Contact with current employer ?

[Hawkshaw]

I have a good job which I like and I have a great standing in my company, both of which I don't want to loose before getting hired by a law enforcement agency, but my passion is for LE work hence my move to the LE application process.

My question is this, at what point do BI's contact the CURRENT employer? I reside in South Florida (east coast) if that helps?

I don't worry about anything my employer/supervisor would say about me, but I don't want there to be contact until AFTER ALL of the prior hiring hurdles have been passed ie. oral board, poly, psych, med. etc...

Any info would be great, thanks.

[Roger Dat]

Not a chance, they will notify your current employer before the process is complete. Why would they pass you and say your good to go before everything was done?

[Hawkshaw]

Roger Dat,

Either I did not ask my question clearly or you misunderstood my question, or I misunderstood your reply to my post.

I am not concerned IF they speak to my current employer, rather WHEN. I was referring to whether the basic hurdles such as listed above....poly, psych, med etc...are completed FIRST before calls go out to the CURRENT employer? Typically, at least in FL, the initial stages of hiring down south are oral board, poly, psych, med etc.. (of course the CJBAT, swim, PAT are done first before submitting the apps.)

I would imagine before investing the additional manpower for naught that the initial hiring hurdles would be completed first before a BI starts calling employers not knowing if an applicant has even passed the standard hiring tests. However, with that said, perhaps depts. differ on their respective BI procedures, so that is why I asked my question.

I would not expect to be good to go without contact with my current employer or any past employers.

Bottom line, like a lot of people I would not want to be fired from my current employment without first having made it through what I consider important, but basic hiring processes before the in depth BI starts with a LE agency. After passing those first stages I am willing to accept the chances. Either way I am going through the process regardless of the answers I get on this thread but I was hoping to hear that BI's wait to the latest part of the BI to contact CURRENT employers.

[MarineMp]

Mine contacted my current employer first thing. I think that your current state of work habits are more important than your past. Now saying that the past isn't very very important, but the one you have now would be on my list to contact first. The bottom line is they are going to check everything, before you get an offer or pass on to the next portion of the process.


MarineMp's disclaimer.
I am not an LEO, I have been through the process though. I am sure if I'm wrong I will get a verbal thrashing from the all knowledgeable LEO's :D

EDIT: In response to your repost. What you are worried about is not getting the job as an officer and losing the one you have? And or coming off like you are trying to leave them correct? If so read above.

[Roger Dat]

You asked if they would wait till you cleared the hurdles and were basically ready to hire you. The answer is no. they will do the contact as part of your background investigation which they will prior to most of those steps.

[Ver1tasA3quitas]

I am in Florida and currently going through a couple application processes. I'm sorry to say it but, as said before, job references and personal references are among the first on the list for BI's. If you don't have anything to worry about, may I suggest maybe just coming clean with your current employer about your future aspirations of becoming a LEO? Maybe just see what their views are and go from there. Good luck to you though.

[DZL]

If you are not picked for this job you are applying for, do you really think your current employer would frown on you for trying to better yourself...?

i wouldn't worry about it, as long as you are a good employee and haven't had any issues with your employer... i'm sure they will stand behind you, and maybe if you're valuable enough, they'll try and keep you there...

[Hawkshaw]

Thanks for all the posts.

I think the best bet is to approach my employer about my employment intentions as one poster suggested.

Although I view my interest in LE as an attempt to better myself, I am not certain my employer would share that view, but I guess I won't know until I speak with him.

My other concern was not wanting to be percieved as a "job hunter" when the only interest I have is in LE. If I don't get picked up by any of the local depts. I am applying to then, I will stay put where I am working now since I do not want to move anywhere else.

Thanks again.

[noelchabanel]

I think my current employer got called before I even drove back from the station from handing in my history form on my lunch break :D Good thing they love me here ;). Think about it though, it costs a lot less to just pick up the phone and chat with someone for 10 minutes or so than to send you to a psychologist and drop several hundred dollars for an evaluation.