Heading for a Policing Career?

Are you heading for a policing career?  Will you work towards a career in the RCMP?  Or maybe Municipal policing or another law enforcement agency?  You’ve done all of your research, discussed it with your family, and now you are all set to pursue your policing dream.

As I have said in previous posts, there are a number of steps to go through regardless of the agency for which you choose to apply.  If you decide the RCMP is the right choice for you, there’s the language and education requirement, the physical abilities test (PARE), the Regular Member Selection Interview (RMSI), the security clearance, etc.  Of course, all of that is after you  have met the pre-selection criteria, i.e. Canadian citizenship, drug free for three years, etc.

If you’re considering a municipal policing career, you may be heading to a police training centre, i.e. Atlantic Police Academy, which requires successful completion of that program, and then further screening, much the same as the RCMP i.e., security clearance, PARE, Competency Based Interview, etc.

Needless to say, it is a long, difficult road to becoming a police officer.  But if it is something that you really want, it is well worth it.  But what happens if you don’t meet one of the criteria?  Will you give up your dream?  What else will you do?

Just because you aren’t successful the first time around doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to give up.  For instance, for eligibility with the RCMP, you must be drug free for three years.  If you are not, it simply means that you will have to wait until the three year mark before you begin the process.  If you don’t pass the PARE or the RCMP Competency Based Interview, you will have to wait a year before you begin the process again.  It doesn’t have to mean that it’s over.  It can simply be a delay.

But what do you do in the meantime while you are waiting to reach your dream career?  There are a couple of things you can do.

• Work on those areas that kept you from continuing your police career, i.e. if you didn’t pass the Regular Member Selection Inteview, do things that will help you gain experience that will relate to the eight core competencies, i.e. volunteer work.
• Consider furthering your education to help develop additional skills.
• Make sure you have a back up plan.  Will you continue with the job that you have or will you consider another interim career?

How do you decide what the interim plan should be?  It could be as simple as continuing with the job that you have, or finding another job that will help develop good skills.  If you’re not sure what that could look like, don’t be afraid to reach out to family and friends that know you well and could help you with some decisions.  Or consult a Certified Professional Career Coach to help you identify the best way to approach this challenge.  Either way, don’t sit back and just wait for the policing career to happen.  Take steps to continue moving your career forward, even during this potential delay.

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.