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Fill out an application. Take the entrance exam. Complete the physical fitness test. Face the oral board. Submit to psychological and physical examinations. Complete the executive interview. Attend the academy and train in the field.

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If the recruitment page on the department’s website offers an online application, complete it there. Otherwise, contact the department to find out how to apply, since the process varies. Some may ask you to complete an application before doing anything else. Others may have you fill one out and take the entrance exam on the same day. Either way, set aside plenty of time to fill out the application, since it is far longer than most.  Fill your application out honestly, since a very extensive background check will ensue. You may also have to submit to a polygraph test later on. To apply, you generally need to be at least 21 years old, a U.S. citizen, and a high school graduate. Study beforehand for the civil service exam. Expect sections that will test job-specific skills, such as your ability to read maps, write reports, and accurately recall in detail observations that you’ve made. Also concentrate on sections that test your verbal skills, since these are arguably one of the most important skills for a police officer to have, whether they’re interacting with citizens, communicating information in a crisis, or testifying in court. Expect your speed, endurance, and agility to be challenged. Tests vary from one department to another, but prepare to run either a short distance with maximum speed, a long distance at a consistent pace, or both. Perform simulations of real-life possibilities, such as climbing, moving a dummy/body, completing an obstacle course, or pushing a car. Depending on the department, physical fitness tests may be administered on the same day as your entrance exam. Answer questions presented by police officers in an interview-setting. Expect questions that are normal to job interviews (such as “Why are you interested in this job?”) as well as questions designed to test your ability to remain composed in a high-pressure situation. Answer all questions truthfully. Remain calm. Prove both your honesty and your ability to keep a level head under intense scrutiny.  Since the oral board may come after the background check, any discrepancies between its results and your job application may come to light now. If you were trying to hide any misdemeanors or such from your past, confess to them now, since your honesty is also being evaluated. Remember the Kobayashi Maru from Star Trek. There is often no correct answer to the question you’ve been asked. The focus here is primarily to see how you handle yourself in uncertainty. For the psychological test, complete a written test and be interviewed by a psychologist assigned by the department. For the physical test, provide blood and urine samples for testing. Submit to a physical. Depending on the department’s resources, this may be a standard procedure on par with those performed for eligibility in high school sports, or they may be more extensive, incorporating more high-tech tests. Face further questioning by even higher ranking officers than those on the oral board. Be confident in that you’ve made it this far, since so many other candidates will have been eliminated by now. However, this is your last opportunity to convince them that you are the most ideal candidate, so present your best self. If your department requires you to attend its own police academy after the hiring process, complete the course. Afterward, begin training with a field training officer. Receive verbal instruction and modeled behavior from the FTO before entering the field. Then observe the FTO in action in the field. Expect this period to last anywhere from three to twelve months before receiving the FTO’s endorsement for you to become a full-time officer in your own right.