RCMP RMSI – Are you Ready?

RCMP RMSI – Are you ready? Congratulations. You have been accepted to proceed with the RCMP Applicant process, and you are working your way through each of the steps.  Each phase presents its own challenges, but you know that if you work hard, you can succeed at each level.  But how should you prepare for the Regular Member Selection Interview?  This is probably one of the most difficult phases of the Applicant Process, and not one to be taken lightly.

There are a number of things that you can do to prepare.  For example:

• Learn and remember each of the eight competencies for which you will be interviewed.  But it’s not enough to just remember them.  You have to understand what each one means.   Break down each of the definitions to get a good understanding of the full meaning.
• Go through performance assessments and reviews that you have received from former jobs or from school.  This will help you identify examples that can be used during the Behavioural interview.
• Keep a journal of different situations in which you have been involved, that relate to the competencies, and which you can use during the interview.
• Thoroughly review the RCMP website for their tips on how to prepare for the interview, so you have a better understanding of what to expect.
• Speak to someone who has recently gone through the RMSI, and get some pointers from them. Remember though, that the interview is confidential and no information about the content of the interview is allowed to be shared.
• Review my previous posts, breaking down each of the eight competencies and how you go about getting your examples ready for each one.

However, the one thing that you can do to help you be the most prepared, is to:

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

This is one of the best ways you will prepare yourself  for the interview.

Have your examples ready for the Behavioural component of the interview.  Formulate the responses for your examples using the S*T*A*R formula.  Write them out so you can tweak them and make sure they are organized and concise in the delivery, and that you include all four parts.  Situation, Task, Action and Result. 

Create mock scenarios so you can practice responding to the Situational questions using the A*R*C formula.  Again, write out your responses to these questions so you can get used to responding with Action, Reasoning and Considerations.

For both the Bahavioural and Situational, it is important that you provide full answers.  You will be amazed at how easy it is to forget one of the parts when you are telling your story during the Behavioural questions if you don’t practice and make it seamless.  The same holds true for the Situational questions.  It is easy to remember what action you would take, and even your reasons for that action.  But often times people will forget to include their considerations.

If you are doing this practice alone, you might want to record your practice session so you can play it back and see how you will be seen by the interviewer.  If possible, find someone who can work with you, but look for someone who is experienced in conducting these types of interviews, or reach out to an experienced  Certified Professional Career Coach who has expertise in this area.

Do you know someone who is faced with this challenge?  Feel free to share this post by using the share links at the top of this page.  Also, if you’d like more interview tips, feel free to check out the interview resource page.