posted 10-31-2003 01:28 AM
Here's what they're selling. I almost feel sorry for any idiots who follow their advice. The poly section is at the end.--------------------------------------------
THE POLICE OFFICER HIRING MANUAL
The publisher and the author disclaim any personal liability, loss or risk occurred as a result of the use of any of this information or advice contained herein, either directly or indirectly. No duplication, distribution or resale in whole or in part is allowed of this product without expressed written consent of WWW.NOVACORP.INFO. This work is protected by U.S. Copyright laws.
Table of Contents
General Questions Tactics Part 1
General Question Tactics Part 2
General Question Tactics Part 3
Intentional Tricks to Avoid
Memorization Tricks
Math Refresher
Memorization - Detailed Story
Analytical Questions Reading Comprehension
Excellent Tip for Vocabulary Building
Hiring Process
Oral Boards are important you
Oral Baords are improtant to the department
Preperation Long Before the Day
The Day Has Arived
Your Appearance
Entrance
Your Introduction
Background Issues
Hypothetical Questions
Reasons People Fail
How to Beat the Polygraph
General Questions Tactics Part 1
Make Good Use of Your Time
One of the most important things to do when the test begins is to manage your time well. You should immediately look through the test very quickly to get a grasp of how many questions there are. You should then decide how much time you will need in general for each question. To simplify an example, if you have 60 minutes to take a 60 question test then at the most you should be spending a minute on each question. You will answer some questions much quicker than others. Also some will take longer, but the idea is to know approximately how much time you have. If you are half way through your time allowed and you only have 1/4 of the test done, then you need to speed things up. By scanning ahead quickly at the beginning you may find out that one particular section is graded higher than another. It would be a good idea to focus on the higher graded area with more of your time because it counts more towards your final score. This is good time management!
Multiple choice questions
This is the most common format of questions that you're going to come across during police written exams. We're going to discuss some of the general strategies for answering multiple choice questions, and then get into specific strategies and examples. Multiple choice answers are typically a sentence or paragraph followed by 4 or 5 answers. Only one of the answers is correct. The other answers are called "distracters". They are intentionally formulated to trip you up. The test makers can actually formulate wrong answers based on the most common mistakes that people make. They then incorporate that as an answer. We are going to start by going over some general question tactics that can be applied to most exam questions. You will be shown specific examples of the more focused type of questions. Specific strategies will be shared for those also.
Good Tip: Read each question carefully and critically. Examine what it is asking and picure the scenario it is describing. Eliminate any answers that are obviously incorrect so you can focus on the remaining answers.
Concrete words
A good general rule is to eliminate answers that have "concrete words". These are words such as "always, every time, never, no ". These words typically follow forms of the verb " to be ". For example:" he is always ... ", " she has never " The reason that it is a good rule to generally eliminate these "concrete words" is that they do not allow for any exceptions. The particular answer that is using a concrete word is saying that something happens or never happens, all the time. It does not allow for any exceptions. Obviously if you know the answer is definitely correct, then you are going to choose an answer regardless of if there are concrete words or not in it. However, if you are trying to eliminate answers, it is a very good rule of thumb to eliminate these "concrete word" type answers. There are not a lot of absolute type questions in these written exams.
Pay Attention to the Answer Sheet
It is not uncommon for test takers to accidentally skip over a number on the answer sheet and not realize it. For example, they start answering question #10 on answer #11's spot on the answer sheet. All of the rest of the answers will be off because of it (ouch!). It happens far too often. As you answer each question, reconfirm that you are marking it in the spot that you are supposed to. "Answer #10 is 'C'. This goes on answer sheet #10 - 'C' ". You would be amazed how common this is to do on tests. In particular if the answer sheet is set up in columns or an awkward format, it isn't too hard to momentarily loose your place without realizing it.
Corrections
Any corrections that you do make should be thorough. Make sure you do not leave any marks on the answer sheet except for where you want correct answers to be. If the machine which corrects the test finds extra marks it is likely to mark it as an incorrect answer.
General Question Tactics Part II
Breaking up the question
It is important to pick out the key words in the questions. If you are able to write in the exam book you should underline the words in the question which are vital to the answer. Typically a question is going to be comprised of extra, or " filler " words and then key words. The key words are what the question is really all about.
Example Question: Officer Smith was exhausted at the end of his week, in addition to his regular 40 hour work week, he also had to stay an extra four hours of overtime three times during the week. How many hours of overtime did Officer Smith have this week? A) 40 hours B) 4 hours C) 12 hours D) 14 hours
The key words to the question are highlighted in red. The rest of the question is just "filler words". Once you break up an answer into the most relevant parts, you have broken it down to the "stem" of the question. The stem is the most relevant facts that you need to consider. It is important to focus on the key words and take your time to make sure that you do not miss any of them.
Common mistakes for this question would be: Not seeing the "three times" that officer Smith had to stay extra this week. Someone rushing through the question could possibly answer 4 hours. Bad math. A person rushing through the answers is capable of making a simple math error.
A good tip is: Read the question and break it down to the stem elements. BEFORE looking at the answers, try to come up with possible answers. This will help you analyze and really focus on what the true question is asking. Read EVERY answer. Don't just stop at the first one that appears correct. They will intentionally put answers to try to catch you.
Another General Tip
Read each question carefully and critically. Examine what it is asking and the scenario it is describing. Eliminate any answers that are obviously incorrect so that you can focus on the remaining answers. It is very important that you completely read all of the answers. This may seem pretty basic, but it is not uncommon for test takers to see an answer which they immediately believe to be true. Then they don't bother reading through the rest of the answers. The danger here lies in the fact that another answer may be more appropriate to the question. Also, by reading all the answers you can eliminate those which you know are incorrect. This will help you double check to make sure that you have in fact chosen the right answer. If you are stuck on any question, make note of the question number some where and go back to it. This serves a few purposes: 1. You don't get overly frustrated and distracted by one question. 2. You don't waste precious time. 3. You will have an opportunity to read the question with a fresh mindset once you go back to it at the end of the exam. The worse case scenario is you don't have time to go back. But so what? It is only one question. You could have wasted time that would have prevented you from answering other questions correctly and you STILL may have gotten the hard question wrong. Just move on and go back to it if time allows.
Finishing Early
Do not feel pressure to try and finish the test fast! This counts for NOTHING and it is very easy to make mistakes this way. One of the best things you can do if you finish early is to go completely over the test again. Do NOT change an answer unless you are absolutely sure that you made a mistake the first time. You shouldn't second guess yourself unless it is obvious to you that you got the answer wrong the first time.
General Question Tactics Part III
Eliminating options
It is important to eliminate answers that do not match up with the key elements of the question. By eliminating the answers which are definitely not correct you can focus on the remaining answers. Even in the event that you still do not know the correct answer, you are greatly enhancing your odds of choosing the right answer.
Multiple Element Questions
You will see multiple choice questions that have two or more key elements which must be met. The trick question will typically have answers where only one of the elements has been met but the other portion has not. It is crucial that you take your time and understand the complete question before moving on to the answers. This is a common mistake on written exams and it can be attributed to impatience a lot of the time.
An Example Question would be: Officer Myers can only do extra shift work on the weekends at night. Which extra shift would he be able to work? A) Wednesday from 8pm - 4am B) Saturday 7am - 3pm C) Tuesday 8am-4pm D) Saturday 7pm - 3am
You must make sure that you realize BOTH conditions are met (weekend AND at night). Someone rushing through the question may miss the fact that both conditions must be met in this question.
"Qualifying" words
"Qualifying" words such as: "sometimes", "usually", "often", and "may" could be indicative that an answer is more likely to be correct. This is because the qualifying word gives some room for the answer to have exceptions to it. Make note of the use of "negatives" such as: "never", "neither", "not" or "none". You must keep in mind that the correct answer must be an absolute answer. The other answers can trip you up because they may express an answer that, if the negative word was not used, that particular answer would in fact be correct. Pay attention to the "all of the above" options. Its pretty easy to eliminate these. If even one answer does not apply then it is not going to be all of the above. It isn't uncommon for all of the answers but one to be true, so you have to pay attention.
Good Tip: "None of the above" is usually an incorrect response. Be careful not to be trapped by "double negatives".
Good Tip: Look for grammatical clues. If the question ends with the indefinite article such as "an," then the correct response probably begins with a vowel.For example. If the question ended in: "…. the animal was obviously an:" A) cat B) dog C) eagle D) fox
"an eagle" is the only grammatically correct answer. You only have to make sure that the answer makes sense logically to confirm it as the correct answer.
Changing answers
For a long time there was a rule of thumb that you should never change an answer on a multiple choice exam. However researchers have shown that changing an answer is not necessarily a bad thing, if you know you are changing it for good reason. On the other hand if you are not sure of the correct answer, you are probably better off going with your first choice. In other words, don't change in answer unless you were sure that you now know the correct answer.
Intentional Tricks to Avoid
Test makers intentionally lay out tricks to try to catch you off guard. Most of the time the tricks are made specifically to trip you up if you haven't: l Taken your time to read through all of the answer l Done your math right l Paid attention to minute detail Let's look at these traps a little closer:
Reading through the answers
It is not uncommon for the test to have a few very close, but not quite correct answers to choose from. These questions are thrown in there to make you jump right on them and skip past the correct answer which may be hidden in there. Someone rushing through the test may see an answer that is fairly appropriate and chose it before moving on to the next question. On the other hand, if you took yourtime to read through each answer you may find one that is even more appropriate. They are looking for the best answer to fit a scenario, not necessarily a "close enough" answer.
Doing your math right
On any questions involving any math, you should expect the test to try and catch you in simple math errors. The answers are going to reflect the most common errors that someone would make in a calculation. Someone eager to answer the question is likely to see a wrong answer that is listed as being the one to chose. After making a math error but seeing their option listed among the answers, they are likely to choose it without a second thought. Be careful! They intentionally do that to catch the sloppy math test takers into choosing the wrong answer. Here is a real basic example to show the point. Bob worked four extra 3 hour shifts, twice this month. How many extra hours did Bob get for the whole month? The actual equation answer would be four extra (4) x three hour shifts (3) x twice this month (2) or 4x3x2 = 24 The test would most likely try to focus on variations of the correct math. So in addition to: 4 x 3 x 2 = 24 they would include 4 x 3 = 12 and 3 x 2 = 6 Knowing that they lay out these intentional "land mines" should help you double check your answers.
Memorization Tricks
It is not uncommon to have to memorize a list of names or facts that you will then have to recall. There is a very useful trick to helping with this task called "memory association". This is simply a way to try to relate the words in a list to one another.
Here's an example using street names:
Main Street
Brown Ave
Baker Circle
Turner Lane
Water Street
Ok, now try to come up with a story linking these streets together.
For example: Picture a main water pipe breaking and spraying brown water on a baker who happened to be walking by: "The Water Main leak turned the Baker Brown" It is very important that you actually visualize the story or association in your mind. This will help you remember the sentence with all of the words inside of it. This trick can work when you are trying to memorize anything (including your shopping list!). In fact, you should practice using this technique as much as possible so that you are comfortable with it. You will find that it will help you out "in the real world" in addition to when its test time. For example, here is what you were supposed to pick up at the supermarket after work:
Eggs
Sugar
TV Guide magazine
Aspirin
Coffee
Bread
Ok, now take a moment and picture yourself doing the following: You make an egg sandwich by placing it on two slices of bread. Don't forget to pour the sugar on it (you love it sweet right? - anyway). As you sit there reading your TV Guide Magazine you pop two aspirin and wash it down with your coffee.If you can truly picture this small scene in your head, you can know refer back to it to remember all of the things to pick up: eggs, bread, sugar, TV guide, aspirin and coffee. Don't discount this memory trick. It really works.
Math Refresher
Like it or not, math questions are frequently involved in written exams. For some people this may be no problem, but others may have had years since they last opened a math book in a school setting. Unless you are currently in an occupation that frequently uses math, you may need a refresher. The basics that we cover here are just that: basics. They are however the focus on what the majority of math related written exam questions would be on.
Fractions
A Fraction is a math representation of a portion of a number. The analogy that is frequently used is pieces of a pie. For example if you have a pie divided in 4 pieces and all 4 pieces are there (represented by 4/4) then you have one ("1") whole pie. So 4/4 = 1. You mathematically come up with this by dividing the bottom number (the denominator) into the top number (the numerator). So 4 divided by 4 equals 1 ("4 / 4 = 1"). The denominator (or bottom number) tells you how many pieces the number has been broken up into. The top number (numerator) tells you how many of those pieces are available.
Reducing fractions
When a fraction's top number is bigger than the bottom (example 9/4) you divide the bottom into the top: 9/4 = 2 1/4 (or 4 goes into 9, 2 times with 1 left over)
Adding Fractions
Fractions can only be added together when the bottom denominator is the same. For example (2/3 + 1/3). When you have the same bottom denominator, you simple add the top numbers: 2/7 + 6/7 = 8/7 Notice in this example that you are able to reduce 8/7 into a whole number + fraction by dividing 8 by 7: 8/7 = 7 goes into 8 one time with one left over so that equals 1 1/7 ------
When the bottom denominator is NOT the same, you must figure out a common number that they share. For example: 1/2 + 2/3 = ? In this case the "2" of "1/2" and the "3" of "2/3" are not the same. You must there for figure out what number that they share. One easy trick to this is that if you multiply them by each other. Then you will find a common number for them. For example 1/2 + 2/3 = ? (1) Multiply both numbers in 1/2 by the other denominator of 2/3 (which is "3"). This gives you: 3/6
(2) Multiply both numbers in 2/3 by the other denominator of 1/2 (which is "2"). This gives you: 4/6
(3) Now add these two (remember only add the top number - the numerator - once you have found a common bottom number for them): 3/6 + 4/6 = 7/6
(4) Now reduce 7/6 down by dividing 7 by 6: 1 1/6 This is your answer! 1/2 + 2/3 = 1 1/6
Memorization
Memorization - Detailed Story A type of memory exercise that you were likely to find on a police written exam includes having to memorize a detailed story. The story will commonly be a description of a crime scene or perhaps passages from rules and regulations. These will include many facts to try to confuse you. Here is an example exercise. You would have five to 10 minutes to study all the information here before being asked to answer the questions. They would either take away the passage or you would not be able to reference back to it. The passage could look similar to this:
On August 3rd, 2000 at 150 a.m. the manager of the quickie Mart was last seen by Mary Williams. This convenience store is located at 726 Maple Drive. Mary Williams finished her shift and said good-bye to the manager Mike Parker as he still had another half an hour of paper work to do before locking up for the night. He also told Mary that he had to make a deposit of the $1,253 from the nights proceeds. Mary left in her blue Ford Taurus to go home. According to alarm company records, the alarm was set at 2:20 a.m. to close the store for the night. At 7:00 a.m. Daniel Stevens showed up for his morning shift and discovered the manager dead outside. He had been shot once in the head and his body was in the alleyway between the quickie Mart and the Third National Bank. The police were immediately called and officer Malcolm arrived at 7:08 a.m. Officer Malcolm secured the scene and took down the license plates of the vehicles that were still in the area. One of the cars belonged to the manager. It was a yellow Chevy with registration number 482 Z P D. Officer Malcolm also noted that there was a green Ford van in the alleyway, which was still running. The registration number was 722 L T C. The van came back to a Tom White and was reported stolen on August 1st at 9:50 p.m. Officer Malcolm was able to recover some surveillance video from the bank and review it. The actual crime was not recorded on video but at 224 a.m. there was some activity. He could see a male running from the direction of the store past the bank. The man appeared to be very tall and was wearing a sweatshirt, bluejeans and work boots. Officer Malcolm requested the detectives to come down and also was assigned report #5228-00. Here are some sample questions based on the above incident.
During the test you would not have the option of referring back to the incident.
#1 Which of the following is most likely the address of the bank located next door? A) 782 Maple Drive
B) 728 Maple Drive
C) 774 Elm drive
D) 736 Elm drive
#2 What was the registration number of the vehicle located in the alley? A) 482 Z T C
B) 772 Z P D
C) 772 L T C
D) 482 L D C
#3 What was the name of the manager who was murdered? A) Daniel Stevens
B) Mike Williams
C) Tom White
D) Mike Parker
Very commonly they would have 10 to 20 questions on a paragraph such as this. Let's go to the answers are quick and see where someone is likely to get tripped up. #1 The first answer is "B" . The bank is most likely 728 Maple Drive. You can figure this out because the story mentions that the quickie Mart address is 726 Maple Drive. None of the other addresses makes sense for building that is supposed be next door. They will also try to trick you with street names or other formations that are somehow related to each other. For example Maple and Elm is thrown in there to try to confuse you. #2 The correct answer was "C". It is very common for people to transpose letter and number plates. That is why they will probably mixed together similar letters or numbers. Also they will incorporate other numbers which were mentioned to in this story to cloud up your memory. #3 The correct answer is "D". Again they will try to confuse you with the names that were in the story but not related to the question itself. They may also mix-up names to see if that will throw you off.
Reading Comprehension
There can be a few different types of reading comprehension questions. The first question here is an example of comprehending rules and regulations of the department. It is not uncommon to see questions such as this on law enforcement written exams. Read the following and then answer the question based on these regulations:
A. Employees applications and fingerprint cards shall be numbered consecutively, commencing with number 1.
B. A number, once assigned, shall not be used for any other employee or for a former employee subsequently re-employed.
C. The number entered on the employee's application shall be identical with that entered on the fingerprint card with the exception that the latter will have the year of hire being prefixed onto the number.
D. Employees shall be refingerprinted upon re-employment after termination of employment; provided, however, that an employee who has been temporarily laid off or who is employed part-time need not be refingerprinted until a period of more than 90 days has elapsed since the date of his former employment.
E. Each licensee shall file with the Superintendent a current list of employees on the first day of July of each year. The list of current employees will include any employee out on workman's compensation, or excused leaves of absences.
F. Every set of fingerprints forwarded to the Superintendent shall be accompanied by a written request for proper filing.
Question: If Ofc. Smith was hired on 2/5/98 and was assigned application number 9858, what would his fingerprint card number be? A) 58
B) 985898
C) 989858
D) 9858
The answer to this question is "C". As explained in paragraph letter "C - The number entered on the employee's application shall be identical with that entered on the fingerprint card with the exception that the latter will have the year of hire being prefixed onto the number. Meaning if the application number is 9858, the fingerprint card (being the latter card in question) would be prefixed by the year of his hiring (1998). So "98"+"9858" would be 989858. Confusing? Yes, but it is really focusing on your ability to apply the instructions to a potentially confusing ruling.
Vocabulary Tips
Unfamiliar Words You may likely run in to words during the exam that are unfamiliar to you. This is intentional to test your vocabulary skills and your ability to figure out the word on your own. When you are unfamiliar with a word in a sentence, reread the whole sentence several times. Very often you can figure out the meaning simply based on the general feeling (or "context") of the question. A very powerful way to build you vocabulary is given here:
Prefixes and Suffixes
A very important skills to acquire is the ability to determine the meaning of words based on the prefixes or suffixes of the words. Because English is derived from some many different languages, bits and pieces of the various languages still influence our words. These bits and pieces are what we call prefixes and suffixes. The word prefix itself is the perfect example. The ”pre” in “prefix” means “before”. So the word “prefix” indicates that this portion comes before the word. Some examples of prefixes would be:
“AUTOmobile” – auto meaning self
“MALfunction” – mal meaning bad
“TELEphone” – tele meaning distance
It would be very beneficial to you to learn as many prefixes and suffixes as possible. For your consideration I have listed some of the the more common ones here. It is recommended that you search on the internet for “prefix” and “suffix” and getting as many of these memorized as you can. You will find that you can understand the meaning of more words. It is a fantastic tool to increase your vocabulary!
Prefix Meaning Example
ab, abs from, away absent ambi around, both ambidextrous ante before antecedent anti against Antigovernment arch first, chief Archrival auto self Automatic bene, ben good, well Benefit bi two Bilateral circum around Circumvent contra, counter against Contradict de Down, away from Depart demi half Demigod di twice, double Dilute dia across, through Diameter dis, di not, away from Disoriented dys bad, poor Dysfunctional equi equal Equivalent extra outside, beyond Extraterrestrial fore in front of, previous Forecast geo earth Geography homo same; like Homophonic hyper too much; over Hyperactive hypo too little; under Hypothermia inter between, among Interplanetary intra, intro within, inside Intrastate mal bad, wrong, poor Maladjust mis badly, wrongly Misunderstand mono single, one Monorail neo new Neophyte non not Nonchalant omni all Omnipresent pan all Panorma peri around, near Perimeter poly many Polygamy post after Postpone pre before, earlier than Prejudice pro in favor of Proabortion re back, again Redo retro backward Retroactive se apart, away Seclude semi half semiconscious sub under, beneath Submarine super above, greater Superior trans across Transport un not Uninformed Suffixes (Word Endings) -able, -ble able, capable acceptable -acious, -cious characterized by, having the quality of conscious -age sum, total mileage -al of, like, suitable for theatrical -ance, -ancy act or state of disturbance -ant, -ent one who defendant -ary, -ar having the nature of, concerning military -cy act, state, or position of presidency -dom State, rank, that which belongs to wisdom -ence act, state, or quality of dependence -er, -or one who, that which doer -escent Becoming adolescent -fy to make pacify -hood State, condition adulthood -ic, -ac of, like demonic -il, -ile having to do with, like, suitable for civil -ion act or condition of operation -ious having, characterized by anxious -ish like, somewhat foolish -ism belief or practice Catholicism -ist one who does, makes, or is concerned with scientist -ity, -ty, -y character of state of being jealousy -ive of, relating to, tending to destructive -logue, -loquy speech or writing monologue -logy study of geology -ment act or state of abandonment -mony a resulting thing, condition or state matrimony -ness act or quality of kindness -ory having the quality of, a place or thing for lavatory -ous, -ose full of, having glamorous -ship Skill, state of being ownership -some full of, like frolicsome -tude State or quality of certitude -ward in the direction of homeward -y full of, like, somewhat wily acr Bitter acrid, acrimony act, ag do, act, drive action, react, agitate acu Sharp, keen acute, acumen agog leader demagogue agr Field agronomy, agriculture ali Other alias, alienate alt High altitude, contralto alter, altr Other, change alternative, altercation am, amic love, friend amorous, amiable anim Mind, life, spirit animate, animosity
Hiring Process
Typically a candidate becomes a police officer by going through the following processes:
• Job posting and application process - most candidates find out about a position in a law enforcement agency through a handful of ways. They could possibly hear from someone working on the department for an up coming test. They may also see a job posting on the internet, newspaper or some public place. It is also possible that you took the initiative and contacted the agencies you were interested in and asked to be notified when the next test was going to be. Typically you will be given an application that can be a few pages long. It focuses on your employment history, educational background and general facts about you. Once you have submitted the application you are will be notified by mail of the next upcoming date for testing.
• Written Test - This is given by the state, federal or local municipality. You will be given a date and time to show up for the written test. Depending on the size of the agency, you'll probably be tested with several hundred or even thousands of other applicants. Obviously if this test is for small town then there may be considerably less people taking the exam. The written test usually takes between one in three hours. You'll be given specific instructions on how to take the test and notified when to begin to an end. After turning in the written test, it may take several weeks for you to find out the results.
• Physical Agility Test - based on the written test scores, the passing candidates are invited back for a physical agility test (situps, pushups, 1-2 mile run or even an obstacle course). You should check the job listing to see what requirements are necessary in order to pass a physical agility test. These tests can vary from agency to agency, so it's best to find out what the particular agency that you're testing for it is going to use as a basis for their test. You may be able to find out this information on the department's web site if they have one. The easiest way to find your agencies web site is to go to a search engine such as google.com. Then type in the name of the agency (including the city or town if it is a police agency).
• Oral Board - Those passing the agility test are invited in for the oral board interview. That is what the main focus on this ebook is all about. You will learn specific details of what you're going to experience during the oral board interview.
• Psychological Testing -Once past the oral board, a psychological testing process is usually required. This can be a written test and/or an interview with a psychologist. This test may be given on paper or by using a computer. You can expect to spend up to several hours filling out psychological questions. This test is going to build a psychological profile about you. It will also indicate to a psychologist if there are issues in your background that need to be investigated further. The psychologist is going to have the results of the psychological test available to him/her. They will be able to dig further to see if there are things that that department should be concerned about in reference to your psychological character.
• Polygraph - Depending on the state, the department may require a polygraph test. These can range from a simple 15 minute session, up to several hours. You will be given a date and time to show up for your polygraph test. After talking to the examiner and discussing what will occur during the test, you will be hooked up to the polygraph machine. They will ask you questions based on some of things that may have been a concern to the oral board. Questions will be asked based on your application, or they may just ask your general questions that are of interest to the department.
• Background Check - Performed to verify all of the candidate’s information. Your jobs, neighbors, former coworkers and friends can be interviewed about you. The background investigators will be trying to determine if you have been truthful about all your information so far. They're also going to ask the people interviewed what their general opinion of you is. They may also go into questions as to whether they feel that you would make an appropriate law enforcement officer. This is one of the reasons that it is very crucial that you are truthful throughout the process. Any new information that comes to light during your background check may reflect negatively on you.
• Conditional Offer of Employment - You will be offered a job with the stipulation that you pass the academy and make it through the probation employment period. This will probably be in a written a letter giving you the offer of employment. It will spell out what terms it your being hired under. For example, it may specify that you complete the law enforcement academy and any probationary will" employee, meaning thatthey can fire you at will. period. It will probably also spell out the fact that you can be terminated from the job for no reason given to you. This is what is known as being an "at
• Police Academy – This can be anywhere from ten to twenty six weeks. Some academies require you to live there Monday through Friday. Others allow you to commute daily back and forth. The law enforcement academy may be one of the steps of the process that you look forward to the least. This is going to be a major commitment of your time. The academy environment that you're going to be in will vary from agency to agency.
• Pre or post Academy - In house training which would include a F.T.O. (Field Training Officer) and learning department rules/regulations. You may be assigned to one F.T.O. officer through your whole training period, or you may be rotated between several of them. There will probably be a conscious effort to try to expose you to as many different aspects of the agency as possible during your FTO period. The reason for this is twofold. You will be able to learn as much as possible in a very short amount of time about the agency you're going to work for. You are also going to be under scrutiny during that time by your F.T.O. trainer to see if you have the skills necessary for the job.
• Probationary period – Typically this can be a one year period. Usually you are an "at will" employee. That means the agency can fire you at their discretion if there is a concern about you. After one year you may likely have the protection of a union which requires that a job termination is done in a particular manner. These steps can vary somewhat but it is pretty typical of what most law enforcement agencies do. These steps are put in this order to weed out the most amount of candidates before preceding to the next step. This is done to save time and money as the later steps of the process are generally more costly or man power intensive for them. That all seems like a lot of steps right? Out of all of those, the oral board is one of the most important both from your perspective and the departments. That is why it is crucial prepare for the upcoming interview.
Oral Boards are important to you
The oral board is one of the most important phases of the whole hiring process. What you do or say can make the difference between getting the job or not. "An opportunity like this gives you an incredible edge if you realize the importance of it. The way to get that edge is to prepare. " You will be getting excellent insight from several angles; preparing before the day arrives, what to do on the day of the interview and what to expect. The boards are important to you in addition to obviously having to pass it. The oral board is very likely going to be a deciding factor on where you place in seniority with the other candidates. For example if they are only hiring five officers, and you pass but place 6th in seniority the job most likely won’t get offered to you. If one of the other candidates drops out of the process later on, they may offer you to continue the process if circumstances allow them to. If you DO get hired, seniority still has a very important role. Although you will be happy just to have been hired, the importance of seniority will start to become apparent to you shortly. A lot of department’s give special consideration based on seniority. This can include first pick at overtime, special assignments, or even whether you are assigned to midnights or days. What may seem insignificant when you first get the job becomes more apparent later on!
Oral Boards are important to the department
For the department looking to hire, the oral boards are a critical part of the process. This is the opportunity to interact with the candidates and evaluate their potential. EVERYTHING is being evaluated from the moment you walk into the room. Dress, speech, confidence, decision making abilities, background matters and social interaction skills. All of these will be covered here. Because this is the first time there is one on one interaction with candidates, it becomes evident pretty quickly who is cut out for the job. Police departments really very heavily on the outcome of the oral boards. It is considered a pivotal portion of the hiring process. It will benefit you greatly to read through and follow the recommendations that are contained here. They are based on the observations of dozens upon dozens of oral board candidates. Some who did the right things, and some who absolutely went about things the wrong way. This ebook will help you do the right things and get you on your way to landing that job as a police officer. Ok, enough background information, let's get started with the important information:
Preparation Long Before the Oral Board
Long before you even start the Law Enforcement hiring process you can start preparing for it. Some ways to do this are working on beefing up your resume by: Volunteering in different community programs (shows commitment and dedication) Take college courses or get your degree Keeping as clean of a record as possible (both criminal record and driving record!) Excel at your job and be the kind of employee that your boss would be happy bragging about Start getting into physical shape for the job. Join a health club and try to run a few times every week. Get to know people who are working in the field that you are interested in. You can get some incredible insight from people who are there already. Live your life in a way that you are proud of and which you can share with the oral board when the time comes. Between now and the time you go through the oral boards, you should take the time to expose yourself to as much law enforcement information as you can. A great way to do this is visit some of the law enforcement bulletin boards that are on the internet. They are usually categorized by subject matter. You should read through some of the postings on the bulletin boards. You will be able to pick up some of the terms and topics that are associated with law enforcement. You are likely to find others who may be in the same position that you are. You can learn from the postings or even post your own questions to concerns that you may have.
On the days leading up to the oral board there are several things you can do to better your performance. These will not only help you get prepared but may help relieve some of the apprehension of waiting around for the appointment to come around. Some suggestions for the days prior to the oral board:
• Prepare your resume It does not have to be extensive but it should really focus on work that may be relevant to the position. It is not necessarily expected that you have police experience but you may have had jobs which had roles of responsibility.
For examples positions where you were: • supervising others or had a leadership position
• required to work independently
• awarded or recognized for outstanding job performance
• entrusted with money or valuables during the course of your work
The resume will give the oral board some reasons to focus on your background a little more. This opens up great opportunities for you to describe or elaborate on the skills or traits that would make you a good police officer. You need to realize that most candidates do not come with a resume. Because of this, it impresses the board when some candidates actually take the time to prepare by getting it together. As you know, first impressions are very important. Regardless of how nervous you may be when you first go into the interview you can hand them your resume. They may actually take a few moments to look it over which can give you a bit of time to settle down a bit. Other things you should do prior to the day: • Bring your suit or outfit to the cleaners to be cleaned and pressed.
• Shine (or clean) your shoes.
• Get a haircut.
Let the board be focused on how good you look as opposed to picking out all of the things that they see wrong with you. ** I have personally seen candidates show up in a variety of things. For the most part, they arrive in at least a shirt and tie or a suit (for the men). I have seen applicants come in with ripped sweatshirts, dirty jeans and untied work boots. The worse dressed in all of the oral boards I did was a soon to be graduating Criminal Justice major. I could not believe it. I was debating whether to even point out his ignorance at the end of the interview but I didn't. If someone can’t realize the importance of dressing up for such a critical stage of a job interview than they have bigger problems than I could ever address. As far as women's attire, normally they are pretty conservative (which is the way to go in myopinion). I have had the awkward experience of having some female candidates come in some pretty revealing outfits however. ** Other preparation tips:
• Read over this manual to get in the right frame of mind for the process. While the oral boards may at first appear to be an intimidating thing, the more information that you have prior the more prepared you'll be. As you read through this ebook and realize what it is you will be experiencing, this should help to take some of the stress off of you once you are in the interview. You can also prepare by:
• Finding the police station or agency and knowing the route that you are going to go if you are unfamiliar with the area. Being late is not a good way to start off the process. It does happen, just make sure it doesn't happen to you! • Do some research on the city, state and agency that you plan on working for
Who is the chief?
The mayor?
Selectmen?
Governor? etc.
The Internet is a fantastic tool for this. A search for the town's official web site should have most of this information available. You can also do a search online for the name of the agency to reveal if there are any recent issues that you should know about. If there are particular newspapers that cover the region where you agency is located, you can visit their web sites. You can then search for the name of the agency and see what articles have recently been published concerning it. You can learn some fantastic things this way. It will really impress them that you are up on your facts about their agency. For example you may discover a new grant was improved for something, or perhaps a new station or other items of interest. You will be able to find an opportunity during the oral boards to mention some of what you learned in your research. You can guarantee hardly any other candidate has done this kind of heads up prep work. It will not go unnoticed! You can score some good points with the board if it appears evident to them that you did some homework before coming in to see them. In addition to the internet, you may want to stop in the agency or have them mail out any brochures that they may have. These informational brochures can give you an idea of the style of agency you are testing for. If they mostly traffic enforcement related, then you can figure out what topics are applicable to them. If it is the DEA for example, then obviously the illegal drug trade is their main focus. As much statistics you can gather about the agency, the better. This can give you a better understanding of what the agency stands for and the type of officer they are looking to hire. You can then focus on presenting yourself in the best manner possible. • Make sure you are well rested. Get a good night’s sleep the night before (no pre-celebration partying!).
• Visualize the whole process as outlined here. Take some quiet time to see yourself going through the process from start to finish. Here's an important way you can prepare ahead of time:
• Practice how you are going to introduce yourself to the board. Practice in front of a mirror and try to minimize saying, "aah" and "um" as much as possible. Visualize everything from arriving at the station, to the point that you leave the room the room after having an excellent interview! Even better, if you have access to a video camera then videotape yourself. Go through the whole introduction of yourself to the board and the questions that you expect them to ask. The videotape is an incredibly effective way for you to get true feedback on how you are performing and what you can do to improve. If you don't have a videotape, a tape recorder is the next best thing. You will be able to hear how fluently you are speaking. You will also be able to determine if there are some aspects to your answers that you may want to work on further. If you can get some quiet time alone, there is another powerful thing you can do. Close your eyes and relax for a little bit. Then visualize the whole process in your head from start to finish. Visualize EVERY detail of the interview that you can picture. From arriving, to walking in, introducing yourself etc. This is a fantastic way to prepare. Because you will have visualized every aspect possible, when you are actually doing it, you will have already gone through the steps in your head! The real thing will simple be a repetition of what you had visualized ahead of time. ** I highly recommend this visualization. Try to be as complete as possibly to include possible questions and how you would answer them. You will find yourself much more prepared when the day comes because you'll will have run it through your mind several times before then. **
The Day of Your Oral Boards
** I have seen some candidates pretty much crack under the pressure of a confrontational Oral Board. Some have stopped their interview in the middle and just left. Others have left in such a daze that they have trouble finding the door for a second or two. Someone could argue how beneficial this is, but the train of thought is this: if they are having difficulty under the stress of this environment, how are they going to handle the streets when they are working as an officer? Not only that, but the candidates need to realize that the police academy is probably not going to be a piece of cake either. Depending on which academy someone attends, it can be pretty stressful and have a boot camp nature to it. By applying some stress here in the oral boards, we can weed out the ones that just aren't cut out for that type of stress. The oral boards generally know when to apply the stress and with who. In particular, a young ("green") candidate is probably more likely to be "grilled" than someone who may have more life experience. Remember, I must speak in generalities because oral boards do differ depending on the circumstances involved. The day has finally arrived. Hopefully you had a good night's sleep. You may want to limit your caffeine this morning. Probably a cup of coffee won't hurt but don't over due it. The key is to avoid the effects from the stimulant effect of the caffeine. You may be nervous enough without having to try and control your leg from shaking! Besides, no one wants to be half way through the oral board when the sudden urge to go to the bathroom hits…. You should print out a half dozen copies of your resume and bring them in with you in a folder. A half dozen copies is recommended because that would be at the very highest end of the amount of people sitting on the oral board. (Most likely it will only be 3-5 but better to err on the safe side). Make sure you have plenty of time to get there. Try to arrive 20 minutes before. You will be less stressed out and you will have time to review your notes. Go over the potential questions that may be asked of you. Speak out your answers out loud so that you practice elaborating on your answers. By the time that you actually do answer the questions in front of the oral board, it won't seem like such a big deal. The Members of the Oral Board You can expect to see on average 3 - 5 people sitting on the typical oral board. These numbers may vary somewhat but it is typical to have 3 - 5. The members of the board may be patrolman, sergeants, lieutenants or other ranking officers from the department. There may also be a representative from the town such as a selectman. The board members could take several different roles. They may role play (good guy / bad guy) or they may not be anything but themselves. Given the choice, I always preferred to have pretty straight forward discussion with candidates. That doesn't mean I wouldn't want to see them under stress however. I would be pretty direct and assertive but not really play a lot of mind games with them. Role Playing Oral Boards In the good/bad role-playing, one of the members will usually play the "devil's advocate". They will argue with anything that you have to say. No matter what your answer is, they are going to have something to criticize about it. The "good" member may be there to calm your nerves and get you to open up more freely to a sympathetic listener. They will try to build a repoire with you so that you may feel more likely to open up with them. If it sounds like psychological head games that's because sometimes it is. Why the Stress? Different personality traits can be revealed under varying circumstances and stress levels. The roleplaying may be used to try to take advantage of this fact.
Appearance
You must keep in mind that first impressions are very important. When you first walk into the room, the oral board is not going to know much about you in the first few seconds. What they are doing however is making a first impression based on how you look and conduct yourself. With that in mind, here are some recommendations on making the best impression possible: • A conservative appearance is highly recommended. A suit and tie for men and a professional business outfit for women is appropriate.
• Make sure your outfit is neatly pressed. Having it pressed at the cleaners prior to the interview is recommended.
• Shoes should be shined if possible or at least professional in their appearance. ** Yes people do show up to oral boards in some poor decisions. I have personally seen jeans with sneakers, athletic sweatshirts and sweat pants etc. This is not the way to impress the oral board. You are making a statement by taking the time to show that this appointment is important to you. ** Clean shaven with a recent haircut is important. Do you have to have a "cop haircut"? No not necessarily. At the same time, you do probably want something fairly conservative. The idea here though is to look as close to the role as possible to the oral board members. You have to realize that board members are frequently trying to visualize the person in front of them in the role of a police officer. The closer you are to that role already can't hurt. For men, a frequent question is whether facial hair is appropriate. It is again at your discretion but as clean shaven as possible is recommended. I wouldn't go too heavily on cologne/perfume. I would recommend trying to go for no smell at all! That means body odor, bad breath or too much cologne. You want to stand out in their minds for good reasons, not bad ones. Anything that distracts them from your good traits is only going to work against you.
Entrance
From the moment you enter the room, the board members are evaluating you. Remember that nonverbal communication can be just as important as what you say. Walk in confidently and make eye contact. Eye contact is a really critical aspect during the interview. You should really make a point to make eye contact with different board members as you are answering the questions. Don't be looking down at the floor or up the ceiling as this conveys a lack of confidence. One of the board members will most likely make introductions with you to the other board members. It wouldn't hurt to use their rank if they are introduced to you with them. For example "Joe Smith this is Sergeant Jones." You: "Nice to meet you Sergeant" etc. The board members are most likely going to be seated behind a long table facing you. At this time, you can offer the members a copy of your resume. For example "I took the opportunity to print out a brief resume which you may find relevant to the position I am applying for". Don't be surprised if they downplay the fact that you brought in the resume. As a matter of fact, count on them minimizing it ("We won't have time to check that out" or "That should have been submitted prior to now"). Don't let that phase you. They WILL look it over and it will work out in your favor. Part oftheir role may not be try to put you at ease right off. Note: A lot of the oral board is psychological in nature. They may very well be trying to create a stressful situation to see how you handle it. This is probably a more likely scenario than it being a "friendly" board. Don't be surprised if you don't have the most comfortable seat in the house. The intention may well be to see how you react under stress. That stress may include sitting in an uncomfortable chair with no arms on it that rocks back and forth when you get nervous! Speaking of which: be aware not to rock back and forth, tap your leg or other nervous movement. A suggestion is to have your arms resting on the arms rest (if they are there) or on your legs. No nail biting and try to minimize the "aaah aaah aaah"'s when you are talking. Take your time answering the questions. Do not feel rushed in having to blurt out a fast answer. If you do not know the answer to a question don't be afraid to admit it.
Introduction to the Oral Board
When you first start out it is very likely that the board is going to ask you to tell them about yourself. This is one of the biggest areas that you can prepare for ahead of time. Before you ever get in front of the board, you would be doing itself a big favor by practicing this. In particular you should focus on mentioning jobs, or activities that emphasize your maturity and responsibility. This is when you would mention many of the things that you included on your resume.
Your Interaction
Some things to keep in mind while you are being interviewed. A personable and motivated candidate is usually going to do much better than someone that answers the questions in short sentences. The oral board is really trying to get a feel for your personality. Remember that these members may well be working with you in the very near future if they were to recommend you. That being the case you want to try and get a good repoire going with them as possible. Don't over due itthough and come off cocky. A nice pleasant interaction with the board is what you are aiming for. Remember to keep making that eye contact. This tells the person you are talking to that you are really listening to them and giving them their undivided attention. You definitely don't want to be looking down or around the room as this will come off as being overly nervous and not confident. What are they looking for? The members are rating you based on maturity, decision-making skills, confidence, integrity and other traits that allow them to determine if you are fit for the position. Once your are done with your interview, they will most likely have scoring sheets that they will complete . You will probably see them taking notes as you are giving your interview. Don't let this distract you. It's not a bad thing, they just need to make comments on their so that they can grade you accordingly. Each rating system can be different but it could consist of:
Rate 1-10
Appearance / Attire
Inappropriate Sloppy Average Exceptional
1--------------------3----------5-----------------10
Rate 1-10
Decision Making Skills
Inappropriate Poor Ave Good Exceptional
1-------------------3------5-------7--------10
There could be 10 different ratings to rate by. By scoring up all 10 factors, you would arrive at a scoring based on 100%. Besides the two just mentioned, some other attributes they are judging you on could include:
• Personal Maturity
Maturity can be somewhat of a subjective term but the oral board members will be looking at it as the total picture. It is NOT necessarily linked to being of a certain age. We have seen 21 year old candidates who were very mature for their age and people twice their age who were not considered mature for their age. As far as what traits would convey this..... Here are some examples:
Life experiences of that person, their goals and attempts to reach those goals. Has the person been in a dead end job and it never occurred to them to strive for better? Mature conversational skills: during the oral board do they conduct themselves in a manner to the board that they realize the importance of the job that position that they are applying for? Do they give thoughtful, reflective answers when a difficult question is asked? Or do they simply give some canned, immature reply without much thought.
• Dedication and Conscientiousness towards jobs
• Personal Interaction Skills There could be a cut off score at a certain point or it may be solely based ranking by highest score.
General Interview Tips
• Make sure you listen carefully to each of the questions asked. Don't interrupt when they are asking the question. If you need to take a few seconds to think about the question, then do so. Some of the best candidates I have seen are the ones that take a few seconds and actually THINK about their answer. Even if it meant them saying "Hmm.. that's a good question...." (which usually elicited the response "That's why we asked it!"). Try to determine what it is that they want from the answer. Remember, they are looking to screen candidates to work along side them. There is a reason each question is asked!
• Don't ramble on and on with your answers. If you can get to the point of your answer then do so. If you need to elaborate then feel free to do that also. I have seen candidates give fantastic answers, only to ramble on and ruin it for themselves. This is usually done because they are naturally nervous. You need to learn to know when you've said enough.
Honesty is the Best Policy
You must answer all of the questions honestly. Any perceived deception would be judged very harshly against. The oral board would rather hear a not so flattering truth from you than to catch you in a lie. If youdo have some information that you need to share, you should be up front about it. Notice I said, "NEED" to share. I have seen many oral board candidates bring up unnecessary and irrelevant facts about themselves that did not do them any good. Some stupid issue may distract the oral board. They will then focus on that for the remainder of the interview. If you find yourself having to explain some "not so flattering" fact about yourself, try to put it in the best light possible. For example if it occurred a long time ago and you learned a lesson from it, then say so. Explain what you have done to make sure it never happens again etc. Not everyone's an angel. As a matter of fact I have YET to meet one! Just what ever you do, if asked point blank about an issue, don't lie. Bottom line: if you lie you are done.
Background Issues
They will first ask you to describe yourself so that they can learn more about you. They may ask specific questions about quality traits that you have:
Your strengths and weaknesses?
Why would you make a good police officer?
Why should they hire you instead of another candidate?
Drug Use
Drug use issues may be questioned. Again, this is NOT the time to lie. Most departments have a realistic view of our society and drug use is not necessarily going to automatically disqualify you. (There are some departments that have a zero tolerance policy but in this day and age they are VERY few and far between). IF they do go into this line of questioning…. it is going to focus on what types of drugs, how often and the last time they were used. Believe it or not, some departments have written policy as to what drug use is forgivable for candidates. For example, a lot of agencies have a particularly liberal policy on marijuana use. It is recognized that many people are apt to try out some experiment in their youth Now is the time that you are going to have to come clean and admit if there have been some issues with drugs in your past. If you lie now but then it is uncovered in your background check, you will in all likely hood be removed from the process.
Past Job Issues
There is no better indicator of trying to determine what the future will bring, then by looking at what the past history of the person has spend. Because of this, previous job issues may be of great interest to the oral board. They're looking to determine what type of worker you have been up to now, how reliable you are, and if you've ever had any issues with the people they you've worked for. This is not to say that you need a perfect pass employment history. Not every person is going to have the perfect job, every time a. The board members will however try to determine if there is a repeating history that this very likely to occur again in the future. They're looking to determine what type of worker you have been up to now, how reliable you are, and if you've ever had any issues with the people they you've worked for. This is not to say that you need a perfect past employment history. Not every person is going to have the perfect job, every time. The board members will however try to determine if there is a repeating history that this very likely to occur again in the future.
Bad Credit Issues
As part of your background check the police department is probably going to check your credit record. Some bad credit history is not necessarily going to eliminate you but they may ask you to explain the circumstances involved. It is pretty rare for someone to have a totally unblemished record, so alate payment or to here in there is probably not a big deal. What they are looking for is evidence of irresponsible use of credit.For example very high debt and major problems such as bankruptcies or foreclosure can be indicators of a person who may be irresponsible. Somebody would necessarily be automatically ruled out but the explanation they give must be reasonable and understandable considering the circumstances involved. You must keep in mind that if there is a polygraph test (i.e."lie detector"), the questions are going to focus on the statements that you have made about your past history. If the polygraph operator feels that there is a level of deception, this will be expressed to the department that can wash you out of the process. On the other hand, if you made it to the polygraph portion, that indicates that you did not get eliminated based on your oral board. A police department is not going to waste its time moving candidates forward through the process which they are not still considering hiring. These same guidelines for past possible drug use apply to all of the background questions the oral board may ask.
For example:
Have you ever been arrest or indicted?
Have you ever sued or have been sued?
Has your license ever been suspended?
Have you ever stolen anything?
When was the last fight you were in?
This is the opportunity to explain a past indiscretion that you may not be particularly proud of. Bottom line is that they need to hear it here and now, not later on through another source.
Criminal History
Believe it or not, a criminal history does not necessarily rule you out of a law enforcement job. Granted, it would have to be a pretty minor event but a lot of police departments are willing to forgive and forget very small slip-ups. Law Enforcement agencies realize that not everyone is "an angel" growing up. Some minor slips ups can be overlooked, depending on the circumstances. An example could be an arrest for having a beer in your possession at 20 years old when you were at college. A lot of how the board is going to view it is based on the circumstances involved and your attitude towards the event. It isn't uncommon for candidates to have some sort of issue in their past. There are many things that can be allowed once the circumstances are explained. A word of caution though, try not to make up an excuse for events. If they feel that you cannot accept responsibility for a screw up, it is not going to go favorably towards you. You should realize that the more prestigious and agency that you are applying for, the more strict that they may tend to be in judging you. Because of the fact that they can have hundreds if not thousands of applicants to choose from, this allows them the luxury of being somewhat more strict when it comes to what is allowable or not.
Traffic Offenses
While a traffic summons or two may not be a deal breaker for most oral boards, it can be cause for concern if someone has repeated violations in their past. The more recent the events, the harder it would be for you to convince them that you have finally matured and have gotten that behind you. Arrests for driving while intoxicated are also brought up on occasion by candidates. Some departments may be able to look past this but truthfully many would most likely be hesitant to accept it. Again, the length of time ago involved would factor into it along with the circumstances. You must realize that none of these statements made here are 100% accurate for each police department. There are definitely departments that are more liberal in their leniency than others. There are no sure ways of finding out for sure which way a particular department is likely to view these issues unless you happened to have a connection with someone working there. Most people would probably be surprised with the amount of past indiscretions that most agencies can look past. The most important thing is to be honest! NOTHING will sink you faster then the board not believing your sincerity. When you realize that you have made mistakes in the past, live up to them and explain how what and what lessons were learned from the experience. Knowing that these issues will be brought up can help you consider them before hand. Instead of being caught off guard, you can now be prepared to answer any issues that may come up. On the other hand, if you have offenses of a serious enough nature in your past you must realize that a department will not be able to hire you. Violent assaults and felonies are some examples of past issues a department probably cannot get past. Your Thoughts and Beliefs You may be asked some very typical questions that Oral Boards want to know from a candidate. Everything they ask is to try and get to know you better.To "get a feel" for who you are. Here are some example questions that you should be prepared to answer:
Why do you want this job?
Be honest with them. Don't give them a pat answer that you think that they want to hear. You can really give this some thought ahead of time and determine what it is about the career that makes you so interested in it. Perhaps you had a friend or relative who was in law enforcement and they influenced you in that direction. Some people looking for the stability of the job. Others may be looking for a change of working conditions to include a variety of interesting things that they would have to do with working a job. By thinking about this question before hand, you can give it some thought as opposed to being asked on the spot about it and not knowing what to say.
Why should we hire you over any of the other candidates we are interviewing today?
This is an excellent chance for you to go to the board members what skills you have to offer over another candidate. This can be a pretty important question, because it truly gives you the opportunity to let the board know how you differ from anyone else that they may have interviewed that day. It does not make a huge impression on the board, if a candidate to sits there and does not have anything to offer to this question. Why should the board favor this person over another, if the candidates themselves has no idea what skills that they would offer the agency?
Why do you want to work for THIS particular agency?
This is a good question that can catch some candidates off guard. You may been ready to explain why you want to work in law enforcement, but might not have given much thought as to why this one particular agency is any better for your work at that another. Candidates can really sink themselves on this question, if they are notcareful. I have heard replies such as "this seemed as good a place as any to work" (!) What kind of answer is that? What you're telling the oral board members is you really don't care where you work, you just one work somewhere. By the time they're done with you, you may want work somewhere else!
What do you have to offer our department?
This is a variation of the previous question but it does differ somewhat. Instead of focusing on you versus the other candidates, this gives you an opportunity to elaborate on specific skills or traits that you have that can benefit the department as a whole.
Where do you see yourself 5 years and 10 years from now?
The board is trying to determine if you have any motivation to further your career. This question helps the board members get a feel for your personality and perhaps what motivates you. You should answer the question honestly as it applies to you.
What have you done to prepare yourself for a career in law enforcement?
This question can give the oral board some insight as to how much preparation you been making to get a job in law enforcement. It can be revealing to them whether your decision to apply was more less a whim or few been putting some concentrated effort on getting the job. If you have been preparing for a career in law enforcement up until now, you want to try to think about all the different ways that you have then working towards this goal. Everything from education, to perhaps the jobs that you've taken, and even how you conduct yourself as a person.
What are your 2 greatest strengths and weaknesses?
It helps to give this question some thought have time. It is not something that most people have thought about before, or have never expressed in words. You're going to need to come up with some examples so it is best to think about this ahead of time. Generally it does not go over too well with the board if you sit there and you cannot think of anything that you want to improve about your life. When you can't think of anything, you're basically telling the board members that you are perfect. I have yet to meet a person where this is the case.
What would you change about your life?
What would you have done differently if you could have?
This allows the board members to get a more personal glimpse as to what makes you tick. It is very rare for someone to have lived such a perfect life that they have no regrets, or there are no things in the past that they wished that they could do differently.
What do you do to handle stress in your life?
You should let the board members know what it is that you do when you get stressed out. They're basically trying to determine what, if any, coping mechanisms you have for handling stress. Law Enforcement can be one of the most stressful careers that someone can enter into. It helps out if somebody has some avenues that they use and their personal life in order to handle stress in a healthy way.
Have you ever shown prejudice towards any race or group of people?
This can obviously be a challenging question. Although a majority of people may initially deny that have ever shown prejudiced in any circumstance, this may have not in fact been the case. Just keep in mind that the question may be somewhat more open ended then it looks initially. For example, it may not be asking you a specifically if you are racist or prejudiced, you may be able to answer any manner that based on certain circumstances an adequate time you were not too excepting of a particular group of people.
When was the last time you were in a fight?
The simple fact that you've been involved in a fight in your life is not necessarily going to be an eliminating factor. It is not uncommon for someone to have been a fight at some point in the lives. The oral board members are trying to determine the frequency and severity of any major issues that you may have had in the past. This is a question that can come back to haunt you, if you are not truthful with them. I've seen back rent investigations turned up information on this subject that the candidates did not reveal to the oral board. In hindsight, it probably would not have been that big a deal but due to the fact that they downplayed it or even neglected to mention it, it became a bigger issue for the candidate.
Have you ever worked the night shift?
How easily do you think you would adapt to having to work from midnight until 8 in the morning?
Far majorities of people have never worked an overnight shift before. They may not even given any consideration to the fact that they would be required to work some strange or awkward hours in their career in law enforcement. Some candidates have given more thought to the career than others. The Oral board members are not decollate asking you if you're going to enjoy working midnights, they're more trying to determine if you have given much thought about this, or if there were be any issues that you hadn't thought about concerning this.
What effects will you becoming a police officer have on your family?
This is another good question to determine how much thought you of given into your decision to pursue a career in law enforcement. Due to the very nature of the job, it can be very disrupting on a family life. If you're the type of person who enjoys a Monday through Friday 9 to 5 type job, then you may not have realistic expectations of the job. You need to realize that you could be assigned different shifts at different times, and will probably be working many days when most of your friends and family are off that day. This includes the weekends, and holidays. It can be pretty revealing to see how some candidates have never even considered the possibility that there would have to work on these days.
What Does the term community policing mean to you?
How would you apply it in your role with this agency?
In the last 10 years or so, one of the big ships in law-enforcement thinking as spend towards more of a community policing type of agency. It would not hurt for you to learn more about what some concepts are in community policing. You can then think about some of the ways that you would possibly integrate some these concepts into your role with the agency that you are testing for. One of the main concepts of it is the belief that aw enforcement only shares a portion of the responsibility for the quality of life in the community. It should be a team effort between law enforcement, community leaders and the people who live in the area. There many different ways that the community policing theory can be brought into play for particular area. By reading up on that before hand, you may be able to explain better to the board members what possible issues may be involved. At the very least, turned have some concept of the term so that you're not sitting there with the blank look on your face not knowing what they're talking about. Keep this as your main focus: You are not there to simply answer the questions. You goal is to convince them through your answers that YOU are the candidate that can benefit their agency the best. Anyone can go in there and answer the questions, only the best can go in and explain how they are the best person for the position.
Hypothetical Questions Asked
After the background portion of the oral board, they are probably going to ask you scenarios. These scenarios are designed to challenge your decision-making skills. It is assumed that you do not have precise knowledge of the law. If there is a specific point you need to know, they will tell you with the question. It is not my intent to give you specific answers to the questions. For one thing there are no set questions that are asked. A lot of the questions have the same theme however. I will instead explain what is being judged when you give your answer. It is important here to make a good decision based on the question and then stick to it. You should only change your answer if you were given additional information that makes it obvious that you had erred in your answer.
Example Question:
You are sent by dispatch to a house where a family fight has occurred. Upon arriving, the wife tells you that her husband has punched her in the face. You realize that the husband is a well-known city counsel member. He is one of the biggest supporters of the police department. He also happens to be very good friends with the Chief of Police. What do you do? In this example, if you do anything but arrest him, the oral board may inform you that you are obligated by law to arrest him. If he did not know this, you'd explain that you're unfamiliar with that and now that they brought it to your attention you would in fact arrest him. If you do have to change your answer, explain why. For example "I didn't realize that the law was written that way for this type of offense. Now that you brought that to my attention, I would have to do this and this". They are not going to fault you for not knowing the law. They are going to look favorably on the fact that once more information was provided to you, you were able to adapt. Sometimes the board may intentionally leave out particular information and wait for your answer. They may then give you more info or change around the scenario to see how you adapt to the change. The best thing you can do is EXPLAIN your reasoning. You can be right or wrong, but if you make the oral board members realize how you came to a particular conclusion they are more likely to rate the answer favorably. The questions asked may end up being a "no win" situation. These questions force you to make a decision, even if it means there is no winnable ending to the scenario. These could include making a choice between two imminent dangers at the same time. This type of question makes a candidate even more stressed out because there is no 100% solution. An example question of this would be: You just get sent to a multiple car accident on a busy street. On the way they're another call comes in about a two year-old toddler who was seen walking by himself in a very busy shopping mall parking lot. You are currently the only car available and the two calls are in opposite directions from where you are now. What do you do? The best thing you can do is talk out your reasoning with the board. Explain to them that you realize the danger of answering one way or the other, but you must make some answer. You can't just sit there saying "um… um… um…". Also don't expect to get away with the "I would call my supervisor" answer. For some reason, the supervisor is always busy during these scenarios! Certain questions will be asked to determine how much common sense you have for your own safety. Will the officer request backup? Is he/she trying to solve the problem yet recognizes the potential dangers and in turn is trying to minimize those risks? The more you talk out your thought process, the more the board is going to understand where you are coming up with your solutions to the answers. A big factor that the oral board is trying to determine is how well developed are your discretionary skills.
Discretion
Discretion is the ability to make decisions on the "gray areas" in life, as not every thing is written in black and white. The best example of these types of questions is "Would you write your own mother a speeding ticket?". You will see different variations of these. A comment that is heard frequently is "Well, in real life I'm not going to but I'm going to say I would because that's what they want to hear". Here's a big clue: Police officers usually have a lot of discretion on how to handle various calls. You are expected to use that discretion in a realistic manner. They are not looking for officers who are so rigid that they can't use common sense. Of course if they point out some fact of law that you weren't aware of (i.e.: a portion of the law that says you MUST take a particular action) then you must in fact do that. You should resist the urge to be bullied into changing an answer. They may specifically try to get you to change your mind by ganging up on you. This is to evaluate your stress coping mechanisms and see if you would be apt to do that same thing if you were working as a police officer. Try to stick to your answers unless it becomes very obvious that you messed up and then explain why you are changing the answer. Another line of questioning made be made to determine your ethics values. An example question would be: You and your partner respond to an alarm call at a convenience store. Your arrived to find that the door was inadvertently left open which set off the alarm. After determining that the store was secure you're about to leave when you see your partner nonchalantly pick up the candy bar from the shelf and start eating it. What, if anything, do you do or say to him? Depending on how you answer they could challenge you either way. They how could attempt to minimize his actions and try to convince you that it is no big deal. If you decide to do nothing or very little they may up the ante. For example, now to change it from a candy bar to a pack of cigarettes or some lottery tickets. If you keep refusing to do nothing they're gone escalated to such point where you have no choice but to address the issue. They are trying to find out what your limits are. The board will also see if you are trying to get to the underlying problems that may be causing the situation to begin with. It works in your favor if you can explain to them all of the various issues that you see related to the particular question. Some oral Board questions are designed to see how good your investigative skills are. They may put you in a vague scenario and see how well you can derive the facts from it. An example question: You stopped a motorist for speeding and ask for his license and registration. The driver is unable to produce either one and appears to be somewhat nervous when you were talking to him. How do you proceed from here? The oral board can see what your reasoning skills would be. It works in your favor if you explain to them all of the possible reasons for the persons behavior. For example he could be naturally nervous, could be under suspension, wanted etc. Do you cross-reference his information in the computer? Do you quiz him on some of his vital information such as Social Security number, address, etc.? Although you may know all the tools available to you as a police officer yet, they are attempting to see your reasoning skills and what direction you would go in at an unfamiliar situation. An example question: You are off duty at a convenience store when it is robbed at gunpoint. You do not have a weapon on you. The robber puts a gun to your head and demands money from the clerk. The clerk does not want to give up the money. What do you do? This question allows the oral board members to see where your and reasoning and judgment skills are. It may also give us some insight as to how you handle yourself in a stressful situation. They may get a glimpse at your skills that negotiating with someone. They may also see how you're going to defuse the situation.
An example question:
You are once again off-duty and driving in your own car. You come across a vehicle on the side of the road with the driver slumped over the steering wheel. How do you handle the situation? This can be revealing in saying how your thought process works. They will be able to determine if you jump to conclusions, or take this scenario one step at a time and work it out to find out what is really going on here.
Reasons People Fail
There obviously can be a number of reasons why people fail the oral board. Over the years I have done over 100 oral board interviews and have seen candidates fail for a variety of reasons. In my best attempt to help you do well on your boards, I have listed here the most common things that I have seen candidates to wrong. Hopefully you can learn from the mistakes of others. Extensive background issues, questionable character or ethics Candidates have to be realistic. They need torealize that they are applying for a position of public trust. They're also going to be in a role in which they have the ability to bring people to justice. They can also take away their freedom by incarcerating them in jail. If a particular candidate has enough baggage in their background to cause concern for the oral board, more likely than not they will not be considered. Law Enforcement jobs are very competitive with many candidates applying for these positions. It does not make sense for a department to take a chance on someone with a questionable background (if it is serious enough) when they can simply go on to the next candidate in the hiring pool. This does not mean any flaw will get you eliminated, because most people have some issue or another. It does mean that if it is significant enough of an issue, then the candidate probably does not stand too good of a chance. Questionable reasoning and logic skills Through questioning the candidate, the oral board is able to determine how good the reasoning and logic skills are. One bad answer on a hypothetical question does not necessarily mean that you would be eliminated. It would depend on how badly you answered the question or if your answer gave the oral board cause for concern. There is no "one correct" answer for hypothetical questions. In fact candidates can go in opposite directions with their answers. Both answers could still be considered valid by the oral board. Most of the judgment of your answers is going to based on your thinking process. They want to see what was involved in coming up with the answers that were given.
Inappropriate appearance
This is one of the more stupid mistakes a law enforcement candidate can make. Out of all the things that you have direct control over, your appearance is one of the easiest to control. There's no excuse to be showing up for this important portion of the hiring process with something inappropriate on. By not taking the time to dress appropriately, you're sending a very strong message to the oral board. You're not taking this whole process serious. Poor interaction and speaking skills It is understandable you're going to be nervous, especially if this is one of your first oral boards. That is why preparing (as you are right now), is such an important thing. Practice ahead of time the things you want to say, and think about possible answers that you may give to questions. The more at ease you're going to be when the time actually comes to do with. Practice truly does make perfect in this case. If you have extreme problems in a public speaking environment, you may want to seek some assistance with this. Especially if you find it is holding you back during the interview process.
Lying
If you lie during the oral board, you're done. You should question whether this is a career field for you anyways, if you find it necessary to be lying during oral board interview. Even if they don't catch you during the oral boards, it is most likely going to be revealed during a polygraph or background investigations. You may have done things that you are not proud of in your past but most things can be explained away once the circumstances are told.
Giving Your Friends the Advantage Over You
You need to be very careful if you're going through your board process with friends or acquaintances of yours. If you happen to be in college in a criminal justice class and you know several other candidates going through the same process as you are, you do not want to be comparing notes or give them inside information until whole process is done. I've seen several examples over the years of friends giving in to peer pressure, and telling others the specifics of what is going to happen that day. Once everything is said and done and you get the job, then you can share with them when experience you had. My advice is that until the decision is made on the jobs, you should not be helping out your competition. Even if the competition happens to be your best friend! Are you going to be just as happy for him or her when they get the job over you? I doubt it. I'm sure you have picked up a few things that you will be able to apply for your board interview. You need to realize that this information is directly relevant to you in based on my experiences and observations over the years. I have no doubt that if you prepare yourself as described, you're going to help maximize your performance on the law enforcement oral board interview process. I wish you the absolute best of luck on your oral boards and I will see you on the streets!
How To Beat The Polygraph
Control Questions & Relevant Questions
Polygraph Place Bulletin Board
posted 10-29-2003 10:49 AM
posted 10-31-2003 12:51 PM
posted 11-01-2003 04:03 PM
