would correctional experience help me get a job later as a police officer?

[safadoretornado]

I just recently went through the entire hiring process with Metro Nashville PD, and passed everything as far as I know. They had a panel that did my final review (I was not present) and I was not selected for the academy. Still not entirely sure why. I called and spoke to someone about it and they said there wasn't any specific reason to give me, just that as a group they decided not to hire me. I am from out of state (I've only lived in TN for a year) and I think that may have been a factor, but I am not sure how much that would really matter. I have a squeaky clean record, am an Eagle Scout with 78 units of college, and got a perfect 10 out of 10 for the civil service and physical agility test scores. I am 22 years old, and speak Spanish and Portuguese. So it came as a big surprise to not be selected, especially since I had heard from many sources that this department was extremely short-handed.

So, for my first question, does anybody have any insight as to possible reasons why I didn't pass the final review?

Second, would getting experience as a correctional officer help me get a job as a police officer later on? I have heard it's easier to get hired, and a much faster process.

[CarCop]

Not from Nashville so I don't have the insight of a local officer. However in general, I would say that your age is the only thing that would be a negative check mark. Now don't take this wrong but, when you have several good applicants to hire from you have to select or not select from some pretty petty things. In your case my GUESS would be age. I do not know what type of academy NPD runs or if they do. If they are a department that pays for POST training at a college academy then they are extremely limited on how many people they can put in. If they run thier own academy, then they have a lot more slots to fill and your cahnces are very good.

Does Corrections help you to get hired as PD faster? Not always. You will have a background already completed and aside that it is still a different job. If you want to do corrections then have at it but do not go into it thinking that it will expedite a job to a PD faster.

Just a bit of advice, put in more applications. You'll get a hit soon enough. You have a lot of time still. Good luck to you.

[AZLawDawg]

Every agency is different, you never know, there may have been more qualified applicants ahead of you. Don't let this one rejection stop you, keep applying.
I can't see being a CO as a negative in any way, shape or form. It shows that you are used to being in position of authority and can handle responsibility. Maybe it was the length of time you were a CO, before you applied for an out of state job as an LEO? Some agencies frown on applicants who are in the LE field for less than a year - who then apply someplace else.

good luck!