Self Control and Composure – RCMP Right Fit Interview Competency 8

Self Control and Composure – RCMP Right Fit Interview Competency 8

In the last installment in my series breaking down the eight RCMP Right Fit Interview (formerly Regular Member Selection Interview) Competencies, we are going to focus on Self Control and Composure.  As I stated in my previous posts, going through the RCMP Application Process and getting ready for the “Right Fit” Interview can be one of the most challenging stages of the process, and one not to be taken lightly.

At this interview, you will be asked behavioural and situational questions that will be used to assess if you meet this competency.

Taken from the RCMP Preparatory Guide for the Regular Member Right Fit Interview, the definition for this competency is:

Keeps emotions under control and restrains negative actions when provoked or faced with opposition or hostility from others, or when working under increasing levels of stress. Maintains stamina and concentration under continuing stress. Refrains from acting on strong emotions such as anger. Is able to stay effective when faced with heavy or long term stresses or challenges.

Self Control and Composure for Behavioural Based Questions

The behavioural question will target your past experiences that demonstrate that you have a strong ability and desire to remain positive and professional under extreme circumstances, and not allow yourself to escalate your emotions when provoked.

For example, you might be asked to tell about a time when you were faced with someone who was becoming aggressive toward you, or when you had to manage extremely heavy workloads under unusually high periods of stress.

When you are preparing for the interview, think about all of the situations where your coping skills were challenged, demonstrating that you maintained a level of calm, and remained positive throughout the situation.   Try and think of examples where you were faced with an extreme situation, i.e. where someone was being unjustifiably angry or aggressive, or when you had way more on your plate than was the norm.  Don’t use just everyday situations that are part of your regular routine.  Think of times where your stress levels were really pushed to the max.   Don’t forget, this doesn’t just have to be work related examples.  You can use volunteer time, sporting events, or periods during your education.   Prepare several stories that you can use during the interview that demonstrate that you have the ability to handle tough situations in a calm and professional manner.      

Remember, when answering these questions, you will articulate your example using the S*T*A*R principle. 

Situation
Task
Action
Result

Self Control and Composure for Situational Based Questions

The situational question will be a hypothetical scenario that will assess how you would handle a certain situation.

The interviewer will provide you with a scenario and ask what you would do.  You will respond by stating the action that you would take if faced with that situation, why you would take that action and what factors you considered.  This is called the A*R*C principle.

Action
Reasoning
Considerations

You might get asked what you would do if you were advised by your supervisor that a co-worker would be out for an extended period of time and he is asking that you pick up that workload, as well as continuing to complete your own responsibilities.  Or what you would do if, during a team  meeting, one of the participants started getting aggressive and disrespectful to the other meeting participants.

Situational questions can be somewhat lengthy, so you have to be careful to pay attention to the entire question and focus on the parts that are relevant.  Think about the action as a series of steps, then state why you would do those steps and what you considered at each stage.

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when focusing on this one competency.  And as I continue to stress, you must be prepared.  Have your examples ready and practice delivering them using S*T*A*R.  Come up with sample scenarios on your own and practice answering them using the A*R*C principle.

Catch up on all parts of this series: RCMP Competencies.

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.