Posts Tagged ‘recruitment’

Mar 1121

Seasonal Police Officer Jobs

Are you a college student looking for a summer job that offers a great work experience, a living wage, AND the opportunity for future full time employment?  Consider becoming a seasonal police officer.  Dozens of agencies – mostly in coastal resort communities – hire seasonal (sometimes called special) patrol officers for the summer months.  These part-time police officers augment the full-time permanent force during times when the local population swells with incoming tourists. 

Special Law Enforcement Officers with North Wildwood PD

Source: North Wildwood Police Department

Municipalities differ greatly on how much authority seasonal officers are given, the type of equipment they’re issued, and the training required.  Some are armed with batons or pepper spray, while others may have firearms.  Often special uniforms and badges are issued.  Depending on the position classification, most agencies will provide you with the necessary training, while others may require graduation from the state academy or other formal training.  In New Jersey, the training you receive for seasonal employment counts toward that required for full time employment, which saves you time and the agency money.  Typical responsibilities of special officers can range from monitoring parking violations and traffic to beach/boardwalk patrol.  Some agencies use their seasonal officers year-round for special events where additional staff is needed.  

If you’re not ready to be an officer but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of a police department, some agencies offer other seasonal positions including code enforcement, records clerks, or communications officers. 

Here’s a sampling of agencies that are hiring.  If you know of others, leave us a comment and let us know, or better yet tell them to post ‘em to the Discover Policing job board. 

North Wildwood Police Department, New Jersey 

Hull Police Department, Massachusetts 

Avalon Police Department, New Jersey 

Middletown Police Department, Delaware 

Lewes Police Department, Delaware 

City of Tybee Island, Georgia 

Hampton Police Department, New Hampshire 

Town of Orleans, Massachusetts 

Town of Wells, Maine 

Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Jul 1006

Selling Police Careers to Career Professionals

The Discover Policing team (ok, it’s just me, but whatever) just returned from the annual conference of the National Career Development Association (NCDA) where hundreds of career development professionals convened to network, acquire new skills, and learn about new advances in the field.   Discover Policing sponsored an exhibit booth and spent three days extolling the virtues of careers in law enforcement to anyone who expressed even the vaguest interest, or just stopped by to get one of our cool pens.  Attendees of this conference include school guidance counselors, university career center staff, military transition assistance personnel, and workforce development professionals, among others.  In other words, the kind of folks who influence jobseekers — the exact audience we’re trying to connect with.

Now, up to this point, we have peddled the Discover Policing dogma to its own disciples, that is, law enforcement agencies, criminal justice professors, and the like.  This was our first foray into foreign territory.  Overall, Discover Policing was well received, but I met to some interesting people and entertained some interesting comments. Here are a few:

  • “I understand police departments in this state only hire African-Americans.”

  • “My school doesn’t have a criminal justice program, so I doubt your site will be of interest to the students I work with.”

  • “It’s pretty tough if you’re a female, isn’t it?”

  • “I work mostly with older career changers. They’re probably too old for police work.”

 Interesting, eh?  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but I was.  What about you? So, at the end of it all, a few of things became apparent:

  • Clearly, many career development professionals harbor the same misconceptions and stereotypes about law enforcement as the general populace.  The police profession is as misunderstood by these folks as it is by anyone else.
  • Law enforcement has done a poor job of communicating with, collaborating with, and educating the people who influence jobseekers.
  • The door is wide open for Discover Policing to make a difference and help reframe the image of policing as a first career choice.

What’s your reaction?  Any ideas on how we can make DiscoverPolicing.org a better resource for career counselors and other career development professionals?

May 1027

Jobs for recent grads, here for the taking

Everywhere you turn there is another article lamenting “no one needs you, class of 2010.”  Not entirely true…  Look no further than the Discover Policing Career Center, where you’ll find literally hundreds of law enforcement agencies across the country looking to hire smart, diverse, service-minded applicants just like YOU.

Consider this about law enforcement:

  • Any degree and any major will do. In fact, just having a four-year degree will get you a higher starting salary in some departments, not to mention improve your promotion potential.
  • No experience is required.  As an entry-level applicant, you’ll get all the training you need.

Furthermore, unlike other professions, a career in law enforcement will give you the freedom and opportunity to:

  • Help others and make a difference on a daily basis.
  • Think and act independently
  • Use cutting-edge technology
  • Identify problems, craft solutions, and see the results.

Think about it.  A career in law enforcement offers you all this and more. 

Explore why policing can be a great career choice for new graduates.