How to Become a Competitive Police Applicant

Toronto Police Service recently posted on social media that they view applicants with mental health awareness, crisis intervention or de-escalation training as being competitive.

By taking the training, you are demonstrating continuous learning, but you need to take it further and place yourself in situations where you can apply your knowledge.

Now, let's consider how many people apply for positions with police services. The applicant pool can be in the thousands. For example, some large police services receive over 1000 applications per month.

So, to help you stand out from the sea of applicants, I recommend that you put your training into action. You can do this by volunteering with various agencies such as Community Living and Hand Up Toronto.

By engaging in a volunteer experience with agencies such as these you are demonstrating community focus.

If you happen to come upon an opportunity where you can demonstrate leadership, that is excellent. Have you considered joining a board? This is a way for you to hone your communication, community focus, teamwork, and leadership skills.

In closing, when charting your path to becoming a police officer or special constable, it's important to think beyond certificates. Yes, the certificates will help your application and resume to be noticed. To be successful in the interview, you then need to have examples of when you have demonstrated the skills that are being sought.

Even if you decide that your goal is a different role in the justice field, such as an investigative role with an insurance company or another agency, this method is transferrable to all fields.

I hope that this helps you as you continue to work towards your career goals. If you need assistance, please feel free to contact me.