Law Enforcement? Is this a Career Decision that You’re Facing?

Law Enforcement?  Is this a career decision that you’re facing?  This can be a very difficult decision to make.  There are so many choices.  Do you want to be a Police Officer?  And if you do, do you want to be an RCMP Officer, or a Municipal Police Officer?  Maybe a career with the Military Police would be the right choice for you.  But does Law Enforcement only mean Police Officer?  Maybe you would rather be a Corrections Officer, or a Fisheries Officer or even a Sheriff.  There are so many choices, how do you ever sort through it all.

Well, you have to ask yourself a number of questions to establish what exactly you are looking for in a Law Enforcement Career.

• Do you want to be a police officer?  If yes, do you want to be part of the Federal Police Force or be part of a municipal agency?
• Do you want to move anywhere in the country or remain in one place?
• Do you want to be a Military Police Officer?  You may want to be a police officer but not really want to join the Armed Forces.
• Do you want to work in Law Enforcement but really don’t think being a police officer is a right fit for you?  Is a career with Corrections or Border Security a better fit, or maybe you are considering being a Sheriff?  Which one is the right choice for you?

The road to a career in Law Enforcement can be a very long one.  It will probably involve submitting a lengthy application document, completing a medical assessment and a physical test, attending the Competency Based Applicant Interview, a polygraph test, etc.  And then, depending on your choice, there could be a long cadet program.  This lengthy process means it is very important that you are sure  you go down the right road.

But how do you go about making this big decision?  The first thing you should do is to research each of the fields, and then the organizations that might interest you.  If you want to be a police officer, do some research on the RCMP and on a number of municipal forces.  Attend an RCMP Information Session.  Visit your local police department and see if you can do a ride along.  Or, if a police officer is not your choice, then research other Law Enforcement organizations to see what they’re about.  Decide what is important to you in a career and research each of your options to ensure that you make an informed decision.

And don’t be afraid to talk to people that can help you work through the options.  Talk to recruiters, people that work in your chosen field, or reach out to a Professional Career Coach to help you sort through all of the information.  This is a very big decision and should not be made lightly.

Do you know someone who is currently challenged with a career  decision? Feel free to share this post by using the share links at the top of this page. Also, if you’d like more career change assistance, feel free to check out the career coaching resource page.