How can I get the edge over other police officer canidates?

Question

They say for every police officer position open there is an average of 100 applicants. How can I get the edge over this applicants to be chosen for a position as an officer?

Answer 1

- Experience; either in the military or as a security guard, or on a citizen’s patrol run by the local police. The last choice may be the best one.
- Be clean on drugs and have no criminal record.
- Have a good credit rating.
- Be in good physical shape. Try buying some used police or army belt, hanging it with weight like flashlights, a radio, and a nightstick and then running with it all on. Climb a fence, crawl through a pipe and do some other things that a police officer may have to do. Do some pull-ups, which few people do, some push-ups and sit-ups.
- Study the law; take a few college law courses; not to be a lawyer, but to show that you understand it.
- A college degree shows you are intelligent, a few college courses will show this as well.
- Practice public speaking or interview speaking. Applying for other jobs can give you some of this experience.
- Check the standards of admission for the police academy you want to go to. Write them and ask for an information packet.
- Read that packet very well, understand all of it, and ask questions on anything you doubt. Then follow its advice. The police WANT a qualified candidate so the best source of information will be that packet.
- See if you can find a manual for help on taking the admission test and study it very hard.
- Talk to a new police officer and ask them for their advice.

The process is:
1. Fill out an application.
2. A background and drug check (a hair clipping gives a longer indication of drug use, but a urine test is standard, non-opiate prescription medication will not show up on the test).
3. A check by a doctor and psychiatrist.
4. The Interview.
5. Evaluation by the board of admissions
6. Police Academy.
(Other jurisdictions will have other steps)

The single most important part of the process will be the interview from the psychiatrist and the Police Academy Board of Admissions. This is the only area where you can personally affect the process; everything else is cold hard facts. If you can speak well and clearly and sound intelligent and interested and honest then you will be well received. Many people think that the interview will be easy and just a formality, it isn't. The interview can make or break you. If you are too shy and not prepared for the interview then you can sink any chances you have. You could ask a new police officer what they talked about in the interview, but there is no set of questions or firm outline. The interview will have some specific questions, but the main purpose of the interview is to see what is beyond the simple facts. You have to at least attempt to answer every single question, and if you honestly don't know the answer then tell the interviewer that you will get back to them. Then ask them for their email address and find that data quickly and email it to them. If the answer is an opinion then you need to give a response there without making them wait too long. Once question you can look forward to is why do you want to be a police officer. Just as it is with doctors the standard answer is “to help people.” It is also the worst answer to give. The best answer shows that you want to invest yourself into the job. This is the core reason why you want the to be a police officer. If you had a relative or friend that was affected by crime and you hated that the criminal wasn’t caught, that it took too long to catch them, or that the person was harmed in the crime then you have shown a personal interest. Of course if you say that you want to hunt down and capture all the criminals in your city then you are being unrealistic and foolish. It’s best to say that you were affected by that and the police impressed you by what they did, or you felt that you wanted to help people who had been harmed in such a manner. Whatever answer you give one that shows your personal interest in a positive manner will be the best answer.

I once had an interview where the interviewer asked me how many days a year would I consider to be excessive for sick leave. I told him 7, a firm answer. Later he told me that this was the hardest question he gave. Most people looked to give an answer that he would want and not be realistic; others would say that they didn't know. Both of these responses automatically failed the job seeker. He never told me if 7 days was too much, but I know that most companies have a policy of giving one week of sick leave per year. He was just glad that I gave a realistic and serious answer, and I didn't have to think about it too long. Interviewers love to find questions like this to weed out the fools. So every single question is important. Don't take too long to answer them, but give a good answer each time. If you are trying to do things to prepare for the police academy (like you took a law course and you are now exercising as I suggested) then tell them that. Don't sound over eager, but being a little eager is a good thing.

Answer 2

Well first of all it is great to have a 4 year degree because in some places you only need a two year degree if that. Also if you are bilingual than that will almost guarantee you a job depending on the city that you are in. Also if you have any military experience then that will also boost your resume. I am a junior in college and I want to be an officer after I get my degree so I know what you are worrying about. Good luck to you.

Answer 3

Do courses associated with your work,eg psychiatry in some form.Short courses.

Answer 4

Be the very best abusive bullty and lier they have ever seen.

Answer 5

just lie.