Hit me with some Fed Gov LE reality

[Nick2]

Warning: first post sob story to follow

Stop me if you've heard this before. My dream is to work for the Feds in a Law Enforcement capacity, but I've had no luck in applying anywhere. I'm 28, have a ****ty dime-a-dozen CJ bachelor's and a master's in Training and Development for LEO. No police. No military. I've been working in private security as a security supervisor for about 4 years. It would awesome and cool and wonderful to land a coveted 1811 job, like many here are striving for, but I'm not even aiming that high. Though the thought of being like Fox Mulder is super dupe cool.

I've applied for ICE, Secret Service (these cold hearted bastards denied me before I could refresh USAJobs after hitting "apply"), FBI, Homeland Security, ATF and DEA and have heard nothing. I applied for a Student Trainee position for Homeland Security and have heard nothing. I applied for an Immigration Services Officer ASSISTANT, a lowly GS5 position, and heard nothing. It's easier to get a full ride at Princeton with a developmental disability than it is to get hired by the Feds. Maybe it's just time to settle for municipal police.

[eastwest2300]

CBP is a good way to get your foot in the door, just my 2 cents.

[DaShwstoppahbk]

CBP is a good way to get your foot in the door, just my 2 cents.

Exactly what I was going to suggest. CBP meaning US customs or US border patrol. Put in for those positions and you most likely will hear something.

With the background you currently have, you won't hear anything back for any 1811 positions most likely with competition being as hard as it is currently.

Bureau of Prisons may be a option also. Realistically the way competition is now, you are going to have to do a not so desirable job for most (not all) people in a most likely not so desirable location for about 3 years to even be considerered competitive to get into a 1811 slot.

And then guess what? When you get 1811, you will be back in another not so desirable location for about 5-10 years! Welcome aboard!

[ajdeployed12]

There is nothing wrong with municipal law enforcement. You either want to be a cop or not; there are detectives that are just as good as 1811's. Why are you staying in security if you want to be LEO? There is nothing wrong with being a GS-5 of you are happy; sounds like all these jobs are "lowly" to you because they don't come with a big enough pay check.

[Nick2]

Nice and when the State Police in my State are easily making 100K after 5 years and their standards being lower than ever, why would anyone bother moving around the country for 15 years. Like I said, I'm not even aiming for 1811, but rather ANYTHING. It's almost like a quest to determine if I could get hired anywhere in the Federal Government. Should I lower myself to applying for the TSA?

[Nick2]

There is nothing wrong with municipal law enforcement. You either want to be a cop or not; there are detectives that are just as good as 1811's. Why are you staying in security if you want to be LEO? There is nothing wrong with being a GS-5 of you are happy; sounds like all these jobs are "lowly" to you because they don't come with a big enough pay check.

Because my brother's a cop and he barely graduated high school. I want something better than just being a cop in the town I grew up in. I haven't joined a municipal department because I don't want to go through a year's worth of background checks, exams, interviews etc. the police academy, put in a year or two and do it all over again for the Feds. I've been holding out hope that I could just join the Feds at a low level and move up. If I became a cop, I'd just stay a cop. However, the more I think about it, it's a better gig than most Fed jobs. There's no prestige in it though, especially this day in age when everyone hates cops and the country is poised for a new Civil Rights initiatives that cripple local PDs.

[1cowboy]

As people have said above, there are some great metro police departments and state agencies out there with great pay, morale, and awesome work. I have known 1811's who wished they would have never left their old departments and some who even went back. In certain departments career opportunities can really open up after 4-5 years.

[1cowboy]

Furthermore, if anyone thinks that metro departments have exhausting paperwork, admin, etc. you haven't seen anything until you have hit the federal system. Local agencies can be extremely efficient compared to the fed (depending on which local agency of course).
The social attitude of today is experienced at all levels of government and LE. It can very and the attitude really varies according to where you are located. For example, the state of Texas in general is positive towards the LE community. It can vary. I have witnessed certain areas in the western half of the country where people were friendly to locals but hated Feds because they represented "big government." Again there are many variables.

[DiverB72]

hummm I started out as a GS-5 when I was hired with OST, and worked my way up to where I'm at now, GS12. Guess times are different now, everyone wants to start out at GS13 and not pay their dues, heck don't sell yourself short, apply for some SES positions

[eastwest2300]

hummm I started out as a GS-5 when I was hired with OST, and worked my way up to where I'm at now, GS12. Guess times are different now, everyone wants to start out at GS13 and not pay their dues, heck don't sell yourself short, apply for some SES positions

Agreed. Its ALL about paying your dues.

[ccia84]

Either do what is necessary to achieve your dreams or settle.

Saying the one reason you haven't done local police is because you don't want to go through two long hiring processes sounds like a cop-out. If you want to be a fed get used to LONG hiring processes (2-4yrs)...then you get to basically do it again every 5 years for your security recert.

It has taken me 6+ years of doing a job that I do not particularly care for, to even get a SHOT at my dream job. But those 6yrs have been a great learning experience and maybe will be paying off soon.

And let's not forget all the military folks who have sacrificed A LOT more to get the same jobs...tough competition

[eastwest2300]

You aint lying about that, being in a sh1tty job sucks.. I've done it. 3 years with an agency under DHS. (best known for protective details) I wont name no names.

[saone]

Or you could join the military and get some great experience while building fed retirement years (you can buy it back when/if you get out). I would say that you would also get vet preference, but that might not happen with the wars winding down.

[PHSeaBee]

College here, along with military service(10ptPH / Disabiled Vet) with 12 years Local LE, currently working for the Feds... Still on the "will call List" good luck but if ya want it, ya gotta put in the time many others have
good luck

Because my brother's a cop and he barely graduated high school. I want something better than just being a cop in the town I grew up in. I haven't joined a municipal department because I don't want to go through a year's worth of background checks, exams, interviews etc. the police academy, put in a year or two and do it all over again for the Feds. I've been holding out hope that I could just join the Feds at a low level and move up. If I became a cop, I'd just stay a cop. However, the more I think about it, it's a better gig than most Fed jobs. There's no prestige in it though, especially this day in age when everyone hates cops and the country is poised for a new Civil Rights initiatives that cripple local PDs.

[Nick2]

hummm I started out as a GS-5 when I was hired with OST, and worked my way up to where I'm at now, GS12. Guess times are different now, everyone wants to start out at GS13 and not pay their dues, heck don't sell yourself short, apply for some SES positions

I'm all for paying dues. Don't get me wrong, I'd be thrilled with a GS-5 right now, as long as it has the potential for upward mobility. I do not expect to be hired as a 1811 off the bat. My problem is, I've been applying for years and I haven't even made it to Step 2 in the application process for ANYTHING. It's more bewildering to me than frustrating. I've read every thread on this board and people don't even know how the application process works. Some believe one department is great while another thinks the same department is a dead end job. I'm not crying about fairness or inequality. Just clarity on the convoluted process of Federal hiring. Why does a DEA agent have to be a CPA, computer scientist, pilot, 10 year vet, former cop and multi-linguist to be considered for hire? For what? To move across the country while making 90K a year? A state cop make more than that and you just need a degree and clean record.

What's curious to me is how I don't meet the qualifications for a GS-5 Assistant job that pays far less than what I make now, yet I easily qualify for municipal and state police (finished top 5 for both before dropping out of the process). Why does a job that pays less and requires so much more life-altering sacrifices so difficult to get? That's what baffles me.