CLIENT INFORMATION FROM THE FBI

Just to give you a little information in case you want to share with your other clients, the FBI is not doing panel interviews at the regional offices like they usually do, but is instead doing them at local field offices. While this helps to reduce long distance travel, it is causing a lot of slow downs and stress on recruitment as field offices have not been trained/prepared to host panel interviews. So if your other clients don’t have dates yet either, it may just be because their local office is adjusting to this major change in process.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR THE PHASE II INTERVIEW (feedback from clients)

Smaller offices use MASKS.

Larger facilities use PLEXIGASS

Whatever they use, just stay focused on letting them get to know YOU – THE PERSON!

DEEP SOUTH OR MILITARY — WHATEVER –

DROP THE “SIR” AND “MA’AM”

Easier said than done, but the words are too formal for this interview.

The “end-game” of this interview is for them to get to know YOU – the real YOU.

They are asking themselves

            “Would I want to sit in a car with this person for 8 hours?”

            “Who is who is this person?”

            “Do we want him or her on our team?”

Talk to these interviewers like they were “people” – coworkers.

This is the demeanor that works the best!

BE YOURSELF!

10-15-20

I wanted to let you know I passed phase II!

I definitely would not have been prepared without you!

I’m glad I purchased the premium package as your unlimited advice on my stories was crucial to helping me polish them.

If I could give any advice to future applicants it would be to follow all of your advice, especially about being yourself and trying to bring humor to the interview if possible.

 One more thing I think should really be reiterated as the agent who conducted the group pre-interview meeting/briefing as well as all three agents who interviewed me expressed…they are on your side!!! They desperately want you to succeed and pass the interview.

They are NOT comparing you to the other applicants. They just have to be able to “check all the boxes” while interviewing you to see if you have the qualities and characteristics they are looking for.

Every applicant who passes the interview is a win for the FBI. They need agents.

Knowing this should help calm your nerves. I was EXTREMELY nervous at first and my voice was even shaky during my very first response, but as soon as I got through that first one I just relaxed and told myself they wanted me to succeed. 

My ability to recall the details of my stories which were critical to answering the questions was not about memorization so much as extreme familiarity.

 I recorded each of my stories on my phone and listened to them over and over (until I was bored to tears!!)  just to make sure I wouldn’t draw a blank or leave out crucial details during the interview.

Carole, thanks again for your dedication to your profession in helping applicants succeed in the phase II interview!!!!!

I am extremely grateful to have found you!

10-12-20

Just wanted to pass along the information I learned today. I PASSED!!!

Thank you for all of your help. Such a great feeling knowing the agents consider me to be someone they want to work with and that I was able to give them that confidence.

Thank you for all of your interview coaching and for the additional words of advice that I’m sure extended beyond your services.

I greatly appreciate you and hope we can stay in touch.

10-08-20

CAROLE!! I PASSED!!! 

I can’t believe it. I just received an email congratulating me. Thank you for your help. I couldn’t have done it without your direction and your patience. I am lucky to have found you online.

FYI— No plexiglass. We all wore masks. Small office. Intimate environment. Nice agents. 

10-01-20

I PASSED!

Just received official word tonight that I passed my Phase 2 FBI interview!!! I’m so excited I wanted to let you know immediately. 

As for the interview itself, my biggest advice is…and this should come as no surprise…be yourself. Wait, let me say it louder for the people in the back. BE YOURSELF

My interview was far from perfect. In fact, I had to skip a question at first and use the same story twice…BUT I feel that because I gave a wide variety of stories (professional, college, and personal) they really got to know me as a person. 

I was fairly confident before using your program, but I believe you really helped fine tune my skills and ensure I was fully prepared. Thank you so much. 

10-01-20

CAROLE!!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW!!!! THIS IS SUREAL!!! 

Thank you for all of your help, I couldn’t have done this without you. Your preparation was GOLDEN. 

I will say I was thrown off the cuff a few times but I stuck to the stories we went over and just kept talking. I knew my stories like my life depended on it, in fact I still catch myself telling the story to the trees outside.

When you said “BE YOURSELF” I took that literally in fact I was so much myself I really thought I screwed it up, but you were right. I didn’t try to impress them, I just showed them who I was. 

I cant  believe it!!! Thank you so much!!!!! 

I PASSED the FBI Interview! – week of September 21-25 – 2020

Hi Carole,

I just found out this morning, I passed!  Thank you for everything!  Your system certainly does work!

Two weeks before —

Just finished the interview.  

Glad it’s over, they asked two things I didn’t anticipate but I always gave a story.  

I couldn’t fit or adapt two strong stories of my bunch that I wanted to tell as my nerves simply neglected to access them in my memory until after it was over.  

Nonetheless I want to say thank you for all your help, I can see why you say you have to prepare for this interview and understand the 20-60-20 format.  

I got in my five points in at the end and tried to get them to know me personally.  Overall not sure how it went but I’m hoping for the best!  They were very professional and wrote the entire time as expected but overall I think I gave them a good picture of Michael.  It’s very easy to harp on it after the fact and it’s tempting to dissect and have regrets as with any interview.  I’ll let you know when I find out the outcome but I believe on little sleep and with nerves you really prepared me very well to make up for those shortcomings.

 I was extremely nervous at first but when I dove into the questions which I only hope were applicable to the question looking back, I felt prepared from all our work and it calmed me down quite a bit.  What really helped me was hearing the stories you told me of others who also felt it whizzed by and were unsure how it went or even worried it was a disaster.  Knowing it didn’t have to be perfect went a long way!

———-

 #2

I just received my Phase II testing results and I passed!!!!!

Your guidance and tough love along the way helped me tremendously. I want to thank you for everything!

The day before my interview (when I arrived in Atlanta) I felt confident and I was even a bit excited. I couldn’t wait to tell them all about me. During the interview, I was still a bit nervous but I was able to answer every question confidently.

By the end of the interview I was certain they knew much more about me than the last time. I even finished my interview a bit early.

I was prepared!!

Thanks again!!

———-

#3

Carole,

I know it’s been awhile; everything was delayed for me because of COVID and then travel restrictions for DOD.

I finally had my interview last week and just received confirmation that I passed!

The best part is that I knew walking out of my interview that I had passed!

As far as morphing, I only had to on a couple questions. I had practiced it so much though, morphing one story for each factor to almost any of the other factors that I didn’t even have to think about it, and in the end they came out fluidly and fit perfectly!

Without practice I would probably have been lost scrambling for something to say.

Your coaching was completely on point, and not only was I cool, calm, and collected walking into my interview, and knew waking out that I had passed.

I can’t thank you enough for all of the help!

———-

 #4

Hi Carole,

Thank you!

The interview went fine. It wasn’t perfect, by any stretch, but it was authentic and my answers were genuine. 

I think it is important to be confident in both your answers and body language, not worrying about trying to impress and make sure the interviewers know about you the person. Have your stories ready, but be comfortable morphing or coming up with new stories as well. 

Thanks again,


“Received my results back from my phase 2 interview and I passed!!”

GOOD NEWS   \o/

Hi Carole,

I just received my results back from my phase 2 interview and I passed!! I wanted to thank you for your tough guidance through my preparation. I really gave them an impression of who “I really was.”

 The biggest thing I did was listen and be myself.

Question, factor, story is all I kept saying in my head.

I had them laughing in the beginning with my sense of humor so that helped me relax and just use my experience to guide me through.

Lastly, I used most of my stories but had to morph a couple of times. You were right I actually had stories come to me that I didn’t prepare, which was fine.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate everything!

NOT SO GOOD NEWS

FROM A CLIENT

So, I got an email today stating that due to implementations to the special agent selection system,

Phase 2 results may be delayed up to 90 days.

Have you heard of this before?

My reply —“NO.”

We all know “nothing” is normal – so expect delays in every direction of this process.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING YOURSELF…..from clients who passed Phase II.

————

7.23.20

Hi Carole,

I just received my results back from my phase 2 interview and I passed!! I wanted to thank you for your tough guidance through my preparation. My 5 points came in handy and my “Why the FBI” Really gave them an impression of who I really was. The biggest thing I did was listen and be myself.

Question, factor, story is all I kept saying in my head. I had them laughing in the beginning with my sense of humor so that helped me relax and just use my experience to guide me through.

Lastly, I used most of my stories but had to morph a couple of times. You were right, I actually had stories come to me that I didn’t prepare, which was fine. Thank you so much, I really appreciate everything!

————

6.25.20

At the end of it, I could tell they liked me. I was 100% myself, I did not try to tell the stories perfectly, I tried to tell them like I would tell them to my coworkers. I fumbled, I was awkward, but I was me. 

And that was good enough for them.

Thank you Carole for all of your encouragement, for telling me to not be a perfectionist in the interview, to not overthink.

That was the best advice, and I truly needed to hear that constructive criticism.

 I truly felt prepared, relaxed, and ready to let these Agents get to know “me.”

A RED LETTER DAY – I PASSED – I PASSED – I PASSED — FBI Interview

RECEIVED 6-25-20

Carole,
Add me to your list of successes because I totally passed.
THANK YOU CAROLE!

I doubt I could have done with without your help.

—————

Carole,
I just wanted to let you know that I received an email from the FBI this morning saying I passed phase II.
Thank you for all the help and candid feedback you’ve given me, I don’t think I would have passed
without it. Hopefully the rest of the hiring process is smooth sailing.
Thanks again

————-

Carole,
I received the “good news” today. I passed Phase II!
Obviously I cannot disclose much of anything due to the NDA, but
here is what I will say:

I remember going in there, all smiles, and cool; calm; collected, as
you advised. The agents were very nice and welcoming. I thought
alright, this won’t be so bad.

The first two questions went great, then the next 11 came. Almost
every single felt like a curveball. I kept thinking, I had the perfect
story for that but I already used it.” I had that thought for almost
Every. Single. Question.

So what did I do? I took a minute to think,

I morphed,
I drank some water, I laughed to myself,

I thought on my feet. I answered the question. Even if it was with a
story I had not prepared…which happened a lot.

I took a solid 30 seconds after each question was asked to identify
the factor, then pick my story.

Or at least I tried to. Sometimes I was like, well I have no idea
what the factor is, but I have an answer!

I walked out of there thinking well, I made them smile and laugh,
got a lot of nodding, and most of all: I answered the questions.

Here’s what is even funnier: I used just over half of the stories I
had prepared. The rest I pulled from the depths of my long-term
memory storage, on the spot. This, I will say, is necessary to pass.

You HAVE to be able to think on your feet.

I am also proud to say — I did not skip any questions, and even
when I did not have the “perfect” story for a few of the questions, I told myself, “Just give them a dang story.” And I did. And it worked!

At the end of it, I could tell they liked me. I was 100% myself, I
did not try to tell the stories perfectly, I tried to tell them like I
would tell them to my coworkers. I fumbled, I was awkward, but I
was me.

And that was good enough for them.

Thank you Carole for all of your encouragement, for telling me to
not be a perfectionist in the interview, to not overthink.

That was the best advice, and I truly needed to hear that
constructive criticism.

I truly felt prepared, relaxed, and ready to let these Agents get to
know “me.”

All the best,

—————

NOTICE RECENTLY RECEIVED FROM A POSTPONED
“MARCH” INTERVIEW CANDIDATE

You will be invited the next time we are interviewing in your region.
Please continue to be on the lookout for an invitation in the upcoming months.

Thanks for your patience.

————–

FEEDBACK FROM A CLIENT

And yes, I listened to the recordings as you suggested. It really
helped me “massage” my stories. Your 5 points were the key
where i used the finger method you taught. The other thing is try
not to “memorize’ the stories. It definitely flows better when you’re
telling it from your feelings.

The other key thing is to relax. The agents saw how nervous I was
and repeated emphasized that they understand the feeling I’m going
through, they were once in my seat too.

Even the FBI isn’t powerful enough to stop COVID-19

I know that many interviews are being postponed, but postponed does not mean — cancelled.  So, I encourage you to keep preparing.

Once they decide that we can go back to our everyday lives, I am sure they will jump fast.

I am very flexible – I am in CA – “lockdown,” and have more time to spend reading stories or talking to clients or potential clients.

THIS IS FROM A CLIENT

Yes, that’s correct. They have canceled all travel unless it’s mission critical.

My interview was here in DC but the agents fly in from all over the country so I believe that’s why it was canceled. Or maybe because of the close proximity. All of the above I’m sure.

PHASE II – PHASE III  — INTERVIEW POSTPONED?

Please let me know what is happening with your interview. I am offering to do “brush-up” sessions with anyone what has completed the coaching and are waiting for a new interview date.

Most people want to have the information  – “fresh.”

I also am willing to read whatever you want to have critiqued. Just send whatever on over.

PROSPECITIVE CLIENTS

If the process has been slowed down for you and you’re hesitant to get started – you can still prepare. This is a good thing because you can get a head-start.

Here are some options that are not “coaching sessions,” but a way to begin to prepare – just in case they open up full-throttle.

MY PROGRAM

I realize budgets can make a difference regarding what you can afford – or want to invest.

All I can tell you is that I have worked with over 2000 candidates in the past 15 years with a high rate of them passing as a result.

“Your coaching taught me two skills which I believe separated me from others”

Received 4-06-19

I finally received the good news…..it was a pass! 

Your coaching taught me two skills which I believe separated me from others that interviewed. 

1) the ability to concisely and directly explain why I want to be and FBI agent and how to better sell myself. 

2) morphing, morphing, morphing. My entire interview was morphed. Had I not learned this skill I would not have passed. “

www.fbiinterviewcoach.com – learning to “morph” a story is an important part of the program.

From the Coach:

Behavioral stories have a “beginning,” a “middle,” and an “end.”

Not all stories end with a success, but all stories should have an ending – the results.

RESULT

KUDOS OR COMMENTS ARE THE BEST WAY TO END A STORY – THIRD PARTY

ENDORSEMENT.  (IF THERE WAS ONE – IF NOT, OK.)

Third party endorsement is a great way to “brag” about yourself – indirectly. This means saying something through someone else’s words.

 While you are describing yourself or what you can bring to the job, add a quote from someone who said something positive about you. “A gold star.”

A funny thing happened on the way to the FBI interview.

If you have your interview scheduled in a hotel –BEWARE – the Agents are staying in the same hotel!

Funny story and a piece of advice to your future candidates when going into Phase 2.  

On the day of my Phase 2, I got dressed and went down to the lobby to get some breakfast before the big day.  

On my way down, I ran into a woman in the elevator that was in a T-shirt, sweatpants, and looked like she just woke up 2 minutes ago.  She obviously was going down to get some breakfast and go right back to sleep.

I greeted her in the elevator and let her leave first when it was time to exit.  As I suspected she was going down to get breakfast as well.  We were both in line and she was indecisive on what you wanted to eat and almost ran into me with her food getting real close to spilling her food on my suit.  She apologized for almost running into me but instead of me getting mad at her or telling her to be more careful, I smiled at her and told her don’t worry about it she is totally fine.  

She thanked me and asked my name.  I told her and said it was great to meet her and we both went our separate ways.

As the seven of us Phase 2 candidates had just got done with our writing portion, we were asked to wait in the lobby while we were assigned our panel rooms in preparation for the interviews.   She asked us to line up and head to our panel rooms.  

I get to my panel room, knocked the door to be let in and sure enough I was greeted by the lady that I ran into in the elevator and at the breakfast line.  This time she was dressed up and I now found out she was the special agent that wanted to interview me.  

She smiled at me, told me I conducted myself this morning just like she would want an FBI agent to be with the public and we went about our interview.  

I would like to think that I passed my Phase 2 interview because of all the preparation I did and not how I acted before the interview but I’m sure it didn’t hurt either.  

Although my behavior wouldn’t have changed the way I normally treat people regardless of this situation or who is watching.

 

My advice to any candidates going into the interview, is to treat everybody kindly, respectfully and professionally from the minute you board your plane to when you get back home because you never know who you will run into throughout the Phase 2 process and how your behavior could affect the opportunity of a lifetime.

Not much time to prepare?

SHORT TIME FRAME TO PREPARE 

 “I just wanted to follow up and say thank you so much for your help and services! Today I received notification that I passed Phase 2. Even with the short timeline I had to prepare I felt like I was on top of all of the questions they asked me.” 3/27/18

SECOND TIME AROUND  

“I had my phase 2 interview on Dec 4.  I just wanted you to know that I passed this time!  The way you broke all of the information/interview structure down was very helpful.  I found myself much more confident and prepared this time.  I had a different story prepared for each question asked.  The 60 minute interview felt like it went by much quicker.  The agents interviewing me were a pleasure to talk to.”

From a client who passed – 3/28/18

“Please pass on – RELAX, RELAX, RELAX! Drink the water. It’s not a trick. Take your time, think about your answers, and don’t try to be who you think they want you to be.”

www.fbiinterviewcoach.com

 

FBI INTERVIEWS ARE HAPPENING IN MARCH/APRIL

FROM FEBRUARY/MARCH CLIENTS WHO PASSED

 “I prepared a lot on my own, but the info I received from you, the 5 points, are really why I passed.”

Here are things I did good and some things I didn’t do so good:

  1. Smile, Be yourself, Be imperfect and personable. That is normal, they get your nervous, they’ve been there. It’s ok.
  2. Talk with all of the applicants you can in the beginning, be personable, this will also calm your nerves, get you talking.
  3. Be personable with the Applicant Coordinator, again Smile.. (there were many applicants that weren’t)
  4. Go into the interview with good positive energy, this will extend to your interviewees. Everyone there wants you to succeed. (I heard you say that the energy you bring into the room is extremely important, and that stuck with me)
  5. 5-points!!! Hit them early! (This is what allowed me to pass in my belief and I would have never considered building this well rounded picture for them this way)
  6. Have a well thought out story. I missed many good details at times but they knew I was prepared. I even passed on 2 questions, went blank on 1, but mustered up a different story that was actually unprepared. I even had 2 times where they asked for additional detail and had 1 time when they reminded me of the time constraint. Just show them they you put in the hours to prepare in one way or another, they respect it, even if it’s not delivered perfectly. Again, the energy I brought in, and the 5-points upfront allowed me to be imperfect.

  7. I slightly re-framed their questions at times so that it could fit the story I wanted to tell, still just trying to show them the factor they were looking for which worked well.

 

RECEIVED –  3-8-18

I passed my interview and it’s all because of you! Thank you very much! You’re strategies and tough critiques allowed me to do very well on the interview.

Your style and your approach allowed me to excel in the interview. I couldn’t have done this without you and thank you again! Best money I have ever spent.

 Contact me for help with your FBI interview! www.fbiinterviewcoach.com

FBI INTERVIEWS ARE TAKING PLACE AT THE END OF THE MONTH

SHORT NOTICE – One/Two Weeks To Prepare for your FBI interview

I received emails asking it there is enough time to prepare. I have worked with people who have been VERY short on time – as little as a few days to prepare, but we managed to pull it off. It’s not ideal, but just knowing the basics is better than going in cold.

Thanks for the help. Due to time restrictions and late notification of my phase II nomination, I only had about a week to prepare. With your help, I was able to prep myself in about a week. I have no doubt that without your assistance and tough criticism, I would not have passed. I’m very glad I was able to find you!

THE IDEAL SITUATION –

 FOR YOUR FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERVIEW

Ideally, and believe me most are not ideal.

– you would begin to work with me after you have your date assigned. You would contact me 4-6 weeks – depending on your life’s schedule to get the materials to begin your preparation.

– ideally,  you would take a week or two to get prepared and then contact me for our first session. You would send me your stories to critique.

– ideally, in our first session we would go over the “Why this Agency?” and “What makes you qualified – what you bring to the position?” questions. We would go over story-telling techniques and tips.

– ideally, after the first session I would send you the 5 points that I have summarized and written, (depending on which package you purchase) or you will write your own 5 points.

Your 5 points will be your roadmap to answer the big questions –  “Why this Agency?” – and “Why do you think you’re qualified?”

– ideally, you would take a week or more to prepare using the tips and techniques you have learned from our first session. All of our sessions are recorded and you will be sent a link to the recording to listen to – at least that’s what I recommend.

– ideally session #2 would be one to two weeks or so prior to your actual interview.

NOW, all that to say that the greater majority of my clients have NOT had “ideal situations.”

I have coached with as little as three or four days and still have helped people pass. This is not my preferred manner, but sometimes that’s what life deals.

I will support you through email – critiquing anything you send me after our sessions.

I only give straight-forward feedback. Clients send me their written stories and I critique them.

I will tell you if you are ready after our two sessions – most of the time you will be ready. My goal is to get you to pass the interview and I will do everything that I can to do just that. The rest will be up to you.

Any other questions or problems let me know.
Best wishes
Carole

FED JOB SHUTDOWN SUMMARY

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS THE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN THE US

There are 2.1 million employees total and the government hired a total of 174,311 in 2017, even with the Hiring Freeze for almost three months!

FED JOB SHUTDOWN SUMMARY:  I just recommend that you be patient, continue all your positive thinking about your career goals with the US Government, and wait and see what’s next.

(WWW.RESUME-PLACE.COM)

1-22-18

I’ve heard that an applicant might only have a two week window from the time they are invited to Phase 2 to their actual Phase 2 test. Do you think two weeks is enough time to complete your training course and be adequately prepared for Phase 2? That’s my main concern.

From past experience with my clients – once it starts up, it will move fast. It is in your best interest to continue to prepare – at least the basics so that you are not caught off-guard.

FROM SOMEONE WHO DID NOT PASS THE FIRST TIME –

“Boost Your Interview IQ” by Carole Martin provides you with the essential skills and techniques you need to apply in any real life interviewing scenario. If you are truly interested in exploring the fundamentals and learning the essentials of job interviewing, then this book will be an important guide.

Before I read Carole Martin’s book, I must admit that I was lost when it came to interviews. As a young lawyer with three years of experience in my field, I truly thought that I knew everything it took to effectively express myself and market my skills to a potential employer. I had conducted countless client interviews myself, and so I thought I had most question and answer techniques down to a science. But when I flunked my first major interview for a dream job with a prestigious employer, I realized that I needed help from an expert. In hindsight, I wish I had sought out this information earlier.  Perhaps because I was too accustomed to being sought out by others as an expert in my own field of law that I did not realize I needed an expert’s advice on basic interview techniques. 

I am thankful that I contacted Carole Martin and found her book “Boost Your Interview IQ.”  I feel that I have begun the journey towards interview success. In my opinion, learning real life interview techniques should not be about “gimmicks” or “tricks”.  Instead, Carole Martin provides a wide-range of examples that point you in the right direction.  You will learn through a question and answer technique designed by Carole that will give you a thorough understanding of the basics.  Reading this book is the beginning of a journey that will equip you with the essentials of interviewing.  So if you are curious about how to interview, then I recommend you read this book first.  The rest is up to you!”

Self-Preparation Package –  

https://fbiinterviewcoach.com/fbi-package-3.php

FBI, PHASE II – PHASE III

ALL – 1811 FED LAW AGENCIES PREPARATION

 

Q. How much time will I need? I’m, not sure how if I have enough time.

The answer, more often you will have two to three weeks notice for your FBI interview – sometimes more – sometimes less.

Ideally – and believe me most are not ideal

– you would begin to work with me after you have your date assigned. You would contact me 4 or so weeks – depending on your life’s schedule –  to get the materials to begin your preparation.

The greater majority of my clients have not been “ideal.” I have coached with as little as three or four days and still have helped people pass. This is not my preferred manner – but sometimes that’s what life deals.

I will support you through email – critiquing anything you want me to look at after our sessions. Some candidates like to send their written stories and have me comment on them. That is part of the deal and I am glad to do that.

My goal is to get you to pass the interview and I will do everything that I can to do just that. The rest will be up to you.  Get more information about how I coach, the successes of my clients and what to expect at FBIInterviewCoach.com
INTELLIGENCE ANALYST – PHASE III

You helped me prepare for my 2016 panel interview for the Intelligence Analyst position with the FBI. I just wanted to let you know that I just graduated from Quantico, and am currently at my new field office. I just wanted to say THANK YOU so much again!!

I truly don’t think I would have passed without you.

FROM A CLIENT WHO JUST PASSED PHASE II

I really appreciate all the effort you put into helping me prepare. I would use your service again and recommend you to others without a second thought.

Here’s a few of the highlights and a bit of advice for your own knowledge and for your future clients.

-Helping me convert my stories from technical, overly detailed logic/jargon into smooth stories (really just conversations) that highlighted the core competencies. Once I got one or two of them down, my preparation got much, much easier.

A bit of advice to any future clients would be to practice the stories out loud. Sometimes when writing the stories down I felt like I was getting a point across but when I spoke it out loud, I realized I wasn’t. This helped me a ton.

Overall, I’d say that my experience appears to fall in line with the majority of your clients that I’ve seen feedback from. The FBI Agents were very professional, and because I felt very prepared I wasn’t nervous, simply told my stories, morphed a few, and went with some off the top of my head.

Thank you again, DSS/BEX

 

I just wanted to write to let you know that I received an offer for the Diplomatic Security Special Agent Position after passing the oral examination this week. I am certain that the preparation and practice sessions from your program were instrumental in my success.

The advice given by former candidates is still accurate overall, even if the format changes every so often. Having plenty of stories available and being comfortable with walking the panel through your thought process during hypothetical scenarios is very important.

Many thanks for your guidance and coaching and I wish you continued success in your program. I’ll be sure to recommend your coaching services to others who seek to career paths in Federal law enforcement.

 

Carole,

Thanks to your program and confidence in me I passed the Phase II portion SASP.  I have to admit after I heard about you from one of my former colleague, who is now an FBI special agent, I knew that I would enlist your services when the time came.  From our first conversation, you built my trust in you, which lead me to go for the full package. After our first session and listening to that painful recording, it was apparent that my money was spent well. I learned so mush about behavior interviewing techniques, the SAR response structure, and the importance of adding the human element when interviewing.

Successful FBI Phase II client – Practice stories out loud

FROM A CLIENT WHO JUST PASSED FBI PHASE II

I really appreciate all the effort you put into helping me prepare. I would use your service again and recommend you to others without a second thought.

Here’s a few of the highlights and a bit of advice for your own knowledge and for your future clients.

-The way you summarized my “why FBI” from our first session. This really helped me get a handle on how I wanted to present a combination of my personal feelings and skills, as well as the overall process I took to get myself in the interview room.

-Helping me convert my stories from technical, overly detailed logic/jargon into smooth stories (really just conversations) that highlighted the core competencies. Once I got one or two of them down, my preparation got much, much easier.

-One thing that I felt myself doing during the interview was trying to create images throughout my stories…a trick I took from you after you explained the importance of being able to “see” things. I got great feedback from this.

A bit of advice to any future clients would be to practice the stories out loud. Sometimes when writing the stories down I felt like I was getting a point across but when I spoke it out loud, I realized I wasn’t. This helped me a ton.

Overall, I’d say that my experience appears to fall in line with the majority of your clients that I’ve seen feedback from. The FBI Agents were very professional, and because I felt very prepared I wasn’t nervous, simply told my stories, morphed a few, and went with some off the top of my head.

Thank you again,

 

How to pass the FBI Phase II interview

The Phase II FBI interview for the FBI Agent position is one of the most challenging interviews ever.

For starters – it’s a blind interview. That means that the three interviewers who will interview you will only know your first name (official name). Oh, they will have four numbers from your Social Security number as an ID.

Besides being very nervous to sit in front of three FBI Agents (the interviewers) the candidates also have to keep in mind that these three individuals know nothing about them. Where they’re from or what they’ve been doing with their lives.

It’s primarily a “behavioral-based” question interview. These are those questions where you have to supply an example – a story. Preparing your stories ahead of time will make you ready to answer those questions, but will also make you feel more confident in front of these Agents.

Here’s a book recommendation on learning about the “behavioral story.”

Boost Your Interview IQ – Second Edition (white cover – published – 2012) – for a quick brush up on Behavioral Interviewing as well as other questions. It’s a quiz and you determine which is the strongest answer.

The book is available at many bookstores.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0071797467/?tag==interviewcom-20

FROM SOMEONE WHO DID NOT PASS THE FBI EXAM THE FIRST TIME

“Before I read Carole Martin’s book, I must admit that I was lost when it came to interviews. As a young lawyer with three years of experience in my field, I truly thought that I knew everything it took to effectively express myself and market my skills to a potential employer. I had conducted countless client interviews myself, and so I thought I had most question and answer techniques down to a science. But when I flunked my first major interview for a dream job with a prestigious employer, I realized that I needed help from an expert. In hindsight, I wish I had sought out this information earlier.  Perhaps because I was too accustomed to being sought out by others as an expert in my own field of law that I did not realize I needed an expert’s advice on basic interview techniques.”