Sometimes small tweaks result in big changes. Like a small stone thrown in a still pond, the ripple from the stone affects the entire pond.

There are small tweaks or changes that can be made in your oral interview presentation that can greatly increase your communication effectiveness and the ripple can be synonymous to higher scores. Often in promotional oral interviews, candidates answer questions in the third person.

For example, Q: "What are the qualities of an effective sergeant?" A: "Sergeants need to be good leaders. They need to be ethical, make good decisions, and..." Who is the sergeant the promotional candidate is talking about? It certainly isn’t him. Who is this mythical sergeant who has all these desired skills?

This is a common interview mistake and tends to create a disassociation between the candidate and the valuable traits he or she is trying to represent. Another way we commonly separate ourselves from our answers is by addressing the panel directly. For example, Q: "How would you supervise an active shooter in a school?" A: "Well, first you need to establish a command post. After assessing the incident, you’ll need to set a perimeter and make notifications..."

The candidate is telling the panel what they need to do. Speaking in first person and remembering to place yourself in every answer can easily fix this problem. Be the star of your own answer by using your "I" language.

Example: "As an effective sergeant, I must possess leadership qualities and my ethics must be harmonious with my actions." Example: "As a front line supervisor, my responsibilities are to establish a command post. I would then ..."

Notice the use of the words "I" and "my," which represents a candidate talking about themselves in the first person in the role of a sergeant.

This is much more effective and powerful than describing someone else who has all the desired qualities, but someone other than you. Presenting your answers in this manner illustrates a candidate who is discussing personal traits rather than generic ones, and this simple technique exemplifies a professional who is ready to assume the role he or she is vying for.

Andy Borello is a lieutenant with the San Gabriel PD, a California POST Master Instructor, a career development and promotional preparation consultant, and the author of "Oral Interview Dynamics." Andy welcomes your comments at www.leopromotion.com.

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