View Full Version : LEO types, please chime in...
Backstory: I am currently seeking employment in L.E. I desperately want a career in L.E. so i've been applying anywhere i can find thats taking apps.
Well yesterday i took my third test, written and physical. The written was a breeze and honestly if you could read you shouldve passed. There was probably 300 people taking the test....167 FAILED...wow.
Then we did the physical test, and i was SHOCKED. Every other test i've taken, the minimal is just that, what it takes to qualify...not what the instructors want to see. Usually they want to see what you can do, so go all out, not so at some agencies. Yesterday i was instructed to do only 19 pushups..thats it, no more, and if more was done you'd basically be ridiculed by the instructors....WTF? Usually i use the physical to try and distinguish myself from others, but if i just have to do the minimum how in the hell are they going to see who is really in shape?????????
Then they try and tell us that their academy is going to be the most intensive, harder than Tx DPS, DEA, ect.....i cant help but think B.S. due to their testing. I dont even know if i want to fill out/send in my PHS packet..
Anyone else have an experience like this???
LowSpeed_HighDrag
03-13-11, 13:31
Backstory: I am currently seeking employment in L.E. I desperately want a career in L.E. so i've been applying anywhere i can find thats taking apps.
Well yesterday i took my third test, written and physical. The written was a breeze and honestly if you could read you shouldve passed. There was probably 300 people taking the test....167 FAILED...wow.
Then we did the physical test, and i was SHOCKED. Every other test i've taken, the minimal is just that, what it takes to qualify...not what the instructors want to see. Usually they want to see what you can do, so go all out, not so at some agencies. Yesterday i was instructed to do only 19 pushups..thats it, no more, and if more was done you'd basically be ridiculed by the instructors....WTF? Usually i use the physical to try and distinguish myself from others, but if i just have to do the minimum how in the hell are they going to see who is really in shape?????????
Then they try and tell us that their academy is going to be the most intensive, harder than Tx DPS, DEA, ect.....i cant help but think B.S. due to their testing. I dont even know if i want to fill out/send in my PHS packet..
Anyone else have an experience like this???
Many agencies, military branches, etc. have low entry requirements for the training indoc test, but the actual training will require much more from you. In the Marine Corps, 3 Pull ups, 60 sit-ups, and a 13min 1.5mi run are required to enter boot camp, but at the end of boot camp you will be considered disgusting if you arent doing 15+ pull ups, 100+ crunches, and a 3mi run in under 22 min. (but, there is still a minimum that you can skate by on, but not for long).
Just push yourself at all times, no one can make you better but yourself.
jklaughrey
03-13-11, 13:34
Some departments only want you to do the minimum for liability reasons. Did you sign a "hold harmless" agreement that if you were injured during the testing it was due to your own fault? Some require it, some don't. Either way the minimum is what is set forth for POST requirements. Don't worry you will be required to do more later on. Rest up and enjoy the fact you didn't break a sweat before lunch.
Every other test i've taken, the minimal is just that, what it takes to qualify...not what the instructors want to see. Usually they want to see what you can do, so go all out, not so at some agencies. Yesterday i was instructed to do only 19 pushups..thats it, no more, and if more was done you'd basically be ridiculed by the instructors....WTF?
That sounds like an attitude cultivated by a union boss. You will see that kind of attitude in rust belt factories (the few that are left) all the time.
jklaughrey
03-13-11, 13:43
That sounds like an attitude cultivated by a union boss. You will see that kind of attitude in rust belt factories (the few that are left) all the time.
Damn brother, does everything have to have a political agenda for you?
Go to Dayton. http://abc.daytonsnewssource.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wkef_vid_6103.shtml
Go to Dayton. http://abc.daytonsnewssource.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wkef_vid_6103.shtml
haha no thanks.
But my point is, how are they going to tell who is actually capable of making it through the academy? I mean there were some guys that were BARELY getting 19 pushups, but as far as the records state...they are at the same level as everyone else. Wouldnt they want to weed out the worst before doing a background check on them....seems like a waste of time.
I also found it funny that while they were straight up telling us DO NOT EXCEED THE MINIMUM, they were also talking up this hardass marine corp esque academy they have.... After thinking it over, i believe that place is not the place for me.....
haha no thanks.
But my point is, how are they going to tell who is actually capable of making it through the academy? I mean there were some guys that were BARELY getting 19 pushups, but as far as the records state...they are at the same level as everyone else. Wouldnt they want to weed out the worst before doing a background check on them....seems like a waste of time.
I also found it funny that while they were straight up telling us DO NOT EXCEED THE MINIMUM, they were also talking up this hardass marine corp esque academy they have.... After thinking it over, i believe that place is not the place for me.....
Many don't make it through the academy. My academy had people quit the first day and many shortly after. One of them could not even do the minimum push-ups that he had to do at the original application:haha:. It is a huge waste of money for the department though. At least it is for mine, given the background check and the polygraph.
Don't under estimate the academy, cause you aint seen nothin yet. The academy, like basic in the military, is more a test of will than ability. With a healthy dose of landmines thrown in to weed-out the under, and overconfident. However, like all regimented training programs, some will make it that never should have, and other great people will fall. Of the people that washed out of my class, there were a few that are sorely missed, others.....well it was best that they go. Don't sweat or judge the application process the academy is where the reality sets in. Remember there is no 'I' in team.
Back story: I am currently seeking employment in L.E. I desperately want a career in L.E. so I've been applying anywhere i can find that is taking apps.
Rule of thumb when trying to enter into a new field: Take any gig you can get.
It's only the first job and it surely won't be the last. Also, it is much easier to get a job when you have a job and references.
LowSpeed_HighDrag
03-13-11, 16:36
haha no thanks.
But my point is, how are they going to tell who is actually capable of making it through the academy? I mean there were some guys that were BARELY getting 19 pushups, but as far as the records state...they are at the same level as everyone else. Wouldnt they want to weed out the worst before doing a background check on them....seems like a waste of time.
I also found it funny that while they were straight up telling us DO NOT EXCEED THE MINIMUM, they were also talking up this hardass marine corp esque academy they have.... After thinking it over, i believe that place is not the place for me.....
The point of the academy is to instruct and train. They don't expect you to be at their standards without having been through the training yet. During the school, if you don't improve and meet/exceed the passing standards, you will be failed or recycled till you pass.
You don't start grade school with ability to read, write, and do long division. All they look for is that the child has the capacity to learn. Then, as the subject being taught becomes harder, so do the tests to pass. Same thing as the academy.
If you are hard pressed for an LE job you need to take what you can get and understand how training works.
Im not trying to be an ass, but I think you are under-estimating the process here.
Don't fret, they'll definitely run you to death in the academy.
Don't under estimate the academy, cause you aint seen nothin yet. The academy, like basic in the military, is more a test of will than ability. With a healthy dose of landmines thrown in to weed-out the under, and overconfident. However, like all regimented training programs, some will make it that never should have, and other great people will fall. Of the people that washed out of my class, there were a few that are sorely missed, others.....well it was best that they go. Don't sweat or judge the application process the academy is where the reality sets in. Remember there is no 'I' in team.
No offense taken guys, i dont have thin skin. I asked for opinions, and thankful some have been provided.
I know the academy isnt going to be easy, academically or physically. But honestly i am not worried about the physical part. Having been through very intense physical workouts that were designed to make people quit and having a degree in sports/fitness (i enjoy being physically fit) i think i can handle anything thrown my way.
I guess the thing that rubbed me the wrong way the most was the whole attitude of trying to scare people with the hardass attitude all of the L.E.O's exhibited. I havent encountered that in my other experiences, which were much more pleasant.
tracker722
03-13-11, 17:51
Another option to consider...can you follow orders? If you were told to do 19 push-ups, do exactly that, no more, no less. If yo make it to the academy, trust me, you will do a whole lot more. Same thing applies to the field training program. If your F.T.O tells you that you must get 5 citizen contacts a day, you better get them. I just failed a probationary officer for failing to do just that, (consistently). I don't care if you think you know the job, follow orders and show me.
I guess the thing that rubbed me the wrong way the most was the whole attitude of trying to scare people with the hardass attitude all of the L.E.O's exhibited. I havent encountered that in my other experiences, which were much more pleasant.
The Academy, like Basic is where the head game begins. Its intentional, those who can't handle the 'attitude' can't handle the job. It's just part of the weed-out process, don't sweat it. If TDPS' Academy is anything like mine, it is far more of a marathon than anything else. I'm sure you'll do fine with the physical portion of the Academy. I was one of those that struggled with the physical, but excelled at academics. Just remember the reason behind the attitude. Just promise me you won't be one of those guys that goes out looking for a fight. They usually do fine themselves, but endanger everyone else. Its nothing to be proud of. Mr. Low Key Humble is the best attitude to have, and usually gets the most respect from his fellow officers.
Not surprised at anything in the original post. There is a "rule of halves" valid for most hiring processes. If you have X amount of total applicants, half won't show for written testing. Half who do won't pass. Half of those folks won't pass the physical agility afterward. Half of those won't pass the interview(s). Half of those won't make the BGI. And so on.
Applicants get pretty twisted up when they hear there may be hundreds of applicants. The truth of the matter is that you'll need hundreds to get ten what you actually want to hire. (300 applicants = 150 = 75 = 37 = 18 = 9. They drop like flies.)
As for the physical stuff... Academy and recruit training is an exercise in mental and behavioral discipline, not physical. Treat the process accordingly. I would generally advise exceeding minimums by a small margin to establish that you're capable of meeting standards and are a good risk. Then stop there. If the sit-ups are 25, do 30. If the push-ups are 20, do 25. Don't expect anyone to be impressed that you can do 50. If the hiring agency wants you to be able to do that, they will exercise you accordingly.
Distinguish yourself by demonstrating that you can read, write, and speak well, as well as follow directions. Blow those tests out of the water.
SWATcop556
03-13-11, 18:45
In holding consistent with our LE thread rules I have to close this one. OP I will PM you later tonight when I go on shift and I'll help out as much as I can.
Sorry that the actions of a few (nit in this thread) affect the rest of the forum members.
Thank you for understanding.
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