Unfortunately, he didn’t score very well, and the feedback he got was....
“You just didn’t sell yourself well. You have everything it takes, but it didn’t come across in the test.”
Ouch!
He got passed up by a younger firefighter he supervised, trained, and mentored. All because of an oral board!
He was discouraged but he didn’t give up.
I felt his pain and resolved that I would test for Captain again and pave a path to success.
It wasn’t easy. I was stressed, spent countless hours training, and invested $35,374 in a year on coaching and training programs. Many of the trainings were specific to firefighting, but also I also took courses on speaking, interviews, leadership, etc.
It was a long busy season but when it came to my test, it all paid off, and I got #1 on the list! BOOM!
This was such a tremendous accomplishment! My family was proud, and my peers were inspired. It was a pivotal moment in my career.
I enjoyed the success for a while, but I knew this was only the beginning. I had a moral obligation and duty to share what I learned with those who struggle, just like my big bro.
I see their value, I see their potential, I see how beneficial their promotion is to the community and department they serve. They just need to figure out how to win these tests!
I had the unique honor to share what I learned about oral boards with my brother. In addition to my help, he also had great support from many others in his department.
Come test day; he was ready... And it all paid off!
He did exceptional on his test!
Shortly after his test, he got promoted to Captain. I had the privilege of being there when his wife placed the captain's badge on his uniform.
I am so proud of him!