what do you guys think? 911 Dispatch job

[craigo0087]

Kind of a new poster on this site, this is an awesome site by the way. Geat info!

Anyways i wanted to get some opinions on this job i applied for (911 Dispatcher) at the local Sheriff's Office. I turned in my app a week after they advertised for it in the local paper.

They said no experience necessary, only need to type 25wpm which i think is low as hell

It's been one week since i turned in the app and they sent me a letter saying this:

Dear ****,

We are in reciept of your application for the position of 911 Dispatcher with the -blank- County Sheriff's Office. The application review and backround check takes approximately six to eight weeks to complete. Upon completion of our investigation, you will recieve a letter reguarding the disposition of your application
Thank You

My question is will it really take like 6 weeks to conduct their backround investigation? How long should i wait before i should call them? How long do you think they will call me if they want to interview me?

As far as my qualifications, i can type 55wpm, i have about 1.5yrs customer service experience, and phone customer service experience, and im currently in college to get my Criminal Justice degree

Thank you for reading my thread and any feedback will be appreciated.

[Roger Dat]

Depending on how many applicants there are, how deep the investigations go and how high a priority it is to fill this job will affect the time it takes for the background exam. If it says they will call you then let them call you. Believe me if they do your background and chose you for the position or interview they will notify you.

[Cinnamon]

Could take a couple short weeks, or maybe 6 weeks or longer... just be patient to hear back from them. If it's anything like our dispatch center, they are always short handedand need people.

It's a job that can be boring, exhausting, exciting, confused, happy, sad.... do I need to keep going?

Also, just like cops have to suffer thru the donut jokes, dispatchers and call-takers have to put up with the jokes that a lot of people think they eat all the time. Grow thick skin with that...as well as the roller-coaster of a job you will have.

Good luck!

[MDEMT280]

dispatchers and call-takers have to put up with the jokes that a lot of people think they eat all the time

And to that end, DON'T eat all the time. Good golly, everyone I trained with gained weight. Everyone. Every. One. We usually had food ordered in the first hour of the shift! :eek:

Seriously, though, it's hit or miss with the checks. One agency that I worked for wound up doing my background check after I had been working there a YEAR. Another that I applied with was sending a detective around to interview folks before my interview. So, your mileage may vary. Six weeks really isn't that bad.

Expect six, be patient if they take longer, and be pleasantly surprised if it's sooner. :D

[craigo0087]

And to that end, DON'T eat all the time. Good golly, everyone I trained with gained weight. Everyone. Every. One. We usually had food ordered in the first hour of the shift! :eek:

Seriously, though, it's hit or miss with the checks. One agency that I worked for wound up doing my background check after I had been working there a YEAR. Another that I applied with was sending a detective around to interview folks before my interview. So, your mileage may vary. Six weeks really isn't that bad.

Expect six, be patient if they take longer, and be pleasantly surprised if it's sooner. :D

Yeah i really hope its sooner, i would really like to have this job.

[MDEMT280]

Do bear in mind that this is probably just one step in the process. Your agency obviously values doing background checks first (but as I said, I've seen it both ways). However, there will probably be other steps to do, such as functional/job-related testing (like the typing test), interviews, etc.

I think my total hiring time frame, from when I applied to when I was given an offer, was about three or four months. About a month of that was waiting after applying, then it picked up speed a bit after that. This is also an agency with many vacancies and a revolving door.

[craigo0087]

Do bear in mind that this is probably just one step in the process. Your agency obviously values doing background checks first (but as I said, I've seen it both ways). However, there will probably be other steps to do, such as functional/job-related testing (like the typing test), interviews, etc.

I think my total hiring time frame, from when I applied to when I was given an offer, was about three or four months. About a month of that was waiting after applying, then it picked up speed a bit after that. This is also an agency with many vacancies and a revolving door.

Yeah, i know what you mean about the application process, since im in college right now, im going to finish my criminal justice degree first, then i will be applying for the florida highway patrol. they're application process takes 8 months. then you go to their academy for 6 months. becoming a police officer is my ultimate goal. but i figured while im getting my degree this job will give me some experience in the general field of work. as far as dealing with emergency situations.