Need Advice

[NextGenOfc]

I have a written and physical agility test tomorrow for one agency and I also have an oral board interview on Monday for another agency that I'm really stressing over. I've been trying to run and get prepared for the physical portion of the test that I have tomorrow but because I have such bad anxiety for the interview I haven't been eating much. In the past two weeks I've probably lost about 13 pounds. I'm 23 years old and feel like I'm in a mid-life crisis for crying out loud. I just feel like I'm under a lot of pressure.

I also think I'm just freaking out in general because I'm trying to decide if this is what I want to do for my career. I have my mixed feelings at times and think I would enjoy it but I also worry about the stress of the job and dangerousness at times. However, I feel like if I didn't go through with it I would be wondering the rest of my life whether or not I should have stuck with it to see what it's like. I also feel like if I didn't go through with it I would be letting my family and myself down since I've always expressed an interest in this profession, although my family supports me in whatever decision I make. I don't know if I'm just being a wuss and/or letting anxiety get the best of me.

I find myself comparing myself to a friend who went and got a trade and is now working for the state. I have given trade school a thought but of course there are no guarantees I would enjoy it if I pursued it. I've looked into other career paths but can't seem to find anything that I am 100% interested in. I think that now that it's time to decide on a career I'm just at a standstill and don't know what I want to do or where I want to go. Any words of advice are appreciated. Thank you.

[jdthor]

You basically have to love this job to do it.
Your not going to do it for the money or the love of the public.We dont drive big red trucks with dogs.Firemen get that.
Your goal is to come home every night until the day you dont want to put on the badge anymore,Were all lucky if we get to make that decision on our own at some point.

The decision basically is still yours and we cant make it for you,But if your not 100% committed to doing it dont.Others lives can be effected if you are not committed to it.Your actions dont only effect you but your partner ,co-workers and criminals also.

[JDCOP]

If you don't handle stress well this is the wrong line of work. You will be a raging alcoholic with sky high blood pressure within 10 years. Learn not to stress over things you can't control. If you don't get the job try somewhere else. It isn't uncommon for people to apply and interview with several departments before they find the one that hires them for that first shot.

[NextGenOfc]

I think it's just the anxiety I'm getting from things changing in life. I just feel like I should be at a full time job and making enough money to buy my own place at this point in time. But I feel like I'm also comparing myself to a friend who got a trade and has a great job now. It just has me rethinking everything and possibly overanalyzing. The only way to find out is to try it out and go from there.

[PhilipCal]

If you have any doubts concerning your desire or ability to do this job, remove yourself from consideration now. Please understand that there is NO dishonor in that. This is a difficult and demanding profession, and one which relatively few people are cut out for.

[Chomp]

Have you done any ridealongs? In my opinion, getting a taste of the street is the best method available to determine whether or not this job is for you. There's no better way to get a feel for it until you actually start field training.

For me, I wasn't really sure either until I rode in that passenger seat. After the first couple of calls, I was hooked. There wasn't any question in my mind that this was what I wanted to do. If you don't feel like that by the end of the day/night, then this is not the career for you.

[NextGenOfc]

Yeah I did a couple internships and was able to ride along a lot for one of them. I enjoyed them for sure. I just think I'm scaring myself about the responibility of being in that driver's seat and it's literally making me sick because I'm so anxious/nervous. I'm also nervous about the whole hiring process because I just don't know what to expect and I don't know what to expect with the academy and I'm just nervous that if I don't like the job..I'm not sure what I will do in the future. I'm taking all of these thoughts in at once and it's just overwhelming. I have an oral board on Monday, my first oral board, and I'm just going to go in and give it my best.

[rookie2006]

Just pull yourself together and go for it ,or spend teh rest of your life with what ifs?

[SmallCityCop]

Put up or shut up.

That is all.