The MOST Important Trait That A Law Enforcement Candidate Can Bring To The Interview Is
Self-Confidence
For the law enforcement candidate, It is imperative that you make a good impression during the interview. The interview is most likely your first meeting with the agency, and it’s your best opportunity to convince them that you possess the skills and confidence needed to become a police officer.
Terry Harris, the owner and founder of TGHarris Consulting, says, “It’s during the interview that most law enforcement candidates fall short. They may be able to pass every other test prior to the interview, but if they don’t show a great amount of confidence to their interviewer, then they will be dropped from that particular branch of law enforcement.”
There are a great number of tips to be found for what to do to externally prepare for the interview, such as, what to “wear to the interview’’, to having the correct “body language’’, or information on giving a “strong interview handshake’’, and having a script ready for the interview. But there is much less emphasis or information to be found on internally preparing for the interview, or in other words building your self-confidence.
How Do You Demonstrate Confidence?
Internal preparation starts with your feelings about yourself, as well as your feelings about interviewing. Your feelings about yourself, and your self-esteem, or self-confidence is fragile and can change from situation to situation. Think about the following statement:
Are you prepared to go out and sell yourself, and feel good about what you are selling – YOU? If your answer was, “No,” there is some work to do on the inside before you can sell on the outside.
If you ask any sales person, he or she will tell you that it is much easier to sell a product that you believe in than it is to go through the motions of being passionate about something you really don’t think is a reputable product or can give good results. Individuals who do not believe in their own ability cannot possibly convince someone else on the idea that they are the “best” candidate for the job. Beginning by believing in yourself will help you have the confidence
to influence someone else to “buy” what you are selling. Only when you believe in yourself can you convince someone else that you are the best person for the job.
But, how exactly do you develop self-confidence?
A good way to begin your internal preparation is with an inventory of your capabilities. That means getting in touch with your strengths as well as your areas of weakness. You will find it very empowering to know what you have to offer. It is also a good idea to know what your short and long term goals are. What do you want?
Exercise
A simple exercise that will help you answer these questions will also help you take a look inside yourself and begin to think about what you want “more of,” and what you want “less of” in your job with the police department. People usually perform at a higher level if they are satisfied with the work that they do and as a result are more motivated to give 100% plus.
Begin by making a list of the tasks at your last job. These would be the tasks that you were particularly proud of, or were energized by. In other words, when your job “turned you on.” If you recently graduated from college, use the classes that were most stimulating and interesting for you, or the projects you worked on with teams while in school. Think about the last time you were so involved in a project or task that you woke up thinking about how you could improve the situation. Write those experiences down and try to determine what the factors made it satisfying for you.
Let’s say you were a “Project Leader.” The tasks list would read something like: Led a team, coordinated and monitored project progress, and assured the flow and completion of work on schedule.
What were the stimulating tasks of this job? Was it the leadership aspect? Or, was it the challenge of coordinating the details and people? Were there customers involved (internal or external) and, if so, is that what you found most challenging? What didn’t you like, and hope that you will do less of in your next job?
After you have written the list for your last job, make a similar list for all the jobs you’ve had. If you haven’t had any previous employment make similar lists of college experiences, volunteer work, clubs, etc. Combine your lists and choose the tasks that you believe would apply to law enforcement.
By making lists of motivating experiences from your past jobs, college experiences, volunteer work, and clubs, you will hopefully begin to see patterns of projects and tasks that stand out. Analyze what you did before. Do you want more of this type of responsibility in your next job? The answers to these questions will give you the answer to what you want and some possibilities for fulfillment in future positions with law enforcement that have similar responsibilities. Knowing what you want will make you feel more confident about finding the right law enforcement position for you.
Thinking about these and other questions about yourself will give you the power and knowledge to be able to sell yourself. You will also discover what makes you unique and what differentiates you from the next “person” who walks through that door.
Terry Harris, the Premier Interview Coach and Consultant, specializes in the teachings of Real World Interview Skills to both individual and small business clients. For more information on law enforcement interview preparation, or a schedule of future seminars on this topic, go to
or call toll free (877) 484-4262.
