London Fire Brigade Success

[Harve88]

After a good few years trying a couple of weeks ago I finally received a contract to start with LFB .

I first applied twice (half heartedly) as a teenager about 10 years ago, just before the brakes were put on the most of the recruitment pushes . Obviously without giving it the proper effort it deserved I didn’t even get through the application form stage .

After years in jobs I hated I started to look again seriously a couple of years ago and think I applied to 9 different brigades in the last 2 years getting to 3 unsuccessful interviews before I applied this time.

Every other time I applied and didn’t get to the interview stage it was purely because I failed on the Apollo online tests. I don’t believe these tests are necessarily hard but I think they just caught me out due to bad preperation.

I was starting to give up on the idea but I gave it one more go and  I decided I wasn’t going to fail on the online tests again so spent a whole weekend practicing timed online numerical, verbal and mechanical tests and passed them.

For those of you getting dissolutioned with constant knock backs and rejections all I will say is don’t give up and keep going. I learnt something every time I was unsuccessful and finally got my reward.

Also give yourself a proper chance on the online tests, these catch loads of people out and mainly I would say due to poor preparation.

[Luminoki]

Congrats mate, all your hard work has paid off ( as im sure you can see ? )

[HoldFast]

Good effort mate well done and well deserved. Enjoy your new career.

[TomWales]

Congrats mate. Inspirational post

[Hattie]

Congratulations! Well done for persevering, heres to the future! 

[Carl]

Firstly, congratulations, your hard work and dedication paid off.

Secondly, there is some good advice in there and yet I still see people who spit their dummies out at the first hurdle, and then sack it. Those who put the effort it, dedicate some time to the preparation, will eventually get in. If you want the job bad enough, you will commit the time required.

[SteelCity]

Well done mate and congratulations. 

[Jet]

I’m jealous. Wish I could relive the times when I joined LFB. Keep up the hard work and you’ll love it. Well done.

[Rory-495]

Congratulations! When did you received your contract/how long after your medical was it? I had my medical 2 weeks ago and wound up like a spring waiting for the next step!!

[OscarTango]

Well done mate. Persistence pays. The Apollo tests are grim but they are doable with practice as you've shown.

Enjoy your the next three months!

[Carefree]

Well done.  You have proven what I’ve been saying for years, if you REALLY want this job then eventually you’ll get it if you try hard enough.

Now the hard work begins, enjoy.

[Noddy]

Well done 

[LondonRookie]

Congratulations @Harve88!!

Good advice. 

I've also been accepted (a few weeks ago) with my welcome day being next week, so we could well be on the same course.

I agree with what you say, the whole process can be frustrating and not hearing back from LFB for a while or even at all can be daunting but stick with it, chin up and try to keep in contact with the key people. My worse fear was that I was going to get "lost" in the system with there being so many applicants, but it seems I had nothing to worry about.

Can't wait for training!

[Keith]

Congratulations to both of you, always good to see posts in success stories.

[Firestorm]

See you at Harrow.

[Brandman]

Welcome to the fold!

[DJ92]

Hey,

How long after you received a phone call from HR asking about holiday and providing you with previsional start dates did you receive your pre contract ? 

[Harve88]

About a week I think 

[HB2016]

Hi all, congrats on your positions! Do you know if the LFB course is residential? I'm 2 hours away and paying to stay up there for 10 weeks could get expensive if I happen to get through the interview!

[Luminoki]

Lfb, like alot of courses, isnt residential. Your best bet is looking at AirBnB maybe. You’ll probably find that you wont be the only one on your course that doesnt live in the London area.

The expense will be worth it in the end though, im sure that if you were asked at the start of the application “if you give LFB 2 grand we’ll skip the interview and youve got the job” you’d find a way 

[DJ92]

Don’t want to run of subject of this feed but are the pre contracts  sent before reffrences are contacted ? 

[Samm1010]

HB2016 - when I had my assessment day the other week most of the lads live out of London. A few of them have arranged for AirBnb's for some of the training venues. If you get that far i'm sure there will be guys & girls in a similar position so do not worry.  Good luck. 

DJ92 - My provisional contract was sent out prior to references, yes. Only when my references were complete and my DBS check was finalised did i receive my formal offer. 

[DJ92]

@Samm1010 thanks for that mate , just waiting now I guess then. I got a call on the 22nd asking my notice period and was then given some dates for uniform  fit/ course. But haven’t heard nothing since.

with the DBS not sure about you but I had this done just before my medical stage and as far as I know it was ok.