Your thoughts on me getting hired?

[pyrotechnik]

Hi everyone, I'm just a bit nervous about how I'll do getting hired.I'm applying to 5 departments in my area in the Seattle area. I'm 20, but old enough to apply for some departments, so I have that possibly going against me. The physical test and the written exam should be cake... or at least the physical (it's public safety testing for those who know about it). I'm concerned about some things though, but please let me know if it's legit or if I'm overthinking it all.

I work for an ambulance company and have been for a year or so now. I feel like this line of work has really helped prepare for a career in law enforcement. A few years ago, before working on the ambulance, I worked for a mom and pop coffee shop for three months (I was 18 years old at the time) and was fired for supposedly leaving the 2 doors to the shop unlocked overnight. the owner said i was a good worker but i was fired anyway. Go figure. I didn't put it on my application because I was there for only 3 months. I also was a volunteer with a fire department for almost a year. Fire just isn't my idea of a rousing good time, what with running into a building with ridiculously heavy hose. I signed a contract to be with them for a year and since I didn't complete my full year, I paid a fee which I agreed to do. However the chief wasn't happy at all about it, but I feel like it was the best thing to do for many reasons (which I need not talk about on here unless you are real nosy ;) ) I don't have any black marks on my record from there except for leaving early and therefore getting a little bit on the chief's bad side. I chose not to put them on my application either since it was never a paid position.

I don't plan on omitting those things from my oral boards, and I could only put in my past three employers on my application. I was wondering how these two things might affect my chances of getting hired. If they don't ask about the fire department and the coffee shop and I do forget to mention those things in oral boards and chief's interviews, is it possible I may be DQ'ed after the background check because they thought I omitted those things from them?

Thanks in advance.

[Switchback]

Nothing sounds terribly bad. They sound like nothing more than indiscretions of a 18 year old kid (and that is not to put you down). With that said, I think a little time will go a long ways in putting these things behind you and demonstrating that they are actually behind you.

With that said, I think you may have a harder time getting hired without an college credits. In many areas, it will be extremely difficult to be competitive without at least an associates degree.

[manahmanah]

They are going to find out about your previous job at the coffee shop when they verify your work history with your SSN. Also, if you went through any kind of background check for the fire department, they're going to find out about that too.

If I were you, I would tell them about it. I also think it would behoove you to put about 3-4 years of solid work experience at one place to show you can make a commitment.

What were the exact reasons you left the fire department? This is an anonymous internet forum, if you find it difficult to explain to us, it will be even harder to explain to a B.I. that is scrutinizing EVERYTHING on your personal history statement. Besides, they'll want to know that the reasons you left the fire dept. will not make you want to leave the police department.

[Johninaustin]

Leaving things off the application is a sure-fire way to fail. They WILL find out.

[pyrotechnik]

They are going to find out about your previous job at the coffee shop when they verify your work history with your SSN. Also, if you went through any kind of background check for the fire department, they're going to find out about that too.

If I were you, I would tell them about it. I also think it would behoove you to put about 3-4 years of solid work experience at one place to show you can make a commitment.

What were the exact reasons you left the fire department? This is an anonymous internet forum, if you find it difficult to explain to us, it will be even harder to explain to a B.I. that is scrutinizing EVERYTHING on your personal history statement. Besides, they'll want to know that the reasons you left the fire dept. will not make you want to leave the police department.

In response to the other posts, I do have college credits, but not a degree. I'm about 2/3 of the way there, I've been in college for 2 years but went to doing it part time so I could begin working full time and actually put food on the table :rolleyes: also, the online application only allows me to put my past 3 employers on there. And this is the same one application for all the departments.

The main reason why I left the fire department is because FD isn't my career of choice and volunteering was going to be my path into a career position. Other reasons included the lack of training that the department provided. The more I think about it, the more I think "Why did they even let volunteers into that fire engine!?" It took up two nights of my week and I didn't get any fire calls, only aid calls. In my time there, I went on a grand total of maybe 10 calls. Because of a lack of training with the department and a lack of calls to sharpen my skills I felt like they were rapidly deteriorating.

[rgs83]

From first hand experience, any discrepancy, even the appearance to dissuade or mask a discrepancy in your past, can cause you to be disqualified
.
Being an LEO means they're putting a lot of responsibility and trust into you, and there are many applicants looking to get the same position. Regardless of YOU not thinking it's a big deal because it was ONLY 3months or ONLY volunteer... THEY might. Or worse, they might think it was a much bigger deal than what it was since you tried to hide it.

Point being, Police Services have the luxury be picky, and something as 'small' as this, might be all the recruiter needs to err on the side of caution, and say PASS.

If I were you, the first meeting you have with the recruiter, tell them; let them hear it from you, with your explanations, before they find out for themselves.

[DeltaV]

Are you saying that there were no instruction on how to add more prior jobs to the application? No additional online page? No instructions on submitting a form detailing the jobs? I find that extremely hard to believe.

[pyrotechnik]

Are you saying that there were no instruction on how to add more prior jobs to the application? No additional online page? No instructions on submitting a form detailing the jobs? I find that extremely hard to believe.

You made me second guess myself ;) but yea verily, there is only room for three jobs on the "past and current employment history" part of the application.

What is likely to happen is that since this is merely a standardized test that covers 95% of departments in WA, AK and ID, the departments I'm testing for will ask about my full history and not go completely off of the online application.