If you are asked to perform a task that you are unfamiliar with, how do you respond?
Becoming a great Firefighter requires constantly learning new skills. There are many things a Firefighter may be asked to do that they are not familiar or comfortable with. The interviewer wants to know if you are willing to ask for help. If a Firefighter performs a task they are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with, it could put them, their crew, and the public in danger.
You might have been taught to perform a task differently than what is being asked of you, and you should not be embarrassed or afraid to say you are unfamiliar with the way the person assigning the task is asking. You might have never been taught how to perform a particular task. The interviewer wants to hear that you are self-aware and realize when you need clarification or assistance with an assignment. If you do not ask for clarification, you may do the task incorrectly. For example, if you are asked to use a tool you have not trained with, you might use it incorrectly and cause harm to yourself or others or damage the tool.
If you have been given an assignment in the past that you were unfamiliar with, use that example in your response. If you have not encountered this situation before, let the interviewer know that you are not afraid to ask for help. They want to hear that you will not be a liability to their department if hired.
"If I am unfamiliar or uncomfortable performing a task, I let the person know. I would tell them that I would find a crew member to teach me how to perform that task safely. I would then train on that task until I felt confident in performing it. I am not afraid to ask for help because if I do something incorrectly, it could hurt me, my crew, or a member of the community."
Avoid saying that you would perform the task to the best of your ability without asking for help or clarification on how to do the job. The interviewer does not want a Firefighter who will stumble through an assignment and possibly perform it incorrectly.
While there are some things you need to figure out as you go when working as a Firefighter, if you are assigned a task and do not know how to do it, you will be doing a disservice to your crew and the community you serve. If you do not tell the person assigning the task that you do not know how to do it, you and others may become injured or killed.
"If I were asked to do something that I did not know how to do, I would tell the person giving me the assignment that I do not know how to perform that task. I would ask if they could show me how the task should be done. Once I was given instructions, I would not need assistance with that task in the future. I learn quickly, and once I know how to do something, I do not forget. I do not have a problem asking for help or clarification with an assignment because I know if I performed that task incorrectly, it could harm someone."
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Anonymous Answer
If I was asked to perform a task that I am unfamiliar with, I would be honest with the person that assigned me the task that I do not know how to perform the task at hand. I would ask if they could show me and then I would make it a focus to practice that task over and over. I do not view asking for help as a weakness, because failure to do so could get somebody seriously injured or killed.
Amanda's Feedback
Good job! Asking for clarification or a demonstration is appropriate when it's something you haven't done before. Doing so shows that doing something right and well is more important to you than appearing to not need help. These are important characteristics when your safety and that of others are on the line. You can consider giving this answer more impact by talking briefly about a time when you learned a valuable new skill by asking for help and then honing the skill yourself once familiar with.
Anonymous Answer
If I was asked to perform a task that I was unfamiliar with, I would ask for help. The last thing I would want to do is do the task wrong because of my ego.
Amanda's Feedback
This situational question is a great opportunity to use a real-life example of how you handle the situation when you are learning something new. Consider talking about a time you were asked to do something new, how you thought the task through, and the actions you took to master it. Are you a tactile learner that learns by trying it yourself under supervision? Did you research? Did you ask a colleague to show you what to do? Finally, share the positive outcome - Were you ultimately able to perform the task without error after practice? Sharing an example makes your answer more memorable and unique to you while giving the interviewer greater insight into the way you learn and cooperate with others.
Anonymous Answer
I would let the person know that I am unfamiliar with this task and request guidance. I would also ask that after I complete the task I could review it with the individual to ensure that it was done properly. I would then make a note to continue to practice the task until I am proficient.
Amanda's Feedback
With this question, the interviewer is trying to determine if you are excited to tackle new challenges and have strong problem-solving skills. It's important to remember - it's okay to not understand some things, and it's appropriate to ask for help. A good supervisor would rather you seek clarification before wasting time or causing more work because you didn't understand what was required. If the situation permits, you can do research on your own and then list which parts of the task you don't understand before asking for clarification from your supervisor or senior team member. Your answer makes it clear that you're willing to ask for help, eager to learn, and willing to put in the work to master new tasks.
Anonymous Answer
I would tell the higher ranking firefighter or more experienced firefighter that I am unfamiliar with the task and ask them to either show me how to do it, or see if someone familiar with the task could do it instead because if I tried to conduct the task with no experience or understanding of how to complete it, I could either hurt myself, a member of my crew, or a patient.
Amanda's Feedback
Your answer shows that the willingness to ask for help is actually a strength and ensures everyone stays safe on the job. You can improve this answer further by confirming that you'd continue to practice the new task so that you'd be well prepared to perform it in the future.
Anonymous Answer
If I am asked to perform a task that I am unfamiliar with I will ask for help from someone that has done that task before or ask for instruction on how to do said task. I don't want to do a task that I'm uncomfortable with when I could be putting someone's life at risk, whether that be a co-worker or a passerby. When we have downtime I would continue to work on the task so I can perform it more confidently.
Amanda's Feedback
This is a strong response! It shows that you know how to ask for help or utilize resources available to get things done while recognizing that doing things correctly is important to keeping others safe.
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