Is a career change crazy?

Jay6

Jay6

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I am looking for some insight from folks in the industry if possible.

You have a 30 year old father of one in decent shape with a bachelor's degree in marketing. He has been working in the financial/banking sector for 9 years and is contemplating a possible career move. Law enforcement has been an interest for years but not sure what the downsides might be.


-How difficult to get into the field with a background like this?
-Job security?
-Pay is not a HUGE issue but in Maine at least 35-40K would be needed to continue to support family.
-Ability for upward movement?


Thank you in advance for any answers or thoughts on the subject.
 
Your background is fine (provided there are no domestic/other crime issues). There is no harm in applying and going through the hiring process, you can always say no if you don't want it. Job security has been an issues the last few years with the economy but anybody hiring now is probably very short on manpower and really needs the help. Upward mobility will depend on the department, if they have hired recently and have a young force is may be difficult, if it is an older department you may move up quickly.
 
delgrifith said:
Your background is fine (provided there are no domestic/other crime issues). There is no harm in applying and going through the hiring process, you can always say no if you don't want it. Job security has been an issues the last few years with the economy but anybody hiring now is probably very short on manpower and really needs the help. Upward mobility will depend on the department, if they have hired recently and have a young force is may be difficult, if it is an older department you may move up quickly.
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There are no legal issues like that at all. I live a pretty darn clean life!

Is there anything that can or should be done ahead of time to increase the chances during the hiring process? Or do they not mind training the very new folks? I know the acadamy will have to happen but at least in Maine that is after you have already been hired on to a department.
 
No harm in exploring this occupation, to include taking police exams..etc. As pointed out earlier, you can always turn down a police job offer. The large group of veterans, coming out of current conflicts, works against you (Hiring preferences), also Lay-offs (laid off cops) work against you. Also pointed out are the tough hours, for starting cops, with days or nights being in the new hires future (depending on the state or dept.). Age is non factor, with 21 to 55 not uncommon.
 
Thanks for the info guys. Working nights is not actually a problem as it would actually leave me more time to spend with my son during the day.

I think I am going to at least start the process and see how it goes.
 
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I once was an apprentice plumber. Young, getting laid off from jobs, and working part time LE. Got laid off 2 weeks before I got married. Went into Law Enforcement full time. I actually liked the work and was told I was good at it. Did it for 12 years and realized what a thankless under paid job it was. I still had my plumbing experience to fall back on. I left the PD and as much as I regret the decision, my life is better and people are usually glad to see me when I arrive at the house.

In Maine, there is a lot of room for growth in the Oil heat industry and in the plumbing and gas fitting trades. In Law Enforcement, you will work mostly nights, be competing with younger candidates who will have Criminal Justice degrees. Your chance for advancement will depend on the agency and the ages of those currently employed.

Look into a trade J. Hours and pay are better.
 
Jay since your in Maine you could test the waters by becoming a reserve officer. A number of Depts in Main utilize working reserve's Try Westbrook. Im sure there are many others
 
Reserve officer is IMO just a waste of time unless your getting paid. Your upward mobility depends on the Dept size, Maine State, you have upward mobility, however a 10 /20 person PD, not so. Your backround sounds fine, as posted youd be nites and have to complete some testing and academy. Good luck.
 
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Get your PI license and go at it that way. If you have any attorney friends they can probably get you some work.
 
Reserve PO can be an in-road to a FT position. Some departments use it to find candidates who will fit in the department.

Just be prepared as a Reserve to take a lot of crap from the FT'rs, get the worst details/shifts/assignments, etc. You'll also get to decide if you really want to do this as a job.

I worked as a Reserve PO for 17 years and a number of our group ended up being hired FT by our department or others.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.
 
bolt said:
Reserve officer is IMO just a waste of time unless your getting paid.
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There's a lot of benefit to it, including getting your feet wet in LE while still having a 9-5 to fall back on so you don't get trapped if you find out you hate it. As LenS said it's also a foot in the door, heck in Mass. it's pretty much a rite of passage considering how few LE jobs are floating around. It's also a great way to make you stand out in the hiring process as a more desirable candidate for a FT gig.

To give you a point of reference, the Florida Highway Patrol is the 2nd lowest paid state LE agency in the USA. Troopers start at $33,000 per year ($37,000 in the southern part of the state), and their salary never increases. Corporal's get +10% pay, Sgt.'s get +25%. Unless you work some OT, even if you're on with FHP for 20 years, you will be making $33,000 as a trooper. The legislature rarely votes them salary increases.

The reason this is relevant? FHP has something like 1,500 sworn personnel. They're averaging 4,000 applications per open position right now with the economy so far in the toilet. They're hiring about 80 people a year, so do the math out on that one; despite the incredibly low pay, they're one of the few LE agencies hiring right now in the US. A lot of the people in the hiring pool are laid off cops from other jurisdictions with bills to pay and more experience than the average joe. A reserve position will bump you up so there's only 1,000 people or so in line ahead of you.

FYI, there's sheriff's offices in the US with more than double the applicants per open position that FHP gets.
 
LenS said:
Reserve PO can be an in-road to a FT position. Some departments use it to find candidates who will fit in the department.

Just be prepared as a Reserve to take a lot of crap from the FT'rs, get the worst details/shifts/assignments, etc. You'll also get to decide if you really want to do this as a job.

I worked as a Reserve PO for 17 years and a number of our group ended up being hired FT by our department or others. I did'nt know you were a FT

Good luck with whatever decision you make.
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I did'nt know you were a FT shift cop LenS? where you do your academy after 17yrs as a reserve ?? How long was it? Why would you wait 17 yrs with so many NOW positions nationwide? just curious? I heard different. The way I heard reserve was quite different.~
 
GSG said:
There's a lot of benefit to it, including getting your feet wet in LE while still having a 9-5 to fall back on so you don't get trapped if you find out you hate it. As LenS said it's also a foot in the door, heck in Mass. it's pretty much a rite of passage considering how few LE jobs are floating around. It's also a great way to make you stand out in the hiring process as a more desirable candidate for a FT gig.

To give you a point of reference, the Florida Highway Patrol is the 2nd lowest paid state LE agency in the USA. Troopers start at $33,000 per year ($37,000 in the southern part of the state), and their salary never increases. Corporal's get +10% pay, Sgt.'s get +25%. Unless you work some OT, even if you're on with FHP for 20 years, you will be making $33,000 as a trooper. The legislature rarely votes them salary increases.

The reason this is relevant? FHP has something like 1,500 sworn personnel. They're averaging 4,000 applications per open position right now with the economy so far in the toilet. They're hiring about 80 people a year, so do the math out on that one; despite the incredibly low pay, they're one of the few LE agencies hiring right now in the US. A lot of the people in the hiring pool are laid off cops from other jurisdictions with bills to pay and more experience than the average joe. A reserve position will bump you up so there's only 1,000 people or so in line ahead of you.

FYI, there's sheriff's offices in the US with more than double the applicants per open position that FHP gets.
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I know the pay. BEEN there done that._deleted_
 
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bolt said:
I did'nt know you were a FT shift cop LenS? where you do your academy after 17yrs as a reserve ?? How long was it? Why would you wait 17 yrs with so many NOW positions nationwide? just curious? I heard different. The way I heard reserve was quite different.~
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Never went FT as a "shift cop". My desire was to help my community and I was making better money (back then) in engineering than anyone but the chief in the PD. Reserves were treated like shit by some FT'rs and respected and appreciated by some. About 50% of the Reserves were their to get a FT gig and some did very well . . . one became a CT Trooper, one went DEA (IIRC), one became a FT Deputy Chief, one retired as a FT Detective, some used it to get on in other PDs and some got on the PD (were given preference) when slots opened up.

I never knew that you were a PO!

More info being sent via Email.
 
Another thing to keep in mind is that the federal age limit on hiring for LE positions is 37. A local shooter on this board is in he MA academy training to become a town cop and it took him ten years of trying to get in (he's a rather persistent sort), which may not be practical given your situation and age.

Air Marshall sounds like a boring job (which may be why they don't allow you to apply for transfer to another federal LE agency for 2 years or so after joining), but there are long term possibilities other than riding shotgun waiting until someone on an airplane needs to be shot.

It's also one LE position that looks very positively upon an applicant who has shooting experience when the join (in the words of one formerly local shooter who joined "they loved it").

Air Marshall also has less specific education requirements that many other agencies like the FBI where a specific degree in some relevant field (language, accoounting, law, computer fraud) is often needed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Get your PI license and go at it that way. If you have any attorney friends they can probably get you some work.
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You've got that backwards. The PI business in MA is reserved for former police officers by statute.

The actual requirement is:

The applicant shall have been regularly employed for not less than three years as a detective doing investigating work, a former member of an investigative service of the United States, a former police officer, of a rank or grade higher than that of patrolman, of the commonwealth, any political subdivision thereof or an official police department of another state, or a police officer in good standing formerly employed for not less than ten years with the commonwealth, or any political subdivision thereof or with an official police department of another state.
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An Ashland auxiallary cop was canned a few years ago when the (now former) chief caught him trying to pass off his volunteer police work as "investigation experience".
 
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I am in the sorta same boat as the OP, I go for my written and fitness test Nov 6th Hope I can get my run down to where I need to be. the sit ups, push ups etc... I should be good to go on. Sitting behind a desk for the past 11 years has not helped my cardio
 
Boghog1 said:
I am in the sorta same boat as the OP, I go for my written and fitness test Nov 6th Hope I can get my run down to where I need to be. the sit ups, push ups etc... I should be good to go on. Sitting behind a desk for the past 11 years has not helped my cardio
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Good luck!

I have a written and PT test on the 10th but have been training a fair amount for it so should be good to go.
 
Boghog1 said:
I am in the sorta same boat as the OP, I go for my written and fitness test Nov 6th Hope I can get my run down to where I need to be. the sit ups, push ups etc... I should be good to go on. Sitting behind a desk for the past 11 years has not helped my cardio
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Nice Kurt!

A friend of mine is just over 40, and after 20 years as a professional photographer he just became a paramedic. He loves it.
 
Well I passed the written and everything in the physical except for the 1 1/2 mile run. I needed to do it in 13:53 and I hit 15:58, so I just need to 20 seconds off of each lap and I will be good to go. all things considered I beat out 25% of those that were 20 years younger than I
 
Which agency was that for? Just curious, PMing or ignoring me works just fine if you don't want to share. [grin]
 
When do they let you retake it? Also, how many people showed up and passed both?

I am up on Wednesday for mine. Feel pretty decent but there are always nerves though.
 
I can take it the next time it is advertised there was a total of 20 that showed for it, one was sent home after the written, we lost 4 to the bench press and then at least myself and one other to the run. I was sucking wind so I may have missed someone else being sent before I completed my run. too bad it wasn't a 5 mile hike with gear because I would have been able to keep up then

http://www.milfordnh.info/milford/town_general/employment.htm
 
I have been doing this job for the past 22 years and there are times I hate it and times I love it. I have never worked days and always stay 1900 too 0300 or overnights. The young guys think I am nuts for staying nights, but I was also K9 for a while and they thought I was nuts then too. (well maybe a little) I started when I was about 29 and went the long way around to get there. No college, so sticking my feet in a few doors as they were closing is what kept me on track. I started off in Corrections in CT, even though I lived in Mass. (Somers Max) The fences and being held over every shift got to be old, along with shit being thrown at you all the times and the riots and, well you get the idea. So I went into Corrections again, but this time in Mass. (HCSD) Yes this was now my 2nd fulltime accademy. While there I took my brown book academy (PT cop academy) which was now my 3rd academy. Work there for 3 years and then sponsored myself through the full time Agawam Academy through the Dept I was working for parts time. That was at age thirty something and was my forth overall academy and my third full time one. So what I amtrying to say is this, if you want something and aren't afraid to take a big step of faith and beleive in yourself, you can do any damn thing you wanted to do
BTW, when I put myself through the fulltime MCJTC academy, I was married with two children, a house and two car payments, plus I had to continue paying for my own health insurance plan. All that had to get paid and I wasn't. But I had it in my mind thats what I wanted to do. So thats what I did. If its what you want, clear the path and don't make up reasons not to, just do it. I love helping people and I don't mind a good fight once in a while (thats why I stay nights) but the job is what I made it. So can you.
 
Sorry to revive an older thread. My buddy just became a police officer in CT, and since then I've been thinking about maybe in the future making the switch.

It's nice to see that there is some hope for it.
 

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