Naturally, when researching a prospective department, the first place you’re going to go is the Web. You can learn a lot about a department from its online presence. Here are the top things to look for and consider:
photo courtesy of bull3t on flickr
1. Check out the agency’s main website / webpage.
This may appear to be a total no brainer, but because many agencies have separate recruitment websites, the main department page and the nuggets of info they contain are often overlooked.
While the recruitment site or page will tell you what you need to know about employment opportunities and the hiring process, you can learn a lot about a department itself by taking a close look at the departmental page. There you may find the department’s mission or vision, a statement from the chief, crime stats, organizational charts, information on specialized units/divisions, press releases, etc. All of this should be of interest to you as a jobseeker and can help you evaluate if the department is a good match for you.
2. Evaluate the department’s social media presence.
Is the agency on Facebook? Do they have a Twitter account? What about YouTube? How about a blog?
An agency’s presence alone on any of the mediums may tell you something about how progressive the department is, and the content you’ll find there can speak volumes. What type of updates do they post to Facebook, and how interactive are they with fans? What do they tweet about, and do they follow citizens back? A YouTube channel may host videos related to training, investigations, and recruitment.
Blogs can also be a fantastic source of inside information about a department, perhaps more so than the department webpage. In many cases, the department web site is tied to the governing jurisdiction’s site making changing and updating difficult. With blogs, departments control the content and can offer more timely and personal updates. Check our Links section above for a listing of departmental and chief blogs.
3. Google the agency.
Conduct your own background investigation on the department. There will be no shortage of news stories mentioning it, but take a look at what type of news stories they are. While the media is not always complementary, you can get a sense of department activities and community relations.
Evaluating all this online information will help you get a sense of the department, its culture, and reputation. This knowledge will help you find the department that suits you best. And, when it comes time for your oral interview, you’ll really know your stuff!
