Montana questions

Ever since my experience with Senior Keg-ger day in Montana, I would make a point to ask each applicant I was required to interview about their town.

I would conduct interviews of applicants who required waivers.  Waivers for something in their past, usually minor issues -- stole a pack a bubble gum from the store.  Stupid kid tricks I would call them.  But when I finished I would always ask if there was anything else we needed to discuss.  Anything at all.  The answer was always no.  Everything was on the application.  I would then launch into Montana questions ---

Me:  "Refresher my memory again, what was your town's name?"
Applicant: Answers with some town in Montana....it really didn't matter.
Me:  "Is there a sheriff for your town?"
Applicant: "Yes, sir."
Me:  "How long has the sheriff been sheriff?"
Applicant:  "As long as I can remember......"
Me: "So, safe to say, the sheriff knows the town and the surrounding land pretty well?"

It is all in the set up.....

Applicant:  "Well, I guess so."
Me: "So, I would imagine the sheriff probably knows all of the roads and dirt paths in the area?"

I would usually get a chuckle from the applicant at this point.  It told me they didn't see the punch line coming.

Applicant: (chuckles) "I am sure he does."
Me:  "All of the one way roads where people might go to say hide while they were drinking underage on a Friday night AND wait for them to come driving down the road.  Give them a ticket, perhaps?"

Silence.  That always indicated the applicant knew they were caught AND was trying to figure out how to get out of the situation.

Let him squirm just a little longer.  When the applicant started to make a sound, it was always best to stop him and just fill in the blanks.  No sense having him lie to me.

Me: "SO.  Is there any minor in possession or consumption of alcohol you want to discuss."
Applicant:  "Yes, sir.  How did you know?"
Me:  "Wild guess.  This is my first time to this rodeo."

I must have conducted over a hundred interviews a year during my time in recruiting.  I can say it always made me laugh when they wondered how we knew. 

"Wow!  I think that is the first time I have every heard that one......"  Haha! 

Until next time.