Two questions

[DWash]

I am still doing research in my quest, and most of my questions have already been answered in one form or another on these forums. That has certainly saved me a lot of time. I know all my personal pros and cons, and while there are some marks on my record (due to youthful stupidity), I still think I have a good chance. So my two questions are as follows:

I am an Eagle Scout, and for many jobs that is a strong positive, but I was curious if anyone had ideas as to if it's as strong a positive for someone wishing to enter a LE career. The reason I am not sure is because a friend of mine who works for the State Department said that it wouldn't be anything too special when I applied to the Foreign Service. (Sadly I didn't make it past the Personal Narratives stage, I think mostly because I haven't graduated from college yet.) I do understand that different departments will look at it differently, and it's just one part of the whole package that is me, as it were, but is it possible to generalize as to how positive it effect it would have on my chances of being hired?

Secondly, it's clear that getting a job as a police officer is no easy task (I never knew Minnesota required a 4 year degree), but is it fair to say that it's a little easier to get hired in a smaller city/county?

Thanks in advance!

[SCSO612]

I will start by saying that I'm also an Eagle Scout (class of 1996). Most departments won't give you special recognition or status for the award. Mine didn't. However, the skils, responsibility, courage, loyalty, integrity, etc. that the process of earning Eagle instills in you will show and be a huge asset to you in the hiring process. So a simple answer to your question:

No, it probably won't help you directly. It will help you imensely indirectly.

[PhilipCal]

I am still doing research in my quest, and most of my questions have already been answered in one form or another on these forums. That has certainly saved me a lot of time. I know all my personal pros and cons, and while there are some marks on my record (due to youthful stupidity), I still think I have a good chance. So my two questions are as follows:

I am an Eagle Scout, and for many jobs that is a strong positive, but I was curious if anyone had ideas as to if it's as strong a positive for someone wishing to enter a LE career. The reason I am not sure is because a friend of mine who works for the State Department said that it wouldn't be anything too special when I applied to the Foreign Service. (Sadly I didn't make it past the Personal Narratives stage, I think mostly because I haven't graduated from college yet.) I do understand that different departments will look at it differently, and it's just one part of the whole package that is me, as it were, but is it possible to generalize as to how positive it effect it would have on my chances of being hired?

Secondly, it's clear that getting a job as a police officer is no easy task (I never knew Minnesota required a 4 year degree), but is it fair to say that it's a little easier to get hired in a smaller city/county?

Thanks in advance!

Your questions are fairly general in nature, so I'll have to reply in a very general sense as well. The most basic requirement for appointment as an Officer is that you test well. This is especially true of Civil Service agencies. To be competitive, you'll need to score in the mid to high nineties on the written exam. The Oral Board/Oral Interview(s) are also often scored in addition to the written exam. The remaining exams, usually Physical, Physical Ability, Psych, Polygraph,and an extensive Background Investigation are essentially "Pass/Fail". I don't wish to downplay your status as an Eagle Scout, or minimize the hard work it took to achieve that honor. However, simply being an Eagle Scout is not really going to open that many doors for you. Your past will be thoroughly looked at. If there is anything there which would Disqualify you, your Eagle Scout status won't prevent that from happening. Should you desire to enter the LE Profession, you should be prepared for a lengthy, often frustrating hiring process. Prior to applying, you should research any agency which interests you. Measure yourself against a Department's published standards. Keep in mind that these are minimum standards for employment with that agency. Much of this research can be done on line. Don't limit yourself to only one agency. Hope things work out for you.

[DWash]

Thank you both. That's more or less what I expected, I just wanted verification. I am looking at a wide variety of departments (that are still accesible in terms of transportation), and I am prepared for the long haul that it will inevitably be, but anything worth acheiving is going to take work.

[sigcopper]

I will second the above. MN doesn't require a 4 year degree either. You would need at least a 2 year degree.

[DWash]

Ah, I thought I read on another post (from an officer) here that some department in MN required a four year degree. Still and all, thanks for the confirmation. It seems like it would be wise for me to also look at unsworn positions...dispatcher and the like. The more I consider my history, and what I've read on here...well, that's for another day.