So You Wanna be a Firefighter?
Here are a few things NOT to do
Many of our stories have focused on how we can be better partners at providing security for our homeland and hometown, and what better way to partner up than to start a career in the homeland security field. You may find yourself wondering what types of jobs would qualify you as a homeland security professional. There are the obvious ones of course: military; federal law enforcement; intelligence officer; police officer; and firefighter. Any of the support roles at those types of agencies are equally important. You could also work in public health, Citizenship & Immigration Services, the Transportation Security Administration, and many other career fields.
The Spotlight Staff may banter about which of us has the cooler job in homeland security or public safety enterprise (as cops, firefighters, and feds often do), but we all agree that a job in any of our professions is meaningful and worthwhile. Who wouldn’t want to be a firefighter though, right? I mean even the cops wish they were firefighters.
We thought about giving tips to help aspiring public servants and we may in the future and if our audience would like to see it. This time however we decided to share some of the mistakes we see from our job seekers, so you don’t have to repeat them.
It’s true that many fire departments, police departments, and federal law enforcement agencies are hiring now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring your “A” game. The jobs we offer are not easy, and we’re looking for the best candidates. We want to work with you, but you have to show us you can measure up. We’re selective because the public deserves our best, as do the people you will be working alongside. Remember that hiring is a competitive process, and in many cases less than 1% of the applicants for any position will make it through the hiring and training processes.
So with that in mind, and with thanks to our partners at the Virginia Beach Fire Department, here a few things to avoid if you want to join our ranks.
Be kind, be safe, and watch out for each other.
-The Spotlight Staff
p.s. The list of things people do to fail the polygraph test and background investigation for the police hiring process gets even weirder!
