role-players will provide the rest. However, knowing what you will be assessed on in advance means that you may be distracted from resolving the issues faced by instead trying to satisfy the main points of each PQA.

The ADC exercises are about practical demonstration, not theoretical application. For example, you might be told by a colleague that, in your one-to-one role-play, you will be assessed on the PQA for commitment to diversity and integrity. Throughout the role-play, you make repeated reference to respecting individual differences and considering the needs of the community, because you know these are important factors to this PQA. But this approach may well result in you performing badly, if these points have no actual relevance to the issue being brought to your attention in the exercise.

If you had approached the task without any preconceptions, you would have been more likely to pick up on the fact that the individual, for instance, needed to acknowledge their mistakes and be guided towards an ethical approach in relation to personal responsibility. These are also part of the PQA for commitment to diversity and integrity, but they are the behaviours which suit the context.

What you need to cover in the exercises will be more subtle than just throwing a range of PQA references into the role-play and hoping one of them will be picked up on by the assessors.

6) I should find out how other people resolved the exercises

There are various ways to approach different issues, and just because they vary does not mean they are any less effective. Do not try to follow the path others have taken; you need to approach tasks according to your own personal style. By doing so, you will present a much more authentic picture of who you are and how you react to situations.

Preparing for the ADC

There are things candidates can do to maximise their chances of success at an ADC. Not only can you prepare, but you can do so in a way which develops your PQAs, improves your confidence, and raises organisational performance standards.

The following is some advice on what candidates can do to ensure they are in the best position to perform to their highest standards at the ADC:

Understand the role of PQAs

Whereas for the previous examination-based system, detailed knowledge was essential, in your ADC it is the PQAs which are the key. That is not to say that technical skills are not important for fire and rescue service roles – very far from it. Indeed, a number of UK fire services have recently started to incorporate knowledge-based examinations back into a stage of the assessment process.

However, with the ADCs there is the recognition that it takes more than an understanding of the technicalities to be a good manager. Dealing sensitively with people, promoting necessary change, resolving conflict and creating a culture of integrity are just some of the crucial responsibilities a manager faces. How many of us have struggled to work for someone who lacked the ability to understand the needs of others? How much more time is spent in the workplace dealing with breakdowns in communication, rather than breakdowns of equipment?

At the very core of successful ADC performance is an understanding of the behaviours associated with the PQAs – what they are, why they are important, and how you can recognise them.

PQA development

It appears that the relevance of the PQAs in fire service promotion and development processes is not yet sufficiently highlighted at a personal and usable level. Candidates still find it easier to memorise the PQA examples as a means of preparing for an ADC, rather than replicating the positive behaviours that they demonstrate on an every day basis. Within your career, you and your colleagues have demonstrated working with others, for example, in a hundred different ways, but how regularly are you prompted to put these behaviours, positive and negative, into a broader organisational context? It is this sort of feedback which would help individuals to see how they are meeting the PQAs in their current role, and what they might need to do differently to show the potential for their next one.

PQA development is a longer-term solution but, as explained here, candidates can certainly prepare for an ADC and improve their chances of successful promotion. There is a great deal you can do to make sure you showcase your skills in a way which will do your abilities justice. ADC preparation is as much a developmental activity as using practice question papers to prepare candidates in examination techniques. Similarly, athletes with a wealth of raw talent are not expected to compete without first undertaking intensive training. After all, without practice, how else can they be certain of demonstrating their full potential?

Why do not more candidates know about this? Perhaps it is because ADCs are still relatively new, and there is concern that preparation could undermine the process; perhaps it is because there are limited resources within fire services to provide this type of support internally. Realistically, the top priority for organisations has to be managing the rigorous ADC process to ensure candidates are assessed fairly and comprehensively. Rightly or wrongly, preparing for this important event appears to be, at present, the responsibility of the candidate themselves.

The simple answer is it doesn’t matter.

Whether it’s an in basket or an analysis exercise you will need to identify the key pieces of information, decide how they relate to each other, choose your priorities and form specific proposals to address the issues.

Whether the role-play is an ‘internal’ (someone in the same organisation) or ‘external’ (someone from an outside agency), ‘individual’ (you and one role-player) or ‘multiple’ (you and usually two role-players) meeting, you will still need to ask questions and listen to work out what the relevant factors are; you will need to have clear objectives and guide the meeting to achieve these; you will need to show your understanding of the topic and ensure all concerns have been taken on board and tackled.

The name of the exercise doesn’t matter. Here are a few tips to get the best out of ANY ADC exercise:

1. Read the instructions carefully and complete the exercise as you are guided- it can be easy to get carried away and do what you think the instructions have said without properly understanding what it is actually asking you to consider
2. Take a few moments to work out what your objectives are; there will be some which are very obvious i.e. meet with a member of staff to address a performance issue. However there will be other objectives which are perhaps only implied, but you need to make sure you cover these as well. They won’t be completely obscure,
3. Don’t get too hung up on how you present the information (either in writing or verbally) as we all do this slightly differently and really it is the content
4. Don’t defer anything to ‘later’ that you can address now, in this meeting. Remember, there won’t be another meeting, so don’t leave anything unsaid.
5. If you don’t understand anything- ask. You won’t be able to ask an administrator or assessor, but if you are in a group exercise you can ask a fellow participant what they meant. If you are in a role-play and aren’t quite following, ask the role-player to clarify or elaborate. It’s far better to ask the question than try to guess.