Why did you choose to become a Fire Investigator?
The interviewer wants to hear your reasons for choosing this profession to understand what motivates you in your career. They want to hear if you were mentored by another Fire Investigator, have family or friends who work in the fire service, if you worked in the fire service and decided to change careers, or heard about fire investigations from a guidance counselor or professor.
Focus on giving your personal reason for choosing this career, responding with enthusiasm and passion. There is no right or wrong answer. The interviewer wants to gain insight into what motivates and inspires you as a Fire Investigator to determine if you will be a good fit for their organization.
Avoid saying you pursued a career as a Fire Investigator for the money and benefits or because you could not get hired in the fire service. If you seem like you are only in this career for monetary reasons, the interviewer will feel you lack passion for the job. If you say that you could not get hired in the fire service, the interviewer will wonder why the fire service would not hire you and question hiring you as a Fire Investigator.
"I chose to pursue a career as a Fire Investigator after working as a firefighter for ten years. I loved working as a firefighter but found the investigative work intriguing. I asked a Fire Investigator with our department if they enjoyed their job, asked specifics about their work, and inquired about how to pursue this profession. After speaking to the investigator that day, she let me ride along on my days off to see what her job entailed. I was hooked and signed up for the Certified Fire Investigator program through the International Association of Arson Investigators."
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