That was the first time in more than thirty years as a job h

1.那个句子的意思是“做了三十多年的公务员,Coleman 还是第一次听到这样的话”.其中 "in more than thirty years as a job holder" 是插入语,是用来修饰主语"Coleman"的,没多大意义.你看的时候把它先拆开再去看句子,那么这个句子的结构和意思都很明了了.
2.其实那个句子的句型跟“Ii is the first time that + 从句,从句用"现在完成时" 这个句子的句型一样的.相应地,如果是"It was the first time that + 从句,从句就用"过去完成时",意思都是"这是某人第一次做某事",只是时态的不同.第一句表示"动作刚刚结束或表示过去发生的某一动作对现在造成的影响或结果"; 第二句表示"在过去的某一时间里或动作之前应经完成了的动作(即过去的过去)".例如,Ii is the first time that i have visited that city.和 Ii was the first time that i had visited that city.
3.其实你记熟一些句型和多做些练习就可以的了,试试吧.