DEA Applicant - my chances?

[deskjockey]

Bump

[Ranger__101]

I hate to say it, but you have three arrests on your record. Even if you were not charged it still maintains on your record and they will review all information available.

You are in completion with many other applications who don't have arrest records and the process is very competitive. The fact that you have made it this far in the process is a good sign.

There is no doubt the previous history will be a (-) on your record and you have obviously done a lot of good since then. I wish you the best of luck in your hiring process.

GOOD LUCK

[deskjockey]

Thanks alot for your comments. I forgot to mention in the above post that I did have all three arrests expunged in 2000 (although I did still list them all on my application).

[acreature]

(although I did still list them all on my application).

As you should ;)

Good Luck

[deskjockey]

Thanks ACreature. Hopefully they will view me as someone who has matured and demonstrated an ability to succeed at a professional/government level. I have done all I can do to make myself an attractive candidate in the past 7 years, but I can't control what I have done in my past, nor can I fail to accept responsibility for them. My thought s on this are that I will apply, demonstrate the maturity that I have gained, and if lucky enough to have the DEA take a chance on me, make sure that they don't ever regret having done so. I appreciate everyone who is offering me encouragement and offering candid comments on how they feel on this issue.

[Joeyd6]

Expunged = nothing.
In LE, it doesn't matter what the outcome was. What BI's look at is if you were arrested. Becasue if you were, there was obviously some probable casue on part of the officer and you were guilty of something......but a law technicality may have let you off.
The DEA has a lot more applicants than openeings....and many are squeeky clean. You sound like you accept what you did and have matured. I think you have a chance. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst!

Good luck!

[deskjockey]

Expunged = nothing.
In LE, it doesn't matter what the outcome was. What BI's look at is if you were arrested. Becasue if you were, there was obviously some probable casue on part of the officer and you were guilty of something......but a law technicality may have let you off.
The DEA has a lot more applicants than openeings....and many are squeeky clean. You sound like you accept what you did and have matured. I think you have a chance. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst!

Good luck!

Thanks Joey. Are you applying with the DEA also? I agree with your views on expungement, I think the only benefit it may have will be if I get on that some defense attorney won't be able to use my past record against me or to question my character. I agree with the competitiveness of the DEA, but I actually know someone who got on the DEA in the past year who couldn't get on NYPD (was in the NYPD process about two years ago and got knocked down for a DUI he got during the process). Anything is possible, so I am hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

[Nole795]

The fact the DEA is still processing you is a sign. I think your gonna have a rough time getting in. I wouldn't say your a liability, but the fact that you have been arrested three times is not a good sign of an applicant. But if they didn't want you, you would have been DQ'd when the application was reviewed.

[GrayPatriot]

Deskjockey,

You have a pretty impressive academic record. Especially with the fact that you completed your undergrad in 3 yrs. One of my undergrad degrees is also in CS so I know how difficult it is to get a GPA of 3.45 in that area.

As stated earlier, there are so many applicants for the DEA it makes it very difficult to make the grade. They can afford to be picky when it comes to accepting applicants. The only bit of advice I would give you is to apply elsewhere as a backup. There are so many federal jobs out there. I know the FBI were crying out for people with Computer degrees last March. I withdrew from the process, but prior to doing so my AC told me that they were accepting applicants without any work experience if they had a BA/BS in CS.

At any rate I wish you the best of luck with the DEA and let us all know how things go.

[Group9]

Just be completely upfront about the arrests in your SF-76. Expungement will not keep them from being discovered and any effort to cover them up will be the kiss of death. Misdemeanor arrests that indicate a lack of integrity, like stealing, or drug use are a problem. None of these sound like automatic DQ's to me unless the circumstances of the arrests reveal some other problems.

I know one DEA agent real well who got in with an adult misdemeanor conviction for malicious mischief so it is not an automatic DQ. Aggravated assault probably won't be as long as you are up front about it and don't try to make excuses when asked about it.


You are right in that in the end it is going to be what the hiring board thinks about it. Whether you pass the background and are not hired by the hiring board, or fail the background (and since you have already been cleared TS-SCI, this should be unlikely), you can still reapply in a few years so don't think it is the end of the world.

If you want odds, I think it is more likely than not that the arrests will not be a problem with DEA.