When are you overqualified?

[dTu2002]

I will be graduating in May with a B.A. in Biology\Criminology\Psychology and minor in Global Studies. I am trying to decide weather to go straight into the career field or a Masters Program in Criminology and Public Administration (FSU). I am afraid that if I go get the masters and not the career experience first that I might be viewed as overqualified. Anybody have some advice? I was also wondering how departments are viewing the online masters programs, or does it really make a differerence.

Also I am planning on moving to FL and am looking at a couple of Police Departments ( Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and Tampa ) Does anyone know anything about these departments.

[rackem00]

You can't have too much education. Start applying now and keep going to school until your hired. I was going to school full time and working full time when I was hired. I had no law enforcement experience, but my dedication to make myself a better canidate (full time school, volunteering and work) got me the job.
Good luck!!!

[purdinpopo]

You are overqualified, when you are smarter/better than your supervisor, and his supervisor notices, and tells your supervisor. Then your supervisor will try to make sure that you are underqualified to keep your job. If you are talking about prior to working, then just add potential between your and supervisor, and change keep to get. Now if above situation appears to be happening once you have job, make several hundred copies of supervisors resume, embellish only if you must and mail them to several hundred agencies, it also helps if you can sell supervisors house for more than it appraises at same time. I have actually heard of that tactic being succesfully used at a pd somewhere.

[USAcop]

There was some person who wasn't hired for law enforcement because they thought he would be too smart and would get burned out.

[purdinpopo]

I remember that he was in the northeast somewhere. He Sued the department, and I cannot remember the result.

[airbrne74]

Here's the case if anyone is interested:

Jordan v. City of New London, 2000 U.S. App. LEXIS 22195 (1st Cir. 8/23/2000) - Plaintiff, a 46 year old male, applied to be a police officer in the City of New London. He scored a 33 on the Wonderlic test, given pre-employment by the department. This test score correlates with an IQ of 120-125. Based on information provided by the test designer, the City disqualified applicants who scored over a 27, on the basis that they would be overqualified and hence become dissatisfied in their job. Despite the fact that statistical evidence showed that this premise was not necessarily true, the Court found the City's belief in the premise not to be "irrational." The Court therefore found that the City's rejection of Plaintiff not to constitute an equal protection violation (based on his age, as alleged in the complaint) and granted summary judgment to the City.