OTJ is usually performed by a peer and a coworker. The process could be eased up by using training software; however it is important to state that it occurs within a regular working environment. It could perform while the individual is doing his everyday work or it can take place outside the working time in a special training session. During your career in the police force, you will be doing on the job training to improve yourself.

The main goal of the on job training is to teach employees basic competencies and skills that are necessary for him to know. However, it is also important to mention that it can instill major aspects of the environment and culture of the workplace. It also sets the expectations for a specific employee. The entire process of the on job training is very often used to send onboarding information that a new employee within a specific company should know.

•  Loyalty. Due to the high amount of turnover within various companies, organizations will try to establish a higher level of loyalty with their employees throughout the training sessions. By developing them as individuals, their relationship will also become stronger as a result of a long term investment.
• Leadership programs. Due to the process of globalization, competitiveness on the market is constantly increasing and therefore companies have to invest in their employees in order for them to come up with ideas that will make the entire organization stand out.
• Online learning. Class courses are being completely replaced with online lectures. It has been proved that employees are accepting the change in a positive way since this type of a lecture is more convenient for everyone.
• Basic skills out. Due to the low budget, companies are going to neglect the training in basic skills of employees, assuming that they are already qualified in those areas. Rather they will invest in employee communication and creativity in order to increase their productivity.

Since the number of opportunities by which an employee can learn new things has increased, companies and organizations expect for the result to be more applicable and visible.

Online learning and the possibility to get an online degree by attending different courses on the internet give an individual a chance and an opportunity to experience things that are simply impossible to happen in the classroom. Now, they have a chance to chat with people from all around the world and share their experiences. In addition, employees are also saving a large amount of money just by the fact that they don’t need to travel and pay for the gas which adds up to all the other benefits.

This trend can be seen in the many police forces across North America.

1.  Know what your goal is. The process will not have any effect if you don’t know where exactly you want to go. Furthermore, reasons why you are using social media is also crucial since they are the foundation of the final goal.
2. Choose specific sites. It is important to know where you want to drive traffic. Perhaps you could post a job opening on the official web page of a company or even on a LinkedIn page. Whatever you choose as your main option you need to make sure that those sites are up dated.
3. Application process. When using social recruiting program, traffic is transferring from one site to another, therefore the entire process needs to function properly. You don’t want your potential employee to end up on the completely different web site.
4.  What is the demographic information for your sites? If companies are focusing on recruiting an individual by using a social networks then sites like LinkedIn would be their target. There is no need for them to post the job opening on every single site. What kind of an effect would Pinterest have in this case?
5.  Establish a networking account. Find people or companies with similar interests and connect with them. Make sure you name send an appropriate message, since you don’t want to sound immature and unprofessional.
6. Prioritize. Since most of the companies choose couple of sites, it would be a good thing to prioritize them. If you open them all at once then some of them will end up being neglected. It is crucial that you pace effort and become proficient before you move on the next one. For example, you can create a LinkedIn profile first and then after you have established a firm ground, create a Twitter account. After, if you wish you can open a Facebook profile.

Following Rules

Attending a police academy is similar to military boot camp, in that you will be held to high standards and strict rules. Police academies usually last between six to eight months and you are required to live on campus while attending. During your attendance at the police academy, you will be held to a strict schedule where you will train with, study with and trust other cadets.

Most police academies require you to be awake and ready to train by 5 a.m. and the lights are turned out at 10 p.m. sharp. At the police academy you will have strict uniform and grooming requirements. Your attitude and behavior will also be held to high standards and will also be a reflection upon the whole academy.

Training Your Mind and Body

When you first arrive at the police academy, you will be subject to another physical fitness test. This test is to show the instructors the areas in which you need the most training. Do not worry if you fail this fitness test, as history has shown that only a third of the cadets usually pass it on the first attempt. The best thing that you can do is not give up and to make sure that you always make an effort to complete the activities.

As a police academy cadet, you will also spend the bulk of your time in the classroom learning about the laws. Some police academies have also started teaching foreign language classes and classes on ethics.

Learning New Skills

The police academy will also be where you learn about firearms and operating emergency vehicles. The police academy instructors will teach you how and when to use multiple types of firearms. You will learn how to properly handle, clean and the inner workings of the firearms, but most importantly, the instructors will make sure that you have an excellent aim.

The emergency vehicle operations course is taught to make sure that you are well prepared for high-speed police chases. During this course you will learn how to operate emergency vehicles on all terrain and weather conditions. You will learn how to avoid crashes, how to multitask safely, maneuver through traffic and control your vehicle.

Working Well with Others

Being a police officer requires you to trust those that you work with and to be able to work well with your coworkers, your superiors and the public. At the police academy you will be with the same group of people the entire time and during this time you will learn to work as a team and to trust one another. The police academy will also make sure that you are prepared to always mind your manners in public, especially when in uniform, as it is your responsibility to always keep the feelings and safety of others in your mind at all times.

Medical Background

The physician will more than likely start the medical exam by asking you about your medical background. The physician will want to know all health problems that you have had in the past and all the health problems of your family members. It is important that you do not knowingly omit information, as this could come up during your background check and could be held against you.

Vitals

The physician will then take your vitals: weight, height, temperature, and blood pressure. This information is used to determine if you height, weight and body-fat mass is within the standards that the police department requires. You must meet these requirements in order to be eligible and continue with the hiring process.

Vision Test

The vision test done by the physician is similar to the one that you have when you go to your regular eye doctor. The physician will be checking for color blindness, eye diseases and peripheral vision. A police officer’s vision is imperative, as they will need good sight in order to read license plate numbers, read street signs, inspect weapons, identify suspects and notice evidence.

Hearing Test

During the hearing test, the physician is looking for signs of an ear infection, ear deformities and ear injuries. The physician will also give you a test using an audiometer to verify that you can hear different series of tones. Hearing loss that is identified does not necessarily mean that you will be disqualified, but it is important that police officers are able to hear communications, sirens, gunshots and uncommon noises.

Blood and Urine Test

Blood and urine test are a requirement by most all police departments. These tests will help the physician identify a lot about your health conditions: anemia, diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, drug use, high blood pressure and kidney dysfunctions. The physician will retrieve a blood sample usually using your arm and you will be required to provide a urine sample while you are receiving your medical evaluation.

Muscular and Skeletal Test

The physician will also check your range of motion to verify that you will be able to perform police officer duties. During this test, the physician will be checking to make sure that you have full use of your feet, legs, arms and hands. The physician will also check your spine, back, neck and skull to evaluate your reflexes and look for signs of deformity.

Other Conditions

During the medical evaluation the physician will also look for other medical conditions that may or may not disqualify you as a candidate, such as: hernias, gastrointestinal disorders, genitourinary disorders and glandular disorders

Many police departments require their recruits to undergo a psychological evaluation as they are designed to test the recruit’s mental stability and evaluate how the recruit handles stressful situations. The psychological evaluation helps the police department make sure that they are hiring the right person, as it reveals the individual’s personality traits such as their leadership skills, ability to work in a team and if they are honest.

Personality Test

The personality test that is given to police recruits is a list of questions that are designed to evaluate personality traits, such as interests, attitude and what motivates them for wanting to be a police officer. The personality test is quite lengthy, involving hundreds of questions that ask various questions in different formats. These questions are to be ranked by how you would feel or act in the situation presented.

Personality tests are not something you can prepare for, but you should always answer the questions honestly. It is imperative that you read each question and fully understand what the question is asking before you rank it. Some of the following questions are ones that you may encounter on a personality test:

• I like to work on teams.
• Meetings are a waste of time.
• I find that the only way to get something done is to do it myself.
• I get along with most everyone I meet.
• It is never acceptable to bend the rules.

These questions are usually answered using the following scale:

1. Strongly Agree
2. Agree
3. Neither Agree nor Disagree
4. Disagree
5. Strongly Disagree

It is important to remember that these questions are not designed to trick you; they are designed to compare your responses to those of other recruits. The personality test is a hiring tool used to help the police department hire the recruit with the personality that best meets the requirements of the open position.

Psychologist Interview

Not all police departments require a psychologist interview, but for those that do, you can expect to meet with a licensed psychologist. This meeting is nothing to be worried about, as they more than likely will expand on your personality test results and ask you questions about your hobbies, interests, family, friends, schooling and work experience. The psychologist may even open the interview up to you by asking you to tell them about yourself.

The psychologist interview is another test that you cannot study for, so it is important to remember just to relax, answer questions honestly, go with your first instinct and only answer the questions that you are asked.

The police oral board interview is conducted with trained investigators, which means that the interviewers are trained at interrogating individuals to find out information that they want and need to know. Interviewing in front of a regular interview panel can be stressful, but interviewing in front of the panel for the police oral board is alarmingly stressful, as they will be looking through all of your background information and looking for any possible reason to disqualify you. The following tips and strategies will help you prepare for your police oral board interview and help alleviate your stress.

Dress Professionally

Police departments have a military-like structure, which means that they are strict when it comes to uniformity and precision. The military always have a neat and precise appearance with pressed uniforms, precisely placed accessories and clean, well-groomed hair and nails. Thus, making it ultimately important that you take the time to dress professionally for the police oral board interview.

It is highly recommended that you wear a business suit to your interview, but you should definitely at least wear dress pants or a skirt and a dress shirt. It is vital that what ever you decide to wear is well pressed and clean. It is also necessary that your shoes are clean and well polished. By taking the time to present yourself well, you will be showing the interview panel that you have put forth an effort and are serious about wanting a position on their police force.

Act Professionally

Acting professionally for the police oral board interview starts before you actually enter the interview room. It starts when you first applied to the police department, as you need to be sure that all statements that were made on your application and resume are accurate and complete. You should also be aware of information that you are posting on social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. Law enforcement officers may discover the information that has been posted and they could also discover whom you are connected to or friends with, so make sure that the people that are in your social network are respectable.

When you walk in to the interview room, be sure that you walk in making eye contact, standing straight and smiling. Doing this along with firm handshakes will tell the interviewers that you are confidant and not easily intimidated. It is imperative that you answer questions by speaking clearly, being polite and using “Yes, sir/ma’am” instead of saying “Yeah” or “No, sir/ma’am” instead of saying “Nope”.  When the interview is over, remember to thank the interviewers for their time and the interview.

No one can really predict the questions that will be asked of you during the police oral board interview, as several of the questions will be based on your background, but it is important that you practice interviewing with another individual that will ask you general interview questions. During your interview be sure to have a prompt arrival, dress professionally, listen carefully, breathe and speak clearly.

Mental Stability

• Previously been admitted to a mental health facility
• Have been judicially declared incompetent or insane

Felonies

• Have entered the country illegally
• A fugitive running from the law
• Previously been convicted of a felony
• Currently on parole or probation
• Previously convicted of domestic violence or stalking
• Currently have a restraining order or protection from abuse order against you

Characteristics

• Previously been dishonorably discharged from the Military
• Currently have a drug or alcohol addiction
• Currently abuse prescription medications

Marijuana

• Illegally sold, produced, cultivated or transported marijuana
• Illegally used marijuana for any reason within the past three to five years – time frame depends on the department’s regulations

Dangerous Drugs and/or Narcotics

• Illegally sold dangerous drugs or narcotics
• Illegally produced, cultivated or transported drugs or narcotics
• Illegally used dangerous drugs or narcotics within the number of years determined by the department’s regulations that you are applying

A police applicant can also be disqualified for a police position if they have been previously denied law enforcement certified status, have certified status revoked or have current certified status suspended. A police applicant could also be disqualified if they have been previously denied the right to carry a concealed weapon.

If you can honestly answer “no” to all of the above disqualifying factors, you should not have a problem qualifying as a police applicant during the background investigation.

The Royal Canadian Mountain Police, Canadian provincial police forces and police departments in the United States usually always require police candidates to take a polygraph test before the hiring decision will be made. Each police force department has their own questions and the type of questions usually depend on the examiner performing the polygraph test.

It is common that any time someone is being questioned, their anxiety level goes up, even if they have nothing to hide. The best way to reduce your anxiety level and keep your nerves under control during the polygraph questioning is to prepare for the questions before you go.

Commonly Used Polygraph Questions

1. In the last five years, have you had any traffic citations?
2. Have you ever had your driver’s license suspended or revoked for any reason?
3. Since you have turned 18, have you been convicted of a crime?
4. Have you ever taken part in a serious crime?
5. In the last five years, have you used marijuana?
6. In the last five years, have you used any illegal narcotics?
7. In the last ten years, have you sold marijuana or any other illegal substances?
8. Have you ever stolen anything from an employer?
9. Have you ever been involuntarily terminated from a job?
10. Have you ever made false statements on a job application?
11. Are you making false statements during this polygraph examination?

If you have to think of the answer to any of the above questions, now is a good time to sit down and prepare your thoughts and answers. If you cannot remember if the last time you had a speeding ticket was five or six years ago, now is the time to find out. By knowing the answers to the above questions, you should be well prepared to take your polygraph test.

When you arrive to take your polygraph test, you will usually meet with the examiner prior to the exam starting for a short interview. At this time, the polygraph examiner will inform you of what questions will be asked during the test. If any of the questions that will be asked of you during the polygraph test makes you uncomfortable, this is your opportunity to talk them over with the examiner. If you are completely honest with yourself and the examiner during this interview, you should not have trouble passing the polygraph test.