It is extremely difficult to become a prison officer. There is rigorous training and certain other criteria that must be fulfilled in order to apply for the job. Working in a prison basically implies working in a very charged up and potentially violent environment. Thus the prison officer must have a high level of mental as well as physical hardiness. The job of a prison officer might seem to be something extremely thrilling to us, but infact it is one of the most challenging and uphill tasks ever.
It all begins with the filling out of an application form. Also, there is an assessment form that must be filled in and answered with utmost care and detail. Among both the forms, the second assessment form is more important as it decides the fate of the potential candidate and whether he shall be admitted to the next level of being sent to the assessment centre. These forms take stock of the candidates psyche and his potential to handle aggressive and antagonistic situations that include breaking bad news to people. The candidate has to be extremely strong both mentally and physically to be able to endure long term strain on both his body and his mind, in the course of his profession.
Once the selection of potential prison officers is complete, they are required to attend the RAD or Recruitment Assessment Day. Here, the candidate is required to undertake a number of assessment exercises. Most of the time an online selection test called the POST that is, Prison Officer Selection Test is held. The RAD is followed by four role play tests where potential prison officers are made to act under different situations and adopt important authoritative roles. This is important to note the candidate's understanding and practical utilization of that understanding at the job.
Excellent communicative and public relation skills are mandatory for interacting with different kinds of people. This justifies the language and communication tests that candidates have to sit for. These apart, there are also the memory tests, report writing tests and various others. It is quite natural that recruitment in this profession involves a lot of physical fitness examinations. However, the most vital part is the interview round. Brief, crisp answers are expected and applauded. Candidates can practice mock interviews to prepare for this session.
All prospective prison officers should have an in-depth knowledge of the job description, responsibilities, remuneration and the like. Again, details about the procedure of work, working conditions, eligibility of a prison officer, promotional opportunities, expectations from the job, and also the working hours.
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