my unique experience?

[thebigmainer]

A couple of years ago I applied for a corrections officer position at a sheriffs dept here in Maine. This department was the only one of 3 or 4 I believed that polygrpahed it's applicants. I when down to Portland Maine and met with the detective from this dept that did polygraphs. It was ok until he told me that I was registering deception on one question-theft. I explained that when I was middle school what me and my friends did and he said that doesn't matter but that it was something I did as an adult. I explained I didn't do anything as a adult. He told me I must have because my levels were high? So I made up a story and he accepted it and said we make mistakes and it's no big deal. I passed the polygraph and went on to the next phases but wasn't hired because I didn't have enough life experience. Is it common to be accused of something and the only way to pass is to make something up? Yes I told them what I did as a juvenile and they weren't concerned. Also could they tell your lying if you make up a confession when taking the polygraph? Or do you just need to be believeable to the point that they accept that as why your showing high levels of decpetion?

[Barry_C]

So what you're saying is you lied in the process?  It wouldn't have gone the way you described had you come to see me.  Thanks for the info.  It may help with an on-going philosophical debate we've been having here; although, you're honesty will be questioned.

Out of curiosity though, what was left in the process?  That's the last stage, minus an informal interview with the Sherriff, at the organization to which you refer.  Additionally, they gave you a conditional job offer, which meant, unless something came up in the polygraph (or a medical test - and I don't believe they do one), you had the job.  In other words, they already knew of your life experience prior to polygraph - or any other stage of the game.  It's possible they made more conditional job offers than they had positions, but I've no memory of them ever doing that before.

Examiners here will thinking along those same lines.  I'd ask who you are and look into it for you, but I couldn't assure your anonymity.

[thebigmainer]

After I was told by the dept that I had passed the polygraph I was sent to the psych test which I passed according to them. All the information went to the sheriff and I waited a few weeks until I got the call and then the letter. That was their exact words that they felt I needed more life experience. Honestly I do tell the truth and in my current job (which is as a corrections officer) I've been commended for telling the truth and being honest. I've taken a couple of polygraphs for jobs and have passed and twice before that same issue came up and in the others no issues came up. How is that possible? I even took the test with the same polygraph tester a year apart where in the first test he said I was being deceptive and in the second test for another agency I was truthful and he asked the same question.

[Barry_C]

You had a psych test for a CO position?

[thebigmainer]

yes this was before the county in question stopped doing them.I think they stopped doing the psych test in 2002. I went to a tester center in the building with the digital clock on top, the tv station?

[Barry_C]

That was a different examiner than I thought.  That was a while ago, and I didn't know they ever used anybody there.  Testing was different then too.

[thebigmainer]

The examiner i had for my polygraph i believe still does that for them. what do you mean testing was different then too? you mean psych or polygraph?

[Barry_C]

He never did them in the location you described.  The polygraph testing process was different back then.

[thebigmainer]

he did them at the sheriffs dept. as he was a detective with that dept. the building i described was where i took the psych test.

[Barry_C]

That makes more sense.  If you moved on after the polygraph stage (no cost to the SO), and you got canned after the psych portion (expensive for the SO), it would seem your problems would have come from there. The polygraph is done prior to the psych so as to avoid spending money on the undesirables.  There is no "failure" of the psych.  The report just shows where you fall on the bell curve, and most people fall within the first standard deviation, which is labeled "average."  You probably fell into the "below average" zone.  Test again all these years later, and you may be "okay."

[thebigmainer]

i was told i passed all steps of the process. it took about 2 weeks before i got the letter.

[Barry_C]

That doesn't make a whole lot of sense.  You should have received a conditional job offer, which means if the polygraph and psych go well, you're in.  It's possible they gave more conditional job offers than they had positions, but that place has a revolving door when it comes to COs, so I'm not sure what happened.

In any event, never make something up to "please" the examiner.