I've been in the fire service since 2008 and became a professional firefighter in 2015. It took me five years to secure my first job, with three years of casual testing and two intense years of focused effort. Initially, I struggled with interviews at multiple departments until I realized the importance of aligning with panel expectations, sharing personal stories, and genuinely connecting with the department's mission and culture. This breakthrough led to my hiring at the Everett Fire Department, where I later served on the hiring panel for six years, observing the lack of preparedness among candidates.

After seven years at Everett Fire, I transitioned to the Port of Seattle Fire Department, acing the interview on my first attempt. Leveraging my experiences and insights, I developed a program to help individuals prepare and practice for interviews, addressing a need I wished I had during my own journey.