Police Officer Career

My chosen career to research is law enforcement officer. I used a variety of sources on the internet to gather information about this career path/position including an face-to-face interview with a military law enforcement officer. A list of sources I utilized are: O*Net, OHH/DOT, USAjobs.gov, dice.com, internship.com, glassdoor.com, and careeronestop.org. I discovered throughout the vocational planning course, I realized that I am very interested in the protective services field and that my skills would be best suited in the particular industry of law enforcement as a police officer or military police officer.

Law enforcement police-men's general ob duties usually consist of enforcing law and order, protecting civilians, properties, and

businesses. Officers also investigate crimes, prevent and deter crimes using their presence, stop violent riots, issue traffic citations, make arrests, patrol neighborhoods, escort government officials, and build trust in the community between government agency and community members. Police officers are public servants that serves the community, they commonly respond to emergencies like car accidents, shootings, home robberies, etc. The work environment for this career is very risky due to the dangers officers face and the high level of stress they experience. With tensions between citizens in the United States and police departments intensifying, hostility towards police officers are increasing and the possibilities of being killed on the job are real.
The job outlook for this career is expected to increase by 4% from 2014 to 2024 which is a little slower than average since nowadays police departments are looking for high quality recruits that would best serve and represent their communities. Median salary is $51,100 a year with plenty of opportunities for overtime and pay increases. Pay is calculated by rank in the department. The typical career path for this career field is starting off as patrolmen then branching off to either be a detective or continue being a patrolmen as a supervisor. The highest title in a local police department is police chief/sheriff. Prospective police officers can choose to work in local, state, or federal government with each having different areas of jurisdiction and special authority.
The process of being a police officer is not as easy as back then, now the process is more rigorous in order to weed out applicants without a clean background, that are not up to physical and mental standards, and that do not have a real passion and commitment to serve. In order to be considered one must first finish high school, be 21 years old or older, attend a police academy, taken a civil service exam, pass a background check(no felonies), pass a credit check and sometimes even a lie detector test, be able to get a pistol license, pass the physical fitness test, ace multiple interviews, have credible references, be a United States citizen, and have a driver's license. Candidates that have military experience or a degree in criminal justice are preferred. This is the requirement for a local police agency, state and federal agencies have more extensive requirements. Although important qualities to possess are good public speaking/interpersonal communication skills, leadership skills, empathy, fair judgment, perceptiveness, and be in superior physical condition.
Law enforcement workers are most of the time a member of a union and are usually treated fairly and equally in the workplace. Generous benefits like an early retirement pension, uniform allowances, paid sick and vacation days, and bonuses are common. Police officers get to retire in 20 years because the job is so physically demanding that an older person cannot handle the physical and mental stresses the job entails.
I had the pleasure to interview an Army Reserve military police officer, Maurice Brown, in which I learned a great wealth of insight.

It went smoothly as he answered every question in detail. I learned that being a military police officer is a lot different from being a civilian police officer. The difference is civilian police officers are trained longer(police academy is at least 6 months) compared to military police training(specialty training which is only 3 months and that civilian police officers have more responsibilities and laws to enforce. Both are similar because they are both stressful and both often deal with unpredictable and risky situations. One can expect long hours working as an military police officer guarding posts or prisoners. They can also expect to be a target among enemy combatants. Brown was responsible for area security in a prisoner camp in Cuba. Brown had to quickly learn how to work as a team member so his unit would be cohesive, he also had to learn how to learn with other soldiers that outrank him. The Army is currently paying for his education and he gets a ton of benefits since its a government job. He recommends one to work on their communication skills to be ready for a career in law enforcement. In chapter 7 of the career fitness program, we learned the strategies for researching a career option, how to generate career options that align with our career fitness profile, the resources for conducting research and an understanding of typical career paths and organizational divisions. I used everything we learned in class to conduct this research including the results of the survey we took that show us our aptitudes and

interests.
I feel like I benefited from this project, I started the semester not knowing what I want to do or what I would be good at but now I know. I'm seriously considering a career in law enforcement. If things does not go as planned, my alternative career choices would be: buyer, secretary, and executive assistant. The structure of the course was spot on, more time could've been spent on Maslow's hierarchy of needs and the motivation chart. I recommend moving at a slower pace with the assignment of home work so everyone get a chance to do it in time and discussing the daily quotes.