How do I increase my chances of being hired as a Police Officer?
I know that to be hired as LEO is extremely competitive. Currently, I am wanting advice on how to make myself a better candidate. I am currently a freshman attending college for a degree in criminal justice with a minor in spanish. I am also enlisted in the Army Reserves as a 25U (Signal Systems Support Specialist). Once I graduate college I am wanting to attend OCS (Officer Candidate School) and be a Officer in the Army Reserves. After that, I am wanting to be hired with a Police Department somewhere in the Midwest. My first choice of department would be one in Kansas or Oklahoma. While in college I am planning on obtaining a part-time job and holding it for a long period of time. Is there a type of part-time job that would be more impressive than another. I was considering retail. I will probably also try to get experience in the CJ field during a college internship. Also, I was going to get involved in at least one volunteer agency, probably Big Brothers/Big Sisters or something similar. On top of that I have been keeping in excellent physical shape. I have no convictions and only have one non-moving traffic ticket. Are here any type of college clubs or anything else I can do to increase my chance of being hired by a Midwest Police Department.
I think candidates have an edge if it is clear they are really interested in THAT agency. If you are, do some study. And, of course, read up in the criminal law and traffic codes of those states. But mostly, you are who you are, and being poised and relaxed but attentive during interviews suggests you can work in the stressful environment. Do an excellent job at whatever internship assignment you get. And if it’s one of those lame internships where you catch up on the filing, try to do some ride-out, anything to become well known by some officers. Internship agencies are considered reliable references, because they can generally be relied upon to provide accurate information to hiring agencies. I hired three of my interns over the years, after they graduated.
The Army alone will look good
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Get a job in security, like even at the mall or something. it will look good added to the resume. but it won’t be hard to get hired, rreally
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Also keep a good Credit Report; now almost every police department check if their candidates have good credit. The theory is that you show responsibility managing your finances, and that people with economical problems could be more tempted into corruption and criminal acts to pay their debts.
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I think candidates have an edge if it is clear they are really interested in THAT agency. If you are, do some study. And, of course, read up in the criminal law and traffic codes of those states. But mostly, you are who you are, and being poised and relaxed but attentive during interviews suggests you can work in the stressful environment. Do an excellent job at whatever internship assignment you get. And if it’s one of those lame internships where you catch up on the filing, try to do some ride-out, anything to become well known by some officers. Internship agencies are considered reliable references, because they can generally be relied upon to provide accurate information to hiring agencies. I hired three of my interns over the years, after they graduated.
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sounds like you’ve got a good thing going for you already being in the reserves and taking college. that kind of stuff always helps, even though all’s this job "requires" is a high school diploma. as long as you stay out of any serious trouble, you should be in the green. if I were you, I’d start contacting agencies now for what can help out. college can get you more cash, and so can being prior active duty. not sure about reserves, but you need to ask. some agencies require an accredited college for the extra pay, but just give the PD’s recruiting office a call.
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It sounds like you already have a great head on your shoulders! What I would do is not worry about what part time job you have, just how you handle yourself in that job. Always be on time, act professional in your position, no matter what it is. The internship is actually what I would be more concerned about. Internships are great for CJ experience! I did an internship with a major midwest police dept (with other ridealongs in some other depts too), an internship with the Division of Youth Services, and in probation and parole working with sex offenders. You learn a lot and it looks great that you are trying to experience a lot of different avenues in Criminal Justice! Good luck! You already sound like a great candidate to me!
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Law enforcement, 11 years
You might look into becoming a Reserve Officer while your getting a education. It looks god that your already doing the job, albeit part time.
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Cali cop
There are two things I would recommend.
First, focus a LOT on your writing skills. When I worked at the local police academy, it didn’t matter if you were otherwise number 1 in your academy class, if you couldn’t write a report using correct sentence structure, clear language, and proper grammer, you weren’t going to get hired. As a PO, I’ve read police reports I would be EMBARRASSED to sign my name to… or take a witness stand and testify to. So… as silly as it sounds… know how to spell and write.
Second, a great job many don’t know about is working at a juvenile hall as a juvenile hall counselor. It’s a great way to network with probation and local law enforcement, and it will give you a lot of good practice dealing with the criminal element on a day-to-day basis. It’ll teach you how they think, how devious they are, how to protect yourself physically, how to manage assaultive behavior, and other really useful skills. You may have to have your 2-year degree to get in, but many JH’s are hiring "extra help" and will work with your college schedule by putting you in different shifts. Also, it pays much better than working at a fast food joint… and with the economy the way it is, our juvenile halls are just going to get more full!
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10 years as a juvenile probation officer.