will this DQ me?

[NoLimitSoldier]

no crimes whatsoever besides traffic violations (worst speeding 22 over)
but that was a long time ago , smoked weed 2 times over 4 years ago (ruff time(being a kid) (i just turned 20) and am looking to join the small town of woodstock's PD ... however i have a problem, i was in high school for 6 years due to failing classes, not because they were hard by anymeans, but rather because i was working so much at the time (my parents are somewhat on the poor side) i was the only 16 year old working full time 7 days a week with full time high school just to save up to buy my first car and pay my insurance, this slaughtered my transcript, i get out of HS (now self employed(Computer Networking and Repair)) in a month or so and was hoping this wouldn't mess up my chances. speaking of which, is there a demand for those who have extensive networking/programming knowledge? i have always wanted to join the police to help people, although my father is mad that i'm choosing this as a career instead of computers, was hoping to do both.

[txinvestigator1]

You are 20 and in HS?

[NoLimitSoldier]

just turned 20 in the last month of it, yes i know sad, ,but i'm also now WAAAYY better off then anyone else i know my age

[commerceb]

No crimes, but you smoked weed...last time i checked that was a crime.
you'll be ok i guess

[Citicop]

To answer your question, your high school problems will not DQ you from most departments. (The drug use may, depending on the department in question.)

However - you are going to be fighting an uphill battle to get hired, DQ or not. You may meet the minimum hiring standards of the department at which you are applying, but don’t forget that you will be competing against other applicants that DO NOT have those kinds of poor academic performance and drug use in their pasts. You will be up against others with better backgrounds, military experience, college degrees, or prior LE experience. In some cases, other applicants will fit into more than one of these categories. You have to ask yourself “What will make me the best qualified for this position?”

My advice there is this: Go back to school. Get the degree of your choice, and get some solid academic performance on your record to outweigh high school and show you have matured. Volunteer in the community. Learn a foreign language. These are the kinds of things that will help you when your Background Investigator is looking over your application package.

Just my $.02-

Citicop.

[txinvestigator1]

just turned 20 in the last month of it, yes i know sad, ,but i'm also now WAAAYY better off then anyone else i know my age

Thats sad.

It also sounds like a dream I have had. I am an adult, back in HS.

****fuzzy dream sequence****Where the F is my locker? Whats my next class? OMG< I am an ADULT in HS. AAAHHHHHHHHH.

[Kimble]

no crimes whatsoever besides traffic violations... smoked weed 2 times over 4 years ago

Does anyone else see the irony of these two statements?

[GoDirectly2Jail]

Does anyone else see the irony of these two statements?

Unfortunately, it's not limited to this poster, but representative of the growing acceptance and tolerance of casual marijuana usage among general society. :(

[NoLimitSoldier]

that was a typo, i meant no crimes charged for, i mean jeeez no one can say no crimes without counting the time we all took bubble gum from the store as a kid, i am actually very much against any type of drug use at all which is one of the main reasons i want to join. i didn't think smoking twice at 15-16 was all that bad compared to the majority who apply, or are most of them completely clean?

[ngcsubutterbar]

I'm 700% COMPLETLY CLEAN, does that count?

[Kimble]

i didn't think smoking twice at 15-16 was all that bad compared to the majority who apply, or are most of them completely clean?

Depends on the department, but generally your "Average Joe" isn't applying to be a LEO. Many are people who have wanted to be one for a very long time, and who have been careful to select what behaviors/situations/friends they decide to allign themselves with because they know it will affect them down the road when applying. Now, with my department, and many others that I know of, marijuana usage twice at 15-16 is not going to be an auto-DQ. We have deputies that have tried it as youths, decided it wasn't for them, and have gone on to become terriffic deputies for our department. However, as has been said before, you don't know what your competition is in the application process. Perhaps your up against others with the same qualifications as you, but have never tried marijuana. In such case, while not an auto-DQ, you could likely still not be selected over the other applicants. A LEO position is not out of your reach if you only tried marijuana, only twice, only while 15-16. Just keep in mind that there are unforeseeable aspects of the application process that you cannot control, but that your past behaviors will affect.

[NoLimitSoldier]

will having a strong background in IT work ( mainly network administration, security and pc repair) help in getting hired? i can only hope that it will help as you said against others with not such a shady background

[md123]

Thats sad.

It also sounds like a dream I have had. I am an adult, back in HS.

****fuzzy dream sequence****Where the F is my locker? Whats my next class? OMG< I am an ADULT in HS. AAAHHHHHHHHH.

Strangers with candy . . .

[Johninaustin]

will having a strong background in IT work ( mainly network administration, security and pc repair) help in getting hired? i can only hope that it will help as you said against others with not such a shady background

Not really. Fluent in any languages? Degrees? Prior military or LE?

[NoLimitSoldier]

nope, nope, and nope, man i'm starting to think i'm in trouble