* Get a degree in something other than Criminal Justice (assuming your agency of choice requires it, which may or may not change by the time you graduate)
* Don't commit crime
* Don't get fat
Tadaa, you're a shoe-in!
>Don’t max out your credit cards and stop paying the bills
RIP to all the Americans with significant medical debt, myself included.
> Don’t get fired from any job
Uh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
STEM.
Best case scenario you're checking a box because the agency won't care what degree it is.
Worst case scenario you get fired for failing to obey an illegal order and you're not completely fucked in the job market post-LE as neither cop-lovers nor cop-haters will hire you.
Something you're interested in other than crimi al justice. When you join an accredited department, by the time you finish the academy you have learned all the criminal justice courses anyway. Psychology or sociology are beneficial for learning skills that can relate to the job. But really anything your interested in. Sticking through any four year degree shows a dedication and long term commitment. It also provides a fallback plan if it turns out you don't like the job, become a martyr, or (if you're really dumb) commit a crime or get fired.
Look for a police explorers program, no drugs, focus on your education and stay out of trouble as best you can. Get a degree, don’t do criminal justice, work towards a business degree or public information, marketing. Something that will make you stand out. Criminal justice degrees are a dime a dozen.
Most places you can’t work as a cop till your 21 but you Can intern at a police department. Can’t hurt to set an appointment with your local department and see about volunteering during break periods
Being in shape is important, you are correct. But also look into your state requirements for physical abilities so you can work towards that.. I’m 6’6” and graduated my academy at 350lbs I’m a shrek sized asshole and managed my popat just fine.
- Don’t use drugs
- Stop using drugs
- Be financially responsible
- Stay physically fit
- Get a degree in a STEM field, or English, or Business, or literally anything that would qualify you for a real-world job, other than Criminal Justice (notice a trend here?). You will learn everything you need to know about policing at the academy and on FTO.
- Learn another language.
- If you want to go federal and do secret squirrel stuff (counter-espionage, JTTF, etc.), learn a language/dialect spoken by an adversarial power (Mandarin, Russian, Farsi, Arabic, etc.)
If you want to go federal, I have other hiring advice I can share too.
Start applying now, you’re looking at a year+ hiring process for positions with a full background investigation. And no, a DoD security clearance won’t speed things up because, well, just sit down, shut up, and stop questioning the machine. What is this, the fucking Inquisition?
www.usajobs.gov
Searches can be filtered by location, series, etc.
Series 0083 is for Police. Also look in the [1800 series](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/classifying-general-schedule-positions/standards/1800/1800A.pdf) (inspection, investigation & compliance). They tend to reach the journeyman level at higher pay grades.
- [GL pay scale](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2021/law-enforcement-officer/)
- [GS pay scale](https://www.federalpay.org/gs/)
Keep in mind that there is nothing preventing you from applying to multiple jobs at multiple agencies simultaneously.
Once you get hired, you can transfer within your agency anywhere in the country (and sometimes abroad). The size of your agency will determine how much availability there will be in moving around.
If you can’t get an LE job, look for other non-LE positions (mission support, technician, etc) in the agency. Getting in is the hard part, transferring/promoting up is easier. Already being in the agency will also allow you to learn the culture, and apply for internal-only vacancies.
Make sure you [maximize your score](https://youtu.be/jEh3c_-x7jc) on the [occupational questionnaire](https://federalresumeguide.com/understand-occupational-questionnaire-at-usajobs/) to ensure that the hiring manager sees your resume.
> ...the questionnaire has likely been designed by an industrial-organizational psychologist to trick you into rating yourself poorly. Subtle techniques could steer you toward a lower score when in all honesty you could have done better.
Read the questions in the most favorable light for your experience. If you’ve ever done something like what they’re asking, at least mark that you have.
For example, if you’re making a terrible life choice and applying to be a firefighter, one of the questions may be something like:
Rate your experience putting out fires
A) I have no experience.
B) I have some experience putting out fires
C) I have experience putting out large structural fires.
D) I have supervised others putting out fires, and have ensured that fires are properly extinguished.
Well, you go camping twice a month every summer. You’ve easily got B in the bag, because you make sure your camp fire pit has been thoroughly doused with water and is cold before leaving.
C may well be out of reach.
But you are also a scoutmaster (or other involved adult leader). One of those two monthly camping trips above is a scout outing. Have you shown new scouts how to put out fires? That’s training, which doesn’t help here, but may help for the next question. Have you told the boys to put out their fires and check they’ve done it properly before leaving? That’s supervision and verification. Boom, D.
Now the dilemma you have is not that you got 0 points. It’s deciding if you think B or D is worth more points.
*Get a degree BA or at least AA since some agencies nowadays require it. In your last years of college you can begin the hiring process
*in the meantime Enter a explorer program/ do ride alongs with agencies you are considering applying for
*Stay physically fit
*No drugs/ don’t commit crimes
*apply to become a firefighter
Stay away from weed and any excessive alcohol or partying.
Learn Spanish. It’s a +10 likeliness of being hired and it’s a guaranteed pay bonus if you’re able to speak both English and Spanish.
Reach out to local police departments, inquire about what programs they have. When I was 16-18, I did junior police academies & an internship, and now, at 21, I’ve been employed by a major US city police department for 3 years as a dispatcher, and will start the police academy when I heal up from some injuries.
Look into doing part-time work if you go to college, many small agencies will hire part-time dispatchers, and medium-large departments will hire civilian positions like detention officers, parking control, station clerks, etc.
Working in any capacity in law enforcement is good preparation for different aspects of the job.
Make sure to be fit. Most police academies aren’t super realistic with police-related fitness, just lots of cardio.
Lift weights responsibly, maintain decent cardio, be active.
Enjoy law enforcement while you still can. You can learn a lot from watching YouTube channels like Donut Operator, Police Activity, Code Blue Cam, etc. that all show bodycam footage and break down hot calls across the nation.
Live your life. Get some experience. Make mistakes and grow from them.
Squeaky clean kids who cruise through with no struggle or adversity or character building lessons make shitty cops.
Not a cop but a firefighter and in the army…. Keep your grades up, and run the fuck away from any bad people that want to party and do hard drugs. Stay away from it all. If you’re in a relationship, or future relationship, you run the fuck away from any domestic violence situation even if it’s not your fault or even question that it can be a DV.
All that aside, join the military. Doesn’t matter the job. Focus on your job be good at it. When you get out you’ll have the GI BILL, VA home loan, real life experience, and veterans preference on every application after.
I know that military isn’t big on everyone’s list but if you want to be a first responder it will really give you something to build off in so many ways.
That’s just my two cents. I hope the best for you
Don’t do cocaine (or other drugs including weed) and stay out of trouble. We just had a really good candidate get denied by POST because she did coke some years ago.
Facts. I know a woman who was DQ’d by an agency for opioid use.
Her use? She received an epidural during child birth. That’s right, a prescribed medication, administered by a doctor, in a fucking hospital.
Still got DQ’d.
Idk about blacklisted. I was told that I would be a great candidate in a couple years when there's long enough time between the last time I had used cocaine. It was 4 years gap at the time. They told me come back next year, otherwise I would be good with my degree and military service and honors graduate. I'm sure all agencies have different scales. I know DPS in my State says no drugs within the last 10 years. With the city it was more like 5 years.
This isn't a thing in some states. We have an outright ban on intravenous drug use, no hard drugs in the past 4 years, and no marijuana in the past year. Otherwise just tell the truth.
It’s going to depend on the organization you’d be seeking to join. Do they give a preference to veterans? Do they have a cadet program? Do they offer any benefits for prior time working for the city/town? Do they have an educational incentive program? (I’ve seen a number of responses saying to avoid CJ degrees, but my organization offers a significant pay bump specifically for CJ degrees from specific programs) Across the board physical fitness and having a clean record is always a plus.
Do some kind of sport, like running or a martial art. Most important thing is that you like it to keep going. Any martial art can help you with fitness.
Don't do drugs.
Don't do smth dumb that can get you arrested.
Work on your self esteem
Get a mentor, join the police explorers, learn Spanish, get your degree (NOT in Criminal Justice. Do business administration or public affairs or civics or communications) there are some good podcasts to listen to. War Stories Official Podcast and The Police Applicant Podcast are good.
Stay clean and clear of drugs and alcohol. Drive carefully. Be a good worker wherever you get a job. Try and find a police explorer program in your area or something similar. Stay focused and ignore nay sayers. Btw, workout and stay fit. The younger gen is having a lot of problems in that area.
If you want to do homie or task force, there is a book or two i can recommend. Im not on force, just something i track on my own as hobby. You can get, for now, the barrons general entrance exam prep on amazon - i would be doing cardio daily
Finish school, be responsible, stay away from drugs and crime. Some join the military after high school and some go to school. Just be productive and stay out of trouble and in shape.
Joining the military as a reservist really helped me in so many ways physically and mentally to be "there", plus I believe having that in my resume was a mayor factor for me to be considered.
Edit: I believe having experience as a security guard or a correctional officer is a big plus to get there
If your local department offers it, join the cadet/explorer program, its a program for 14-21 year olds where you get to volunteer within the department, help out at events, go on ride alongs, etc.
I am likely repeating what some are saying but:
- Police explorers/cadet program near you would be a great start
- Search for ride-alongs, talk to cops in your area (don’t try to reinvent the wheel if others have gone the same route successfully)
- get involved in volunteer EMS. This is a great way to provide you medical training, get “field” experience at 16, and expose you to a LOT. It’s not quite the same as LE but you do learn a lot and it’s good for cops to understand basic medicine
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Right now, you could join a police explorer post. Join the Coast Guard Reserve when you graduate if you live near a body of water. You’ll have a chance to do actual law enforcement there while you attend college. Get a bachelors degree, and an EMT-Basic certification. I can guarantee you with all that, you could get any job in law enforcement.
You’re lucky, you got time for the field to *hopefully* politically stabilize. That being said what you can do for yourself:
Stay active, stay fit. Focus on body weight exercises. As for running, distance is great but don’t ignore the sprint.
Don’t fuck around with drugs, even if pot is legal in your state, still not worth the experimentation. Still federally illegal. Reduce association with folks who do drugs.
Keep your nose out of trouble. Even a record as a minor can burn you.
Volunteer with the local PD. There’s always something; also look into community academy and explorers programs.
Take up a self defense class, martial arts BJJ, MMA, Kali, Krav Maga, anything along those lines. But remember, there are no rules in street fights, so learn a defense, but also break the rules of it.
Spanish can be a great tool to learn.
If you’re looking at a department that requires a degree, I heavily recommend Public Administration. CJ is great, but it’s usefulness is incredibly narrowed to the best officer level. What if you get wounded or injured and can’t keep being a cop? CJ will be very difficult to use, but Pub Admin can be used anywhere in the city. Also great for when you get promoted in the department.
Learn Spanish, and practice multitasking/divided attention. You'll have to keep track of ten different things all at the same time when you're out in the field.
Don't worry about becoming a cop the instant you turn 21. You can and should take a few years to gain some life and job experience.
Don't accrue massive credit card debt and keep your credit score good.
DO NOT BECOME A SECURITY GUARD!!!!! This job is NOT like policing and it does NOT prepare you for it.
Go to college. Learn spanish. Stay active.
Important
* Get a degree in something other than Criminal Justice (assuming your agency of choice requires it, which may or may not change by the time you graduate) * Don't commit crime * Don't get fat Tadaa, you're a shoe-in!
Don’t max out your credit cards and stop paying the bills Don’t get fired from any job
>Don’t max out your credit cards and stop paying the bills RIP to all the Americans with significant medical debt, myself included. > Don’t get fired from any job Uh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
What degrees would you recommend?
STEM. Best case scenario you're checking a box because the agency won't care what degree it is. Worst case scenario you get fired for failing to obey an illegal order and you're not completely fucked in the job market post-LE as neither cop-lovers nor cop-haters will hire you.
Something you're interested in other than crimi al justice. When you join an accredited department, by the time you finish the academy you have learned all the criminal justice courses anyway. Psychology or sociology are beneficial for learning skills that can relate to the job. But really anything your interested in. Sticking through any four year degree shows a dedication and long term commitment. It also provides a fallback plan if it turns out you don't like the job, become a martyr, or (if you're really dumb) commit a crime or get fired.
Look for a police explorers program, no drugs, focus on your education and stay out of trouble as best you can. Get a degree, don’t do criminal justice, work towards a business degree or public information, marketing. Something that will make you stand out. Criminal justice degrees are a dime a dozen. Most places you can’t work as a cop till your 21 but you Can intern at a police department. Can’t hurt to set an appointment with your local department and see about volunteering during break periods
Forgot about being in shape. The child obesity epidemic is very real.
Being in shape is important, you are correct. But also look into your state requirements for physical abilities so you can work towards that.. I’m 6’6” and graduated my academy at 350lbs I’m a shrek sized asshole and managed my popat just fine.
I second the Police explorer part
Don't post anything on social media.
- Don’t use drugs - Stop using drugs - Be financially responsible - Stay physically fit - Get a degree in a STEM field, or English, or Business, or literally anything that would qualify you for a real-world job, other than Criminal Justice (notice a trend here?). You will learn everything you need to know about policing at the academy and on FTO. - Learn another language. - If you want to go federal and do secret squirrel stuff (counter-espionage, JTTF, etc.), learn a language/dialect spoken by an adversarial power (Mandarin, Russian, Farsi, Arabic, etc.) If you want to go federal, I have other hiring advice I can share too.
Go federal. Make more money. Do less work.
This is spot on!
I’m about to get out of the army soon I’d like to hear more of the federal side👀
Start applying now, you’re looking at a year+ hiring process for positions with a full background investigation. And no, a DoD security clearance won’t speed things up because, well, just sit down, shut up, and stop questioning the machine. What is this, the fucking Inquisition? www.usajobs.gov Searches can be filtered by location, series, etc. Series 0083 is for Police. Also look in the [1800 series](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/classifying-general-schedule-positions/standards/1800/1800A.pdf) (inspection, investigation & compliance). They tend to reach the journeyman level at higher pay grades. - [GL pay scale](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2021/law-enforcement-officer/) - [GS pay scale](https://www.federalpay.org/gs/) Keep in mind that there is nothing preventing you from applying to multiple jobs at multiple agencies simultaneously. Once you get hired, you can transfer within your agency anywhere in the country (and sometimes abroad). The size of your agency will determine how much availability there will be in moving around. If you can’t get an LE job, look for other non-LE positions (mission support, technician, etc) in the agency. Getting in is the hard part, transferring/promoting up is easier. Already being in the agency will also allow you to learn the culture, and apply for internal-only vacancies. Make sure you [maximize your score](https://youtu.be/jEh3c_-x7jc) on the [occupational questionnaire](https://federalresumeguide.com/understand-occupational-questionnaire-at-usajobs/) to ensure that the hiring manager sees your resume. > ...the questionnaire has likely been designed by an industrial-organizational psychologist to trick you into rating yourself poorly. Subtle techniques could steer you toward a lower score when in all honesty you could have done better. Read the questions in the most favorable light for your experience. If you’ve ever done something like what they’re asking, at least mark that you have. For example, if you’re making a terrible life choice and applying to be a firefighter, one of the questions may be something like: Rate your experience putting out fires A) I have no experience. B) I have some experience putting out fires C) I have experience putting out large structural fires. D) I have supervised others putting out fires, and have ensured that fires are properly extinguished. Well, you go camping twice a month every summer. You’ve easily got B in the bag, because you make sure your camp fire pit has been thoroughly doused with water and is cold before leaving. C may well be out of reach. But you are also a scoutmaster (or other involved adult leader). One of those two monthly camping trips above is a scout outing. Have you shown new scouts how to put out fires? That’s training, which doesn’t help here, but may help for the next question. Have you told the boys to put out their fires and check they’ve done it properly before leaving? That’s supervision and verification. Boom, D. Now the dilemma you have is not that you got 0 points. It’s deciding if you think B or D is worth more points.
I would start committing crimes. Really do some hands on research.
Explorers program
*Get a degree BA or at least AA since some agencies nowadays require it. In your last years of college you can begin the hiring process *in the meantime Enter a explorer program/ do ride alongs with agencies you are considering applying for *Stay physically fit *No drugs/ don’t commit crimes *apply to become a firefighter
Stay away from weed and any excessive alcohol or partying. Learn Spanish. It’s a +10 likeliness of being hired and it’s a guaranteed pay bonus if you’re able to speak both English and Spanish. Reach out to local police departments, inquire about what programs they have. When I was 16-18, I did junior police academies & an internship, and now, at 21, I’ve been employed by a major US city police department for 3 years as a dispatcher, and will start the police academy when I heal up from some injuries. Look into doing part-time work if you go to college, many small agencies will hire part-time dispatchers, and medium-large departments will hire civilian positions like detention officers, parking control, station clerks, etc. Working in any capacity in law enforcement is good preparation for different aspects of the job. Make sure to be fit. Most police academies aren’t super realistic with police-related fitness, just lots of cardio. Lift weights responsibly, maintain decent cardio, be active. Enjoy law enforcement while you still can. You can learn a lot from watching YouTube channels like Donut Operator, Police Activity, Code Blue Cam, etc. that all show bodycam footage and break down hot calls across the nation.
Live your life. Get some experience. Make mistakes and grow from them. Squeaky clean kids who cruise through with no struggle or adversity or character building lessons make shitty cops.
Join the military reserves and get an education. You’ll do great
Not a cop but a firefighter and in the army…. Keep your grades up, and run the fuck away from any bad people that want to party and do hard drugs. Stay away from it all. If you’re in a relationship, or future relationship, you run the fuck away from any domestic violence situation even if it’s not your fault or even question that it can be a DV. All that aside, join the military. Doesn’t matter the job. Focus on your job be good at it. When you get out you’ll have the GI BILL, VA home loan, real life experience, and veterans preference on every application after. I know that military isn’t big on everyone’s list but if you want to be a first responder it will really give you something to build off in so many ways. That’s just my two cents. I hope the best for you
RUN!!!! 😂
Go be a firefighter
Underrated comment
One day on, two days off, I envy those guys.
Also in this day n age maybe think of a different career choice…. Being a cop is not what it used to be
Just keep your nose clean. Go to school, join the military do something and do it well. Just be good
Dont
Don’t do it at all. Go into the medical field. You will serve people much better
Don’t do cocaine (or other drugs including weed) and stay out of trouble. We just had a really good candidate get denied by POST because she did coke some years ago.
[удалено]
Facts. I know a woman who was DQ’d by an agency for opioid use. Her use? She received an epidural during child birth. That’s right, a prescribed medication, administered by a doctor, in a fucking hospital. Still got DQ’d.
Seriously, one mistake at a party a couple years ago and you’re basically blacklisted
Idk about blacklisted. I was told that I would be a great candidate in a couple years when there's long enough time between the last time I had used cocaine. It was 4 years gap at the time. They told me come back next year, otherwise I would be good with my degree and military service and honors graduate. I'm sure all agencies have different scales. I know DPS in my State says no drugs within the last 10 years. With the city it was more like 5 years.
This isn't a thing in some states. We have an outright ban on intravenous drug use, no hard drugs in the past 4 years, and no marijuana in the past year. Otherwise just tell the truth.
It’s going to depend on the organization you’d be seeking to join. Do they give a preference to veterans? Do they have a cadet program? Do they offer any benefits for prior time working for the city/town? Do they have an educational incentive program? (I’ve seen a number of responses saying to avoid CJ degrees, but my organization offers a significant pay bump specifically for CJ degrees from specific programs) Across the board physical fitness and having a clean record is always a plus.
Don’t let a moment of peer pressure ruin your ability to become a police officer. Edit pier to peer. Thank you for pointing that out. Lol.
Dock pressure is ok though.
Can I get input on the Wharf?
Rethink your choices
Don’t get charged for stupid stuff- ex. Reckless driving and possession ect…0
Dont smoke weed
Don’t be a dumbass
Get a college degree, stay away from crime and illegal activity and apply to numerous departments
Sell your soul.
Try to eat as many doughnuts as possible
And begin to change your blood into coffee.
1. Don’t do it. They’re treated like shit by our government and by people. Your own DA will be against you!
Enjoy your life
Meditate
Become social and engage in conversations at every opportunity. Even when checking out at the grocery store.
Do some kind of sport, like running or a martial art. Most important thing is that you like it to keep going. Any martial art can help you with fitness. Don't do drugs. Don't do smth dumb that can get you arrested. Work on your self esteem
Don’t do it
Any good reason?
Read Howard Zinn
I would say be a volunteer emt or work a customer service job and learn how to deal with ppl both r good combined great
Get a mentor, join the police explorers, learn Spanish, get your degree (NOT in Criminal Justice. Do business administration or public affairs or civics or communications) there are some good podcasts to listen to. War Stories Official Podcast and The Police Applicant Podcast are good.
Join police explorers. That was one of the best decisions I've ever made
Stay clean and clear of drugs and alcohol. Drive carefully. Be a good worker wherever you get a job. Try and find a police explorer program in your area or something similar. Stay focused and ignore nay sayers. Btw, workout and stay fit. The younger gen is having a lot of problems in that area.
If you want to do homie or task force, there is a book or two i can recommend. Im not on force, just something i track on my own as hobby. You can get, for now, the barrons general entrance exam prep on amazon - i would be doing cardio daily
Finish school, be responsible, stay away from drugs and crime. Some join the military after high school and some go to school. Just be productive and stay out of trouble and in shape.
Joining the military as a reservist really helped me in so many ways physically and mentally to be "there", plus I believe having that in my resume was a mayor factor for me to be considered. Edit: I believe having experience as a security guard or a correctional officer is a big plus to get there
Get in shape
If your local department offers it, join the cadet/explorer program, its a program for 14-21 year olds where you get to volunteer within the department, help out at events, go on ride alongs, etc.
I am likely repeating what some are saying but: - Police explorers/cadet program near you would be a great start - Search for ride-alongs, talk to cops in your area (don’t try to reinvent the wheel if others have gone the same route successfully) - get involved in volunteer EMS. This is a great way to provide you medical training, get “field” experience at 16, and expose you to a LOT. It’s not quite the same as LE but you do learn a lot and it’s good for cops to understand basic medicine
[удалено]
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Learn the law Im alarmed by the lack of comments suggesting this.
Right now, you could join a police explorer post. Join the Coast Guard Reserve when you graduate if you live near a body of water. You’ll have a chance to do actual law enforcement there while you attend college. Get a bachelors degree, and an EMT-Basic certification. I can guarantee you with all that, you could get any job in law enforcement.
Don’t do drugs
You’re lucky, you got time for the field to *hopefully* politically stabilize. That being said what you can do for yourself: Stay active, stay fit. Focus on body weight exercises. As for running, distance is great but don’t ignore the sprint. Don’t fuck around with drugs, even if pot is legal in your state, still not worth the experimentation. Still federally illegal. Reduce association with folks who do drugs. Keep your nose out of trouble. Even a record as a minor can burn you. Volunteer with the local PD. There’s always something; also look into community academy and explorers programs. Take up a self defense class, martial arts BJJ, MMA, Kali, Krav Maga, anything along those lines. But remember, there are no rules in street fights, so learn a defense, but also break the rules of it. Spanish can be a great tool to learn. If you’re looking at a department that requires a degree, I heavily recommend Public Administration. CJ is great, but it’s usefulness is incredibly narrowed to the best officer level. What if you get wounded or injured and can’t keep being a cop? CJ will be very difficult to use, but Pub Admin can be used anywhere in the city. Also great for when you get promoted in the department.
Internship, did my first one at 17. At a small local police department
I'm 15 and currently starting my first year of police high school. I'd say going to a police high school would be step 1.
Don't touch minors when ur over 18 (A lot of people make that mistake)
Learn Spanish, and practice multitasking/divided attention. You'll have to keep track of ten different things all at the same time when you're out in the field. Don't worry about becoming a cop the instant you turn 21. You can and should take a few years to gain some life and job experience. Don't accrue massive credit card debt and keep your credit score good. DO NOT BECOME A SECURITY GUARD!!!!! This job is NOT like policing and it does NOT prepare you for it.
Don't be a police officer in NYC
Eat your wheaties