Question about hiring process

[confianca]

I'm a 36yo married female and I have applied to several law enforcemnent agencies. I make it as far as passing the background investigations, polygraph test, and in two cases panel interview. I haven't been selected. Why is it so difficult for an older female to become a LEO?
I have a clean background, degree, speak 3 languages, and prior experience.

My other concern is the following;

During one my backsground investigation with MWAA, the BI was very open in discussing my personal business and file in front of other candidates. Is that proper? I was no confortable with her disclosing information in front of other candidates.

Any advice would be grateful.

[PhilipCal]

I'm a 36yo married female and I have applied to several law enforcemnent agencies. I make it as far as passing the background investigations, polygraph test, and in two cases panel interview. I haven't been selected. Why is it so difficult for an older female to become a LEO?
I have a clean background, degree, speak 3 languages, and prior experience.

My other concern is the following;

During one my backsground investigation with MWAA, the BI was very open in discussing my personal business and file in front of other candidates. Is that proper? I was no confortable with her disclosing information in front of other candidates.

Any advice would be grateful.

It would be very difficult for me to give you a precise reason for your problem(s). At the end of the day, all it would be is a guess. There are a whole lot of dynamics involved in Oral Boards/Interviews. Your situation is made more difficult by the fact that few agencies will give you a reason why you weren't selected. My only suggestion is that you, personally, do an "after action" and attempt to determine why you didn't make the cut. Clean background, degree, ability to speak three languages, prior experience, all add to the mystery, at least from my perspective. Finally, on the face of it at least, I question the BI disclosing your personal information in front of other candidates. Depending on the circumstances, that could result in disciplinary action with many agencies.

[confianca]

Thanks for your input.
So far my rejections have been in forms of letters (US Capitol Police and Fairfax County PD) stating that "The review Panel has not recommended you as a best qualified, therefore you cannot be considered for the position..." Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority just simply sent me an email basically saying the same thing. This is where I had the BI drill me in front of the other candidate. I thought that was very inapropriate.

I did speak to the poligraph detective who assured me that I passed the polygraph but his supervisor felt that because I had been unfaithful to my spouse years ago and went through counseling that I wasn't good enough for to become a LEO. Truth is, my co-workwer (I'm an investigator for MPD in Washington DC) also applied to Fairfax County PD and was hired. The difference between us is gender, age, and experince. Neither one of us has law enforcement experience escept for admnistratively. It makes me feel that only my male counterparts get the job.

It's very discouraging...

As for the BI, should I write a letter to the department?

[PhilipCal]

Thanks for your input.
So far my rejections have been in forms of letters (US Capitol Police and Fairfax County PD) stating that "The review Panel has not recommended you as a best qualified, therefore you cannot be considered for the position..." Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority just simply sent me an email basically saying the same thing. This is where I had the BI drill me in front of the other candidate. I thought that was very inapropriate.

I did speak to the poligraph detective who assured me that I passed the polygraph but his supervisor felt that because I had been unfaithful to my spouse years ago and went through counseling that I wasn't good enough for to become a LEO. Truth is, my co-workwer (I'm an investigator for MPD in Washington DC) also applied to Fairfax County PD and was hired. The difference between us is gender, age, and experince. Neither one of us has law enforcement experience escept for admnistratively. It makes me feel that only my male counterparts get the job.

It's very discouraging...

As for the BI, should I write a letter to the department?

The decision to write the agency concerning the BI's conduct is yours to make. My personal sense is, it probably wouldn't do all that much good, and could come across as "sour grapes". That's just my .02 though. You're discovering that these selection processes are crapshoots in many ways. I feel, all things being equal, that the qualifications you list will be a fit with some department in your area. I'd get to work though, because at age 36, rightly or wrongly, there's an age limit clock ticking.(With many departments). Keep applying. It's entirely possible, and this does happen, that you're just what some department out there is looking for. Good luck.

[BLETfun]

One question that bugs me is if it takes some PD's(most) so long to get the ball rolling why does some states such as NC only give you one year to get hired on somewhere. I have apps that have been out since May-June 2008 and still have'nt heard a single word. It seems if PD's need officers as much as some around here do they would get the ball rolling very quick like.

[just joe]

It's difficult for anyone to get a job--not just you. We'll do oral boards on 15 people in order to hire one officer. Does that mean that the others aren't capable? No. It means we have one vacancy, so fourteen people get a "thanks, but no thanks" letter. You know what else? Sometimes we just don't "like" a candidate, so that means they are dead in the water. If we don't like you to begin with, we sure don't want to work with you. Nothing anyone can do to control that. Someone else may love you. Without knowing specifics, that is all I can say. It is a tough market. You will probably find some discrimination from old school departments, you will also find departments that will bend over backwards to hire a good female. Also, don't limit yourself. There is a whole world of non-traditional police jobs at park districts, airports, universities, etc.

[Arewethereyet]

You should also look at Arlington PD (Deputy Chief Murray Farr is a great guy), Alexandria PD, Loudoun Co Sheriff's Office, Fairfax City PD, Prince William County PD, Manassas City PD, Manassas Park PD, Leesburg PD, George Mason University PD, Virginia State Police, Virginia Port Authority, Virginia Marine Police...and the list could go on forever!

One question that bugs me is if it takes some PD's(most) so long to get the ball rolling why does some states such as NC only give you one year to get hired on somewhere. I have apps that have been out since May-June 2008 and still have'nt heard a single word. It seems if PD's need officers as much as some around here do they would get the ball rolling very quick like.

Have you looked at some departments here in Virginia? Have you also looked at Fayetteville PD?

[just joe]

Sorry if I came across as an Adam Henry--just trying to be honest.

[PhilipCal]

It's difficult for anyone to get a job--not just you. We'll do oral boards on 15 people in order to hire one officer. Does that mean that the others aren't capable? No. It means we have one vacancy, so fourteen people get a "thanks, but no thanks" letter. You know what else? Sometimes we just don't "like" a candidate, so that means they are dead in the water. If we don't like you to begin with, we sure don't want to work with you. Nothing anyone can do to control that. Someone else may love you. Without knowing specifics, that is all I can say. It is a tough market. You will probably find some discrimination from old school departments, you will also find departments that will bend over backwards to hire a good female. Also, don't limit yourself. There is a whole world of non-traditional police jobs at park districts, airports, universities, etc.

This reply goes directly to the heart of the matter. It addresses my comment about "dynamics" very well. These are intangibles, They're always going to be there. Strange as it might sound, these are also reasons why Confianca needs to keep applying. Suddenly, with the right agency, the very things which worked against her application, now are to her benefit.

[BLETfun]

It's difficult for anyone to get a job--not just you. We'll do oral boards on 15 people in order to hire one officer. Does that mean that the others aren't capable? No. It means we have one vacancy, so fourteen people get a "thanks, but no thanks" letter. You know what else? Sometimes we just don't "like" a candidate, so that means they are dead in the water. If we don't like you to begin with, we sure don't want to work with you. Nothing anyone can do to control that. Someone else may love you. Without knowing specifics, that is all I can say. It is a tough market. You will probably find some discrimination from old school departments, you will also find departments that will bend over backwards to hire a good female. Also, don't limit yourself. There is a whole world of non-traditional police jobs at park districts, airports, universities, etc.

I see oral boards being a thing of the past in the future. Too many good officers get denied because on a panel of say 7 interviewers 4 have a "friend" they want to hire. No matter how well you are qualified and how well you nail the interview the good ole boy system reigns supreme (aka politics). Meanwhile here you are wasting gas going from one oral board to the next just so good ole Joe Blo gets hired instead of you ,and he's a dumb a44 to boot. Just to clarify ,no ,this has not happened to me but I have seen it happen to many good prospective officers.

My question is if you don't like a candidate to begin with why waste his time? With gas prices being the way they are it is ,to be honest ,a crappy way to do somebody. If I did'nt like someone to begin with I would'nt call them to interview because that is wasting my time and a spot for someone else to interview for. IMHO

[confianca]

You guys have finally put it in the perspective for me.
I felt sort of in the dark until I stumbled into this website. Getting honest advice from other LEO's is very important to me.
I haven't given up. I am still in the process with Alexandria PD and ICE. I probably won't make with ICE for the IEA position since I'm nearing 37 but I still have hopes for Alexandria PD.

There is always MPD but I prefer not to since I do the misconduct investigations of the MPD officers.

Overall, I can't thank you all enough for your honest comments and advice.
I was under the impression that as a result of my "past misconduct" I would "unfit" to become a police officer.

[confianca]

Also, my husband is a Navy officer and he has told me that due to his career in the military, that can also be a set back for me. Is it possible that I can be passed over due to my spouses' career?

[England]

There could be a number of reasons that you are not being hired. I think you may be so focused on your age and gender you could be over looking other factors. What is being said in your interviews? Are you establishing good rappor with the interviewers?

I also think you have a BETTER chance of getting hired as a female. You are a minority and due to affirmative action laws you will receive preference. I was on the other side of that deal in the agency that I work for. A minority applied for the same position as I did. Even though I was placed in a higher band and scored higher on the physcial agility and aced the interview. They had to offer the position to the other guy. He no longer wanted the position and they had to get that in writing before they could even offer it to me.

The main reason I see is that I think you said you only applied with 2 dept. That is one reason alone. I applied with about 10 agencies and received offers from only 6. I have a degree, mil experience, clean background, etc....

Don't take it so personal and look for malicious intent. Just keep cracking at it.

[England]

Also, my husband is a Navy officer and he has told me that due to his career in the military, that can also be a set back for me. Is it possible that I can be passed over due to my spouses' career?

That is a good possibility. They are going to spend alot of money training you. If you have to move, then they have to start over with someone else.

[confianca]

Point taken.
I did think I had the advantage being a female and a minority race (Asian) but good grief, I had no idea it was so tough to get in.
My interviews went well. There were a lot nods from the panel. Additionally, I provided letters of recommendations from ICE, JSO, and the State of Florida. But you know, this is DC, people with my language abilities and minorities are a dime a dozen.
I'll keep trying. Thanks for the pep talk.