Letter of Reccomendation/Reference

[posterchild37]

Can someone post an example of a good letter of reference or recommendation for a entry level police officer position.

Currently I am in the military and my CO is going to write one for me but he would like to see an example.

Thank You

[L-1]

Law enforcement hiring is not similar to what you find with a private business, so I really don't think a letter will help.

If you are applying with a civil service agency then the hiring process will be very structured. Whether or not you are hired will depend solely on your getting a passing test score and being high enough on the list to get picked before the hiring list expires. You background basically looks for grounds to disqualify you.

Under the circumstances, a letter of recommendation is pretty much worthless.

[posterchild37]

Why

Most of the agencies i have been applying to want 2 letters of reference and some want letters of recommendation.

I think that a letter coming from a very high ranking military official talking about your character and why you hold a top secret security clearance would be pretty helpful.

[LPD3302]

Better Idea

Rather than having your commanding officer draft a letter, I would suggest using him as a reference, with his prior approval, to as to your charachter and work ethic. That is what I did with my C.O. and platoon commander before leaving active duty in the Corps......
Best of luck!

[PhilipCal]

Letter of Recommendation/Reference

Posterchild, you've recieved two very excellent pieces of advice from both L-1, and LPD concerning the letter of reference. I will concede that in the process of applying to a small department, such a letter could be helpful, but in a formal, highly structured process, such as for a large city/county, or virtually any state agency, such a letter would be of little,if any help. Should you advance to the portion of the process where references are asked for, you might, as LPD suggested, list a commanding officer as a reference.