Is it worth the time?

[nibroc]

Right now I am attending college in New Zealand.

First question:

i dont imagine their being any problems but will most agencies accept a degree from foreign universities? (i have to check)

Second Question:

Currently in New Zealand they have a shortage of Police and will hire almost anyone who hasnt been arrested and is smarter than your average Australian. Im thinking it would be good, after i graduate, to get hired by the New Zealand Police and work for a couple of years over here, then move to the U.S. (where i really want to live) and apply for a job with Law Enforcement experience hopefully incresing my odds with departments that i really want to work at. How much would experience with a foreign police force help me? or is it a moot point and i should just move over there right after college and try my luck?

[just joe]

I guess it will help you in that good policing is basically the same the world over. The question is how much will you have to unlearn, because I imagine the laws and legal processes are not the same.

[Hightower]

Right now I am attending college in New Zealand.

First question:

i dont imagine their being any problems but will most agencies accept a degree from foreign universities? (i have to check)

Second Question:

Currently in New Zealand they have a shortage of Police and will hire almost anyone who hasnt been arrested and is smarter than your average Australian. Im thinking it would be good, after i graduate, to get hired by the New Zealand Police and work for a couple of years over here, then move to the U.S. (where i really want to live) and apply for a job with Law Enforcement experience hopefully incresing my odds with departments that i really want to work at. How much would experience with a foreign police force help me? or is it a moot point and i should just move over there right after college and try my luck?

I think the first thing is to explain your citizenship. I assume you are not a US citizen. If you are not, good luck in getting hired here. I know that there are places that will hire non-citizens, but they seem to be few and far between. You need to know that you can't just come here to live and work, there is a process that you would need to go through first. It has been done, but I hear that it is not easy.

Hightower

[PhilipCal]

Is it worth the time?

Right now I am attending college in New Zealand.

First question:

i dont imagine their being any problems but will most agencies accept a degree from foreign universities? (i have to check)

Second Question:

Currently in New Zealand they have a shortage of Police and will hire almost anyone who hasnt been arrested and is smarter than your average Australian. Im thinking it would be good, after i graduate, to get hired by the New Zealand Police and work for a couple of years over here, then move to the U.S. (where i really want to live) and apply for a job with Law Enforcement experience hopefully incresing my odds with departments that i really want to work at. How much would experience with a foreign police force help me? or is it a moot point and i should just move over there right after college and try my luck?

Your New Zealand degree would probably be accepted in the U.S. That's not going to be your problem. Citizenship will be. While there are some exceptions, the majority of law enforcement agencies in the U.S, require U.S, citizenship, either by state law, or agency policy. It's possible that you could get close to the U.S. by applying to Canadian agencies. I understand that quite a few U.K/Scottish Officers have gone this route. That could be a possibility for you. I would definitely not advise you to move to the U.S. immediately after college. Do some planning and research.

[nibroc]

sorry i forgot to mention - I DO HAVE US CITIZENSHIP

and i have lived over there for the past 4 years (its weird what things i miss, applebees? is than normal?)

but yes the reason i moved over here is because college is heavily subsidised by our awesome (cough / hack) government. and even then student loans are interest free.

so i am legally allowed to work in US and vote, some people dont like that about me (i think they are just jelous that they havent had the sampler platter from applebees).

[PhilipCal]

Worth the time?

Well, that sort of changes things. If you have U.S. citizenship, that'll open quite a few doors for you.