Getting hired with no degree

[michaelbaio]

i flew in from chicago and interviewed with the fort lauderdale police department. I have a clean background and I didnt seem what the problem would be hiring me. The captain(female) asked me about my job history. i worked for alot of temporary services and i moved around alot because my wife was in the military. I had got divorced and move back home with my parents. Well the captain said that i shouldnt have left my jobs. I have too many. I told her again the jobs were temporary services and they just assign you when they have jobs.. basically she didnt understand the difference and held this against me... i feel like i was discriminated against. what do u thinki should do in this case? one of the police officers in the hallway told me i should probably get my degree even though its not required. he said that would show i commited to something and i can use that as leverage when they look at my job history. can anyone help me ..

[Bodie]

If you get interviewd with no degree and a guy gets interviwed with a degree all things else equal guess who gets the job.
THE DEGREE

[SEAL6770]

Im not a LEO but will be graduating with my BA this December and have applied to 5 agencies that do NOT require a degree. However, i know for a fact at some of them I have gotten farther already just having 112 college credits earned to this date and they know I will be graduating before I go to an academy. I'm only 22 and the college is like taking the place of absent job history (I don't have any jobs that lasted longer than 3 months). Officers on here will rightfully tell you that education can never HURT you, it will only help the only thing is it takes time and work. Just because they say minimum requirements are GED or high school do not think those will get you hired especially with how competitive FLPD is, there are many with LE experience applying there and also degrees. You would obviously not match up to them. If I were you I would try to get some college credit. Good luck!

[K9 Police]

Not surprised, and no you are not being discriminated against! If that's the case, almost everyone applying to law enforcement and being rejected would have a discrimination case.

I hear Ft. Lauderdale is hard to get on anyways, even with a degree and LE experience. Sounds like you need to settle, get some education, a steady job, and take it from there.

K9

[That Guy]

If you get interviewd with no degree and a guy gets interviwed with a degree all things else equal guess who gets the job.
THE DEGREE

I guess it would depend on the agency. Here a degree is not the "tie breaker". We look beyond that. Now a degree is useful no matter what and you should try to get it either before or after you hire on.This way you can use it as a stepping stone within the dept. or if you want to move elsewhere.

TGY

[PhilipCal]

Getting hired with no degree

More and more agencies are requiring a degree, or prefering applicants who have one. Ft. Lauderdale isn't the end of the world, so keep on applying.

[co911]

K9P is on the money FLPD take the cream of the crop. If you are not an officer or military your chances are next to none with them.

[Bodie]

I was refused hire in the early 70's because I was a WHITE MALE.