Will x improve my chances?

[shift.e]

Hi Ladies & Gents,

So another day and another "No Thank You" letter. Another blow to the ego, the gas tank, and the ticking clock. I'm not going to lie I am sulking a bit, so I went to rage (b.wilson style) at the gym, talked to some guys and let my mind wonder. Is there another way to improve my chances? Besides having a piece of paper saying "Bachelor's" to get into this law enforcement gig were all hungry for.
The various advice I received were: get a masters, guard card, reserves, mp in the armed forces, don't go to armed forces, get a personal interview coach. I'm not giving up, but I need a smarter approach as my way isn't getting me any farther. Your thoughful advice will be greatly appreciated.

[USMARINE]

Hi Ladies & Gents,

So another day and another "No Thank You" letter. Another blow to the ego, the gas tank, and the ticking clock. I'm not going to lie I am sulking a bit, so I went to rage (b.wilson style) at the gym, talked to some guys and let my mind wonder. Is there another way to improve my chances? Besides having a piece of paper saying "Bachelor's" to get into this law enforcement gig were all hungry for.
The various advice I received were: get a masters, guard card, reserves, mp in the armed forces, don't go to armed forces, get a personal interview coach. I'm not giving up, but I need a smarter approach as my way isn't getting me any farther. Your thoughful advice will be greatly appreciated.

Did they tell you why you weren't picked? If your background is a turd, all the shiny gold stars won't help, it's still a turd.

[Iowa #1603]

Time.


It is harder than Hades getting a Law Enforcement gig right now. Fact of life....plain old just the way it is.



If you go back & read some of the stories on this forum you will see people who have tried for 4-5 YEARS to get hired, applying at HUNDREDS of departments , interviewing HUNDREDS of times.


FOr the most part, you have to be in the right spot at the right time with the right qualifications............and all must be recognized by the person doing the hiring.


There really isn't any special set of qualifications that is "best"

[shift.e]

User USMARINE, no turd in the bg. Just a chat with former USMC mentioned having armed forces in the background adds more weight/credibility/points if the choice came down between two people. Former Airforce guy says go mp or guard card, former Army guy says dont waste time doing mp " why go around the problem trying to be a mp, when you could just go straight forward and just be a police officer". My weakness happens to be oral boards just to be clear.

[USMARINE]

User USMARINE, no turd in the bg. Just a chat with former USMC mentioned having armed forces in the background adds more weight/credibility/points if the choice came down between two people. Former Airforce guy says go mp or guard card, former Army guy says dont waste time doing mp " why go around the problem trying to be a mp, when you could just go straight forward and just be a police officer". My weakness happens to be oral boards just to be clear.

If you're thinking about the military think it all the way out. I tell this to everyone but if you're not prepared to write a check to Uncle Sam for up to and including your life, don't bother. Also don't go if all you would want is college credits or some other crap reason. Do it because you love this country and wish to serve.

[PhilipCal]

Don't blame you for feeling bummed right now. However, since you asked the question, take another look at what my colleagues have written you. There's not a bad answer in the bunch. It's all the truth. You've identified your weak point as Oral Boards. Orals kill a lot of applicants. Take an honest look at what you might be doing wrong, or what you could do better to sell yourself. Based on the general nature of your post, that's about I can tell you. Work on selling yourself to the Boards.

[just joe]

Doesn't matter what's on your resume; a poor interview is a killer. Perhaps you do need an interview coach. You can do mock interviews and they can audio/video record them and critique them with you.

I'm confused. Do you or don't you have a degree?

[BigDog4907]

Candidates for a career in LE, have to start realizing that the most important part of the entire hiring process is the interview phase. This is the part where you sell yourself to those that have been doing this job for some time. Think about it, your skills in this interview directly relate to the skills you bring to the job. Your mouth is the most important thing your bring to the job on a regular basis.

Nobody cares that you had the highest GPA (lots of administrators have proven you don't need to be smart), best shooter, most fit, best fighter and on and on. You need to be proficient in all of these areas, but if you can't sell yourself, an idea, or a message then you will always be fighting an uphill battle in this job.

A written test only gets you the opportunity to convince seasoned officers that you are their man. You need to focus on improving your interview skills. Like already said, practice. Record yourself answering a question and listen to it. Only you can improve this skill.

[Kieth M.]

We're at a disadvantage, here, as we don't know: (1) where you're applying, (2) how many spots vs. how many applicants, (3) what the other candidate/s who was/were hired, brought to the table, and (4 and most importantly) how you present yourself in an oral interview - not how you think you did but how you were perceived.

Among all the advice I saw you said you received there was no mention of second language skills...if you're applying somewhere in the (rapidly approaching third world nation status) land of Kullyfohrnya, and only able to speak English, you're going to get lots of second place prizes.

[beachcop05]

We're at a disadvantage, here, as we don't know: (1) where you're applying, (2) how many spots vs. how many applicants, (3) what the other candidate/s who was/were hired, brought to the table, and (4 and most importantly) how you present yourself in an oral interview - not how you think you did but how you were perceived.

Among all the advice I saw you said you received there was no mention of second language skills...if you're applying somewhere in the (rapidly approaching third world nation status) land of Kullyfohrnya, and only able to speak English, you're going to get lots of second place prizes.

Agree, learning Spanish will definitely help you.

[School Cop]

Spanish helps in LOTS of places. I would place a wild guess that in, oh, 30 states, it would short list you. I wish I spoke it. But I HAVE the job, so I'm less motivated to learn.

[shift.e]

Thanks for all the advice ladies & gents, keep 'em coming not just for me but hopefully it'll serve future applicants. User Iowa #1603, you're right about time, hopefully my time of opportunity will be soon. I remembered (when I was young) a department around my area, they gave you a signing bonus, now you couldnt pay them to get in .

[L-1]

In California, oral boards usually rate you the following:

Experience – assesses your ability and experience in accepting responsibilities and performing assigned tasks as demonstrated through achievements in work, school, and other activities.

Problem Solving – assesses your reasoning skills in developing timely, logical responses to a wide variety of situations and problems.

Communication Skills – assesses your oral communications skills, which includes speaking, listening, and non-verbal communication.

Interest/Motivation – addresses your interest in and preparedness for the peace officer job. It includes an assessment of your general level of interest, initiative, and goal orientation.

Interpersonal Skills – assesses many facets, such as social knowledge/appropriateness, social insight, empathy, social influence, social self-regulation, sociability, team orientation, social self-confidence, conflict management skills, and negotiating skills.

Community Involvement/Awareness – focuses specifically on your experiences and interest in community issues, as well as your interest in and ability to fill multiple roles and serve a diverse community.

You have to ask yourself - In an oral, do I present myself as someone who successfully meets all of these qualifications or do I stumble and fall short? If you fall short, identify those areas where you do and make the appropriate corrections.

These above six categories are covered in http://lib.post.ca.gov/Publications/...guide_0809.pdf . This document is designed to assist agencies in the conduct of the interview; however as an applicant, you may find some of the information useful in preparing for your next oral.

[caideN]

I don't think getting a masters or guard card would help you out that much. However, I believe being a reserve or military can be beneficial. Do realize that reserves still needs to take the same steps as a normal applicant to become a full time sworn LEO. Military is 4 years minimum and I don't know if your plans would change after 4 years in the military. I think getting an interview coach is probably most beneficial. Like some have said on this thread, it is the only time you get to show them that you have what it takes to be a LEO. I THINK if you qualify enough to be sitting there at an oral board, none of your degree, experience, and etc matters at that point. IT MAY matter after the oral boards (backgrounds) but it seem like you haven't even gotten pass that yet. Find some law enforcement interview coaches. When I was in the academy, we had someone come and try to have us pay $100 for a coaching session. I don't remember the company though...

I honestly have no military exp, ONE job exp that does not relate to LE at all, I did self-sponsor myself, and I do good at oral boards...

Maybe you should self-sponsor yourself if you haven't already. If your background is clean then only time will tell.

[mikeymedic]

Doing x will not improve your chances...it will only disqualify you being a schedule 1 narcotic.