David Vidgen is a police recruitment expert with over 9 years experience helping people join the police service. He is the owner of policeapplication.co.uk, police-assessment-centre.co.uk and his blog is at police-application-blog.co.uk
Despite popoular belief the police service in England and Wales is not short of applicants. There are currently 43 forces in England and Wales, most are only open for short periods of time to distribute a limited number of application forms. The largest force is the Metropolitan Police Service which at the time of writing this article is also closed for recruitment.
To obtain an application pack, you need to contact your desired force and check to see if they are currently recruiting.
If they are currently accepting application forms, they should then advise you the process for applying - some require an online application form to be completed, while others use a traditional paper-based applications.
The application form itself will take some time to complete - 22 pages to be precise. It requires you to provide personal information, employment history, education, financial and criminal background, plus a very important section called 'competency assessment'.
It is the competency assessment where most individuals are rejected. At present there are 10 questions in total; 4 relate to your previous experiences covering Respect for Race and Diversity, Team Working, Reslience and Effective Communications. This section is a tick box process, you either provide the evidence they are looking for (tick the boxes) or not - the latter of course are rejected. The remaining 6 questions relate to your understanding of the role which you are applying for, what tasks you expect to be undertaking as an officer, what impact you believe it will have on your social life etc.
With increasing number of applications, yet few vacancies - it is imperitive that your form meets the required standard and is amongst those in the highest performing category.
Unfortunately, the vast amounts of information about how to join the police service on the web is widely inaccurate and pre 2004 (the process changed in this year).
If you would like 100% accurate information about how to join the service and the stages of the process, please visit policeapplication.co.uk or police-application-blog.co.uk
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
Work Life Balance Tips for Lawyers
By: Elizabeth Martinez | 24/11/2009In putting all his energies into making a success of his career, an attorney often forgets that professional life is as important as personal life. All work and no play can be very harmful for any hard working attorney. A proper balance between the two lives will lead to a happy and successful life. But an improper one will result in low productivity, stress, insomnia, etc. An improper balance is also the cause behind many lawyers leaving the profession of law or switching careers.
Performance Appraisals & Career Advancement
By: Elizabeth Martinez | 24/11/2009Every person has his own qualities and capabilities. It is his unique traits that differentiate him from the others. The recruiters must be able to determine the skills and abilities possessed by the individual candidates in their office. Performance appraisals rate employees on the basis of their individual and team performances.
Temporary job agencies listings
By: Allan Tan | 23/11/2009Not everyone is suited for a full-time job. Students, recent graduates, and the recently laid off may be better off settling for a part-time, temporary job while they perform a real job search. Temporary agencies (aka temp agencies) are companies dedicated to placing temporary workers in entry-level jobs.
Career In Yachting Industry – An Exciting and Unique Life Style Career
By: Dovaston Crew | 23/11/2009Yacht industry is an exciting and unique industry for the candidates who are looking for the yacht crew jobs as well as want to feel the excitement to work on a yacht.
Who is a Juror?
By: Elizabeth Martinez | 23/11/2009A member of the jury is called a juror. The jury is a very important body of highly capable and well-trusted individuals that decides the facts of a particular case and assists the judge in deliberating on the same. A. Harrison Barnes of Legalauthority.com mentions and clarifies several functions that a juror, as an essential part of the jury, is responsible of discharging. As members of the jury, the jurors must be always present during the court proceedings. They must determine whether the sus
Becoming a Law Professor
By: Elizabeth Martinez | 23/11/2009Teaching is one of the noblest professions. Teachers or professors are capable of bringing about positive changes among those around them. They can share their vast knowledge to enlighten young minds. The professors teaching at undergraduate or post-graduate level have to handle great deal of responsibilities. If you are intending to become a law professor, make sure that you are into regular reading habits. You must keep abreast with the latest news and happenings all round the world.
Evaluating a Job Offer in Hand
By: Elizabeth Martinez | 23/11/2009You are a very talented person and thus have successfully grabbed various job offers in hand, but you are unable to decide on the right job. It is a very crucial decision to take. A wrong step can place you at a wrong place. You may end up at a workplace where you will feel out of place. You have spent some time searching for a job and have successfully acquired quite a few job offers; but when you choose the wrong organization, you can end up all your efforts.
PlanIT Search | Expert ERP Consultants And ERP Implementation Providers
By: Toan Dinh | 23/11/2009PlanIT Search is the leading Enterprise Resource Planning company, providing businesses with the assistance they require in implementing or managing ERP solutions for their company.