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There's no question that law enforcement officers have several career opportunities, with so many fields in criminal justice. If you're interested in getting into law enforcement, this guide will show you exactly what you need.
1. Maintaining good grades in high school is very important. You should also consider taking classes like math, typing, computers, etc. as these will benefit you as a police officer.
2. Consider joining the military. Military experience is a huge asset when it comes to applying as a police officer.
3. Stay in shape. Because police officers in the criminal justice field are dealing with criminals on a daily basis, its important to be in shape. Its also important because of the stress related to the job, and being in shape helps with that as well.
4. Prepare for a criminal justice degree. This means, start looking at different schools and find out which schools even offer criminal justice programs, or even online degrees. Getting your degree is almost a requirement now.
5. Stay out of trouble. Once a police department starts their background check on you, your past will become part of your application.
6. Taking the civil service exam is never a bad thing. However, these are for state positions (i.e. State Police, Corrections, etc.). If you're applying for a city police department for example, you would need to apply directly to them.
7. Preparing for the physical exam is very important. Many police recruits don't prepare because the tests sound easy, which isn't true.
8. Plan on taking a drug test. These are standard and will usually go back anywhere from 90 to 180 days.
Police Advice and Tips
Below are several tips that already sworn police officers have given.
"Becoming a police officer was the best thing I've ever done. I get to help people while putting the bad guy in jail. If this is truly what you want to do, never give up, stay out of trouble and get a degree in criminal justice. Good luck!"
"If you are serious about getting into criminal justice, take a look at corrections as well. I've been in corrections for over 6 years now and I'm happy doing it."
"Study, study, study. You have to remember that you're competing with a lot of people, so getting an edge over them is important. I would recommend getting a four year degree in criminal justice, and not just a two year to help as well."
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