my first interview....whittier pd

[j91184]

i finaly passed my written test 2 weeks ago and today i had my first interview with whittier pd. i did everything i could to prepare myself like study some of the basic questions...tell us a little bit about yourself?, why do you want to be a cop? ect. ect..... and i do feel like i answered most of them correctly. however i did get extremely nervous and i do feel like they probably noticed. my questions goes out to all of you who have passed the oral board. did they tell you the same thing they told me at the end as i was walking out ?? that theyll call you to let you know how you did....or did they tell you on the spot that you passed it and schedual you for the background??? and if they did tell you they'd call you how long did you have to wait for that call ?? please any info would help!

[ask80]

sorry i don't know the process for whittier, but generally most oral board interview panels know the applicant will be a little bit nervous and will take that into account. some agencies well tell you on the spot if you pass, others will call or send out a letter. you should get the results pretty quick, probably a week or two. smaller agencies sometimes tend to be quicker

[j91184]

ah just an update....i didnt make it pass the interview with whittier

[Biz_mikee]

ah just an update....i didnt make it pass the interview with whittier

Sorry to hear that man, but take it as a learning experience. After a couple of interviews you'll notice what questions are usually asked and work your answers out a little better so your better prepared. You won't be as nervous when the next one comes around.

Don't give up. LE is a great career path that i'm loving!

[j91184]

thanks man. it always helps to hear encouraging words after hearing bad news. i think my problem was i talked like i robot during the interview and i was waaaay to nervous. as much as i suck at interviews im not giving up. ur probably right and i wont be as nervous next time. wat pd do u work for if u dont mind me askin?

[ExSDSO]

Just remember in an interview your trying to SELL YOURSELF. Its good to practice the basic questions you think theyll ask you. Its also good to study the department and the city itself. Another plus is to do a ride along before the interview. I always greet everyone with a good hand shake, eye contact and smile. I also wait for them to sit before I do, I dont know why. ( I heard some where that its a good idea to lol )

Not to long ago I had a 1 on 1 chiefs interview with SDSU Campus Police. After we talked he told me to wait outside and hat he was going to talk to a Backgrounder. Several minutes later he came back with the Investigator and congratulated me and told me I was moving on to the next step.

When I was hired by the San Diego Sheriffs Department. I also learend that I passed my Lt's interview the same day.

Dont worry, the more youll do the more comfortable youll feel. Hopefully you wont have to do to many. Stay focused and dont give up if its what YOU REALLY WANT

[j91184]

wow u must of been excited when u got hired...but hey thanks for the advice, i think im going to schedual a ride a long tomorow

[McGruff]

Sorry to hear j91184, but like Biz_mikee said, don't give up. Whittier's lost is another department's gain. Everything in your life has prepared you for this moment: family, friends, work experience, etc. Try condensing all your accomplishments in a few sentences. I can't tell you the right things to say because there really isn't any right or wrong answers. Every agency is different and every agency is looking for one specific type of applicant.

A few pointers - Know the agency you're applying with: what their values are, motto, how many officers and civilians are employed, who the brass are, anything and everything you can find out. Know the city: how many residents, square miles, landmarks, etc. Show your interviewer that you want this job!

When I applied with the sheriffs, the interview was right after the written and PAT. They let every interviewee know if they moved on to the next phase or not. When I applied with a municipality agency, the interview with the Chief and Deputy Chief was the final step prior to getting the conditional offer. Within a matter of 5 minutes, I was given the job. I attempted to double badge but too many legalities.

Good luck!

[DOAcop38]

keep on plugging away !! there are alot of agencies hiring rt now in So.California-just llok at the area or city you want to apply for and then go for it!!Don't stop at one or two.Stop by larger depts(LAPD,LASD,etc) and check out some fo their orientations -they sometimes have seminars on how to become a successful candidate-complete with do's and don'ts.what I used to do is find a friend or girlfirend who works in the wht collar world and set up "mock" interviews so that i could get first hand critiques of my strengths and weaknesses as an interviewed canddiate...

[i8547]

Don't let this discourage you as others have stated already. Different law enforcement agencies have different desires with regards to what type of applicants they wish to process through their hiring pipeline and they have to filter out candidates to get the "perfect" recruit that is going to represent their agency in the manner that they desire. Do not take it personally. Many of us here who are LEOs have been rejected by agencies as we were trying to break into Law Enforcement. In fact, myself and three others that I went through one of two academies with were passed over by Whittier after completing their entire process. All four of us are now LEOs with other local or federal agencies.

In times like this, live by the "F.I.D.O." philosophy. "F#@% It, Drive On."

Good luck.

[j91184]

Thanks everyone for your replies, they're very helpfull, infact ive printed them all out just so i can read them when i need some encouragement and tips! This is also one of the main reasons why i really badly want to get into the LE, because of all the great and helpfull people in it. I really want to make a diffrence in the community and also become freinds with great people like you all. Thanks everyone!

[ask80]

like others said , don't be discouraged. i failed two campus PD (UCI /UCSD) interviews and not selected 3 times for CHP after the oral interview. but i passed like 6 others. it takes practice. i hate interviews and i'm not good at them at all. I've been through the worse and learned my mistakes ( ALWAYS have a closing selling statement, never say "sir" to a female interviewer :( ) etc... lol