Turned down for the first time

[Rdwall0686]

I have always wanted to apply to the P.D. and I finally grew up enough courage to give it a shot. I applied and everything was going well, i passed the physical agility, oral interview, polygraph, psych exam...everything. I got a conditional offer. I went for my psych interview which was only two min long and a week later I get a phone call turning my application down. I never thought I was to make it this far and yet very disappointed am still very proud of myself. when I got turned down it was exactly one week before the academy started.

Now as I was going through the process it became more aware to me how bad I really wanted this. As soon as I found out that I had been turned down the first thing I did was went to two local cities agency's and applied right away. My main question is what could have went wrong that made them change their mind on me.

By the way I was completely honest about everything on my app as well as in the psych test. Everything they asked me were questions they already knew the answer to.

thank you for your answers.

[North Patrol]

If you were given a conditional offer then turned down you might want to call the agency and ask why.

[Rdwall0686]

I did call and they would not give me an answer why. I even wrote a letter of reconsideration on my application. the main recruiting officer explained that even tho i had received an conditional offer it still was not my final offer.

they could not tell me anything about what had gone wrong but they did hint to me that i had done well on everything so you can get an idea of where something had went wrong which was the psych exam

[Nole795]

they could not tell me anything about what had gone wrong but they did hint to me that i had done well on everything so you can get an idea of where something had went wrong which was the psych exam

That probably what it is and they wont release what answers were considered "problematic." I know plenty of cops that failed their first psych and passed it at a second agency. It is what it is so brush the dirt from your shoulder and keep the faith.

Hang in there and keep applying like you did. Good luck to you.

[mobrien316]

Because of the Employee Polygraph Protection Act many agencies are required to make a conditional offer of employment before they can legally give you a polygraph.

A conditional offer of employment doesn't mean you are going to get hired any more than a chief's interview means you will get hired.

Take the advice already offered and apply elsewhere. It is relatively rare for an applicant to get hired at the first agency to which they apply.