Education
A minimum of 20 years of age is required to join the police
force; however you may get an age relaxation depending upon the Job description
for a specific department or agency. Also, you must have a basic college
education and if you have done bachelors then it’s better for you. Relevant
work and certificates in law will also make you a suitable candidate for this
job. You also need to have a driving license without any excessive and
noticeable traffic violations history.
Good health and Physical Fitness
To become a police officer, it’s important for you to have a
good health and physical fitness. There is a physical fitness test, which
involves an examination of your sight, hearing and physical strength. What you
can do in this regard is to do exercise daily and maintain a sleek, slender and
good physique. If you are still in College then you should always participate
in sport activities, which will keep you fresh, healthy and a better candidate
for your future police career. The test also involves checking of the heart
strength and agility. If you follow appropriate workout routines, then you will
have a strong heart that will assist you in passing the physical fitness test.
Try to stop eating junk food and getting overweight as overweight body can
become a barrier for you to pass this test. Before applying for the police
officer’s job, you must be physically fit as you have to make it through a
rough assessment process and medical examination. After passing the test, you
are ready to get started with the written exam.
Written exam
Without passing this test you can’t make your way towards
the police career, so you need to pass this too. You can prepare well for the
written portion by reading relevant books and online material available. Many
agencies also offer their services to prepare applicants for the civil service
examination. Don’t worry, the written exam is not much difficult, all you have
to do is to do some reading, pick concepts and give the exam with confidence.
Interviews
In a police officer’s interview, there are a number of
questions asked by a panel of experts in the police department. They usually
examine your communication skills, sense of responsibility, honesty, passion
and evaluate how you can react in various practical scenarios.
They can ask you, these sorts of question like:
1. Why do you want to become a police officer and what has
motivated you to join this career.
2. Have you applied somewhere else before submitting this
application?
3. Why you feel yourself most appropriate and best candidate
for this job?
4. Where do you see yourself in five years or so?
The questions are no different than any other typical
interview conducted in various organizations and Companies for hiring
applicants. To be successful, you should prepare yourself in advance for these
standard type of questions like “tell me about yourself” and the ones listed
above. Also, dress nicely and get a proper haircut before going for the
interview.
Criminal Record and Background Check
A Criminal and background check is carried out prior before
hiring any applicant for the police officer’s Job. If you have a clean record
free from drugs, violence, criminal charges and legal violations then you don’t
need to worry about anything. There are a number of questions they will ask you
regarding your family, school life and Jobs you have performed in the past.
Always be concise and clear and deliver your genuine thoughts to the interview
panel. These guys are professional in conducting such tests and are human lie
detectors, so never try to give them any answer which may prove to be wrong
when checked on their part.
If you have done some felony or crime in the past like
racism and street violence, and when they ask you about it? You can tell them
the truth, by hiding or not telling the truth may get you in an odd situation
and it’s possible that they will not hire you if they get to know the truth
about it later.
Police Academy
At this stage, you will now become a recruit and your
department will send you to a police training academy. You will make your way
to the police academy where you will train for a year or less. The tenure for
training may vary and depends upon the department you will work for after
passing the academy. It may be three to four months if you are working for
state and local police departments.
Benefits of Training
While on the training, there are many things you will learn
and get to know about. For instance, you are able to learn the Constitution,
Local and State laws. They prepare you to work in the daily routine of a police
officer and you get to know the various aspects of police work. Sometimes you
may have to do clerical work as well. They make you fit to use fire arm and how
to take self-defense actions while on an active duty. The standard procedures a
policeman has to follow while making arrests and how to communicate and act in
different situations, all of this is part of police academy training.
Probation period
So, finally after satisfying all the requirements and
passing the police academy training, you have become a police Officer. But, you
are on a probation period which may vary from nine to eighteen months and you
may get terminated in it, if you don’t follow the rules and regulations
properly. You have to be cautious in the probation period and try to follow all
the guidelines and procedures you learned, while in the police academy
training. If you follow the rules, you will be successful in passing this
probationary period and will get the whole set of skills that will help you in
your successful police career.
