Using A Department As A "Stepping Stone"

[Zimmy]

My dream department is my hometown department and I do not think I will get hired until I get a lot more job experience. I am about a year away from completing my Criminal Justice associates degree and turning 21. My age and not a lot of working experience will probably work against me. Although I currently have a job and plan to have the same one until I get hired as a LEO.

I was thinking of applying at a lot of smaller departments and then work there for a decent amount of time and then try to apply at the original one I want.

Also, a couple of questions.

My hometown department has around 40,000 people. How much does it raise my chances of being hired on account of being an officer at another department with experience? Even though it will be a small department.

I would like to apply to a ton of places to raise my chances, but what is the limit do you think of the places I should apply? I don't want to over do it and be running back so much that it's impossible.

[mcsap]

An experienced officer is almost always more valuable than a brand new officer. Even if it is only a year or so. Your future is going to be dictated by not only what you want but by what PD's actually have openings.

[Ispbear]

An experienced officer is almost always more valuable than a brand new officer. Even if it is only a year or so. Your future is going to be dictated by not only what you want but by what PD's actually have openings.

Agree, but one bit of advice. If your looking at applying for towns with populations in the 5000-10000 range you are going to really be careful of how you do the job. I've seen more than a number of decent young officer get jammed up working in those small towns. They go out and do the job, but they arrest the wrong people and the city council members go nuts and start putting pressure on the chief. Next thing you know that officer is getting reprimanded for BS things. When your ready to start applying, if your hometown is hiring, apply. The worse thing that can happen is that you don't get accepted. Then you can weigh your other options and look at different departments.

[retdetsgt]

If your looking at applying for towns with populations in the 5000-10000 range you are going to really be careful of how you do the job. I've seen more than a number of decent young officer get jammed up working in those small towns.

+1

I suppose it doesn't matter in a state where you have to put yourself through the academy, but these small towns operated on limited budgets. You aren't going to make friends if they spend the money on sending you to an academy and all your training, then you bail out on them. Besides, IMO that's a little unethical.

I've never worked in a small town, but several of my peers have become chiefs of them after they retired from our department and I talked to them. Everyone of them faced what Ispbear talked about, the wrong people getting tickets or arrested and them facing pressure. Since they all came from a place where we could arrest anyone we needed to, regardless of who they were, each and every one told the respective city council/city managers to shove it and walked away.

It's just me, but I would recommend staying at the job you have and wait to apply to the department you ultimately want to work for. I can't speak for any other department, but we don't give all that much leverage to people coming from other departments. We've had a lot of successes, but we've also hired some real disasters. Some I suspect got good recommendations just because their old agency just wanted to get rid of them so we look at laterals very closely.

[Zimmy]

Thanks for the input guys.

I thought about self sponsoring myself, but in Oklahoma we have this thing called Cleet and you have to be hired by a police department to attend it. So that would be another plus getting hired by a smaller department cause I would get put through Cleet also.

I will probably apply at my local agency and a ton other places. I am just worried about applying at to many places at once.

What do you guys think is the maximum amount of places I should apply at?

[greg72982]

I think it all depends on the state. In PA that's the name of the game since there are WAY more part time positions than full time positions and it's mostly a self sponsor type of state.

Short of having a poilitical connection, your chances are much better here getting hired full time at a good department if you have experience, provided you aren't a screw up. Since this profession is like a big high school, if you are a screw up it's about impossible to hide...

I wouldnt say there is any maximum amount, choose how far you are willing to travel and/or move and go from there. The more places you apply the better your chances.

EDITED TO ADD: If you do have a political connection, being a screw up is irrelevant.

[Zimmy]

Thank you.

I guess all I can do now is wait, learn some Spanish, keep my grades up, volunteer and stay out of trouble.

[kels]

Starting in your home town can be rough.
Every little stupid thing you might have done
in your life is going to get thrown back in your
face at one time or another.
Assuming the retirement plan is the same
and transferable, try to find somewhere within
a couple of hours of home to start.
That way you can go home on your days off
and be a "normal person".
Good luck in your search.

[Zimmy]

Starting in your home town can be rough.
Every little stupid thing you might have done
in your life is going to get thrown back in your
face at one time or another.
Assuming the retirement plan is the same
and transferable, try to find somewhere within
a couple of hours of home to start.
That way you can go home on your days off
and be a "normal person".
Good luck in your search.

That sounds like a good plan.

I did a Google map search of all the Departments within 30 Min - 1 Hour from me and I wrote down all the addresses and phone numbers in a notebook.

[kels]

couple of other thoughts.

Try for a dept with at least 6 LEOs. Has to do with hours/pay.
I would suggest at least an hour away minimum.
Plan on staying for 3 to 5 years. (gives you a good work history)
Plan on working midnights. Everyother rookie has and you will too.
(no whining)

[Zimmy]

couple of other thoughts.

Try for a dept with at least 6 LEOs. Has to do with hours/pay.
I would suggest at least an hour away minimum.
Plan on staying for 3 to 5 years. (gives you a good work history)
Plan on working midnights. Everyother rookie has and you will too.
(no whining)

All of the departments near me have at least 6 LEO's.
I also prefer working nights, that's a non-issue.

I live in far north Oklahoma, so I might even apply in Kansas in you're neck of the woods.

[retdetsgt]

Do the 5 years too before you move on, you omitted that part in your reply to kels. As I said earlier, it's an ethical thing to take their money for training and bail out. Give them a chance to get it back. It also looks MUCH better on your resume. Any other department will wonder if you will just stay with them a short time and move on again.

[Zimmy]

Do the 5 years too before you move on, you omitted that part in your reply to kels. As I said earlier, it's an ethical thing to take their money for training and bail out. Give them a chance to get it back. It also looks MUCH better on your resume. Any other department will wonder if you will just stay with them a short time and move on again.

I don't plan on screwing anybody over.

I will put the time in for them.

[Cat_Doc]

Don't forget to apply at the department you want to work for. You never know, they might hire you right off the bat.

Being turned down once or twice because you may be considered too young and inexperienced in the work force is not a bad thing. Getting a record of being a "Gypsy" cop is a bad thing.

[Zimmy]

I am looking at the applications online and they have no spots to put academic achievements, or volunteer work. How should I add those to the application? If that's even possible?