How Bad do No Shows look on Backgrounds

[Jnunes031]

I applied for a lot of different places down when I thought I could get time off to travel to LA and just go down and do different interviews during a certain timespan. I’m only 20 and currently in an academy (non-sponsored) and had no idea no shows were actually a thing so a really dumb mistake on my part. Thank you guys for any advice you can give.

[just joe]

Do you mean a "no show" for a scheduled interview? If so, what did you think happened when you didn't show up for an interview and wasted everyone's time? It is disrespectful and shows a lack of maturity.

[not.in.MY.town]

I applied for a lot of different places down when I thought I could get time off to travel to LA and just go down and do different interviews during a certain timespan. I’m only 20 and currently in an academy (non-sponsored) and had no idea no shows were actually a thing so a really dumb mistake on my part. Thank you guys for any advice you can give.

No shows aren't "a thing". They're a dick move. Do some growing up and apply in five years.

[Jnunes031]

Do you mean a "no show" for a scheduled interview? If so, what did you think happened when you didn't show up for an interview and wasted everyone's time? It is disrespectful and shows a lack of maturity.

I one hundred percent agree with you and it was a young dumb mistake. I believe two were scheduled and things got complicated with COVID and everything. I didn’t even know it was a thing and even though this was only 11 months ago I’ve grown more in that time than I have ever but it was 100% due to a lack of knowledge and responsibility on my part. Is it going to DQ me in a background for sure?

[L-1]

I applied for a lot of different places down when I thought I could get time off to travel to LA and just go down and do different interviews during a certain timespan. I’m only 20 and currently in an academy (non-sponsored) and had no idea no shows were actually a thing so a really dumb mistake on my part. Thank you guys for any advice you can give.

Ditto to what Not In My Town said.

Some applicants think that if the don't show, they don't get the job. What's the big deal?

No shows demonstrate a lack of:

Dependability
Thoroughness
Accuracy
Good judgment
Courtesy
Ability to work cooperatively with others
Lack of willingness and ability to assume the responsibilities and to conform to the conditions of work characteristic of the employment you are seeking

All of these are minimum requirements of the career you are applying for. This speaks poorly of your character as a whole and suggests you lack maturity and are unreliable.

Need I say more?

If you had a bunch of no shows with out a valid excuse, like being hospitalized multiple times with no chance to give notice, and I were doing your background, you would be a DQ. Unless you apply with an agency that's so bad no one wants to work for them, I suspect the money you've spent on a self sponsored academy will turn out to be nothing more than a very expensive lesson in life.

[Jnunes031]

Ditto to what Not In My Town said.

Some applicants think that if the don't show, they don't get the job. What's the big deal?

No shows demonstrate a lack of:

Dependability
Thoroughness
Accuracy
Good judgment
Courtesy
Ability to work cooperatively with others
Lack of willingness and ability to assume the responsibilities and to conform to the conditions of work characteristic of the employment you are seeking

All of these are minimum requirements of the career you are applying for. This speaks poorly of your character as a whole and suggests you lack maturity and are unreliable.

Need I say more?

If you had a bunch of no shows with out a valid excuse, like being hospitalized multiple times with no chance to give notice, and I were doing your background, you would be a DQ. Unless you apply with an agency that's so bad no one wants to work for them, I suspect the money you've spent on a self sponsored academy will turn out to be nothing more than a very expensive lesson in life.

I appreciate the honesty it was two departments, and I knew ahead of time I would not be able to attend due to my father having COVID so still not really a good enough excuse for the lack of calling to warn them about the change in the time I just genuinely was not considerate enough at the time to even think that I should do that.

Unfortunately this job is my dream and I can’t give just give up on it. Would you DQ me if I had just two? Thank you and my apologies for using your all experience to help me better understand my situation as I go forward through this process.

[L-1]

If you didn't call, or follow up within a day or two shortly thereafter explaining yourself and there were no verifiable extenuating circumstances (dad in hospital barely clinging to life) then yes, I would probably DQ you.

I just can't emphasize how important personal responsibility is looked upon in this job.

[not.in.MY.town]

Is this you on Reddit? If so, you'd most likely be a medical DQ anyway. Do yourself a favor and find another career. Don't waste any more time and money studying Criminal Justice.

•Posted by jnunes031

I'm currently nineteen years old and undergoing an Associates of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and possibly a bachelor's in Criminology. I live in the USA within the State of California.

I have a couple questions that I need to ask referring to the job and what is available to me.

Would it be worth getting a bachelor's degree eventually for my career in law enforcement?

I had a surgery (spinal fusion) in my past would this affect my chances at becoming a LEO? I can't do situps but I experience no pain and will make up for it in all other qualifiers if I have to.

What are some programs or jobs I can get at my current age level?

I'm currently not an explorer should I become one or focus on other subjects?

What should I do at this point to better my chances at becoming a LEO and "beefing" up my resume?

[Jnunes031]

Is this you on Reddit? If so, you'd most likely be a medical DQ anyway. Do yourself a favor and find another career. Don't waste any more time and money studying Criminal Justice.

•Posted by jnunes031

Yes sir that would be me but after enough Physical Training I was able to do sit-ups and all other physical activities required by POST and I’ve passed the work sample battery multiple times.
I appreciate the honesty I really can’t give up on this career because it’s not just a career to me unfortunately. I really wish I didn’t apply for those jobs, I dreamed to big and acted to little.
Thanks for the information, you’ve given me a lot to look at and to try to see how I can move forward hopefully in the years to come.

[CCCSD]

Agencies might not want to buy your back problem: it WILL create medical issues in the future,

[Iowa #1603]

I appreciate the honesty I really can’t give up on this career because it’s not just a career to me unfortunately. I really wish I didn’t apply for those jobs, I dreamed to big and acted to little.

You are going to have a VERY long wait............................probably longer than you will be able to handle.

Again your lack of maturity and judgement is going against you.

With your spinal fusion I can't think of any agency that is going to want to take a chance on you knowing that back injuries are probably the biggest police career ending situations maybe just higher than heart disease

[BNWS]

How hard is it to send an email? You can do it on the toilet while taking a dump. In this day and age any reason for a no show sounds like an excuse. Live and learn.

[9L81]

Your immaturity and resultant non-showing for some interviews is probably something time and distance could help you with. By the time you are employable in this field your academy cert will be expired. You will need to do another academy being even older.

Your back isn't going to get any better. Fusions eventually wear out the spinal level adjacent to the fusion and the whole procedure will need to be redone incorporating at least one additional level. It may be 10 years. It may be 20 or more, but at your age it is pretty much a guarantee you will need to have it done at least one more time. Meanwhile it will deteriorate over time and you will do your best to avoid going under the knife again too soon, likely picking up other injuries along the way while compensating and trying to protect your spine.

I know you don't want to hear this now and aren't going to listen but in 10 years you will have matured enough to realize you could have been just as happy doing something else. 30 years from now you will wish you listened and found a new path in life when you were still young.

[L-1]

Yep, I suspect you will have some issues on the medical. Here's a quick way to find out.

Print this out -

https://post.ca.gov/portals/0/post_docs/publications/medical-screening-manual/Musculo.pdf

These are California's ortho standards for police applicants.

Take it to your ortho doctor and ask him to read it. Ask him to pretend he is the police department's physician who is being paid to look after their interests and not yours. Then ask him if as the police department's physician, he would approve you for employment as an officer based on these standards, knowing what he does about all your ortho injuries and treatment.

Than will give you a ballpark idea as to where you stand.

FWIW, ortho injuries are a major cause or work related injuries and work related disability retirements in law enforcement. I don't know if you are aware of it, but in California, as a matter of law, an employer is required to pay an employee's the medical bills for all work related injuries for the rest of that employee's life. Even if the injury is preexisting, the employer can be required to pay for all future medical if that preexisting injury is made worse by 1% due to a work related event.

Ditto for disability retirements. If your preexisting injury is made worse by a work related injury to the point that you are unable to perform at least one of the carefully defined critical physical tasks in your job description, you qualify for a lucrative (and expensive for the employer) disability retirement.

For these reasons, law enforcement agencies have the legal right to reject applicants whose physical conditions are such that they are at higher risk for work related injuries that would cost the employer unreasonable amounts of money, or put other employees or the public at risk.

People often bring up things like the Americans with Disabilities Act and Reasonable Accommodation like they are a magic wand that opens the door for everyone, but that is not the case. In order to qualify, the applicant's request must be reasonable and not create an undue burden for the employer. Seeking to work in a job whose duties pose an unreasonable physical risk to the applicant is not considered reasonable. Similarly, when the unreasonable physical risk may cost the employer hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills or millions of dollars in disability retirement for the employee, it is considered unduly burdensome.

[not.in.MY.town]

Yes sir that would be me but after enough Physical Training I was able to do sit-ups and all other physical activities required by POST and I’ve passed the work sample battery multiple times.
I appreciate the honesty I really can’t give up on this career because it’s not just a career to me unfortunately. I really wish I didn’t apply for those jobs, I dreamed to big and acted to little.
Thanks for the information, you’ve given me a lot to look at and to try to see how I can move forward hopefully in the years to come.

Apparently you still don't get it. Applying wasn't the problem. The issue is that you didn't show up to your scheduled interviews without the courtesy of advance notice.

You could have asked to reschedule the interview and/or formally withdrawn from the process. You know, like a responsible adult...