..this isn't what I planned for...

I've received some emails, personal messages and had conversations with police applicants and police hopefuls this past week. Many people have the bug for policing but are having issues whether they've failed interviews or aren't sure if policing is right for them. I know what you're going through, getting involved with a career like this is a process, there are numerous tests and interviews throughout this process and I assure you, if you haven't experienced it already, you will go through a range of emotions and have to deal with the dynamic of your personal life, going to school full-time, working, family, some families are very supportive, others may not be. Life has its many twists and turns. No big surprise. What happens when you push for this career in policing and one of those turns creates a big bump that you can't seem to get over?

Lets do a little case study; you get the bug for policing, the calling. You start with either an ad on the back of a bus, on the television or in a newspaper, maybe you even saw one of those RCMP ads on Hotmail. Alternatively, you could be one of those who always knew this is what you wanted to do. You start to investigate the career a little further, visit websites start asking around or maybe you enroll in a full-time college program like Police Foundations to see if policing is right for you. You may even find yourself here, studying with TestReadyPro, reading my blog and networking with people but for some unforseen reason either you fail an interview, perhaps you do pass all your interviews but you're not a competitive enough applicant or maybe you flat out just can not get to stage 6.5 on the shuttle run. What do you do? Everything seems and quite dismal. The truth is, this is not the end of the line. Policing and law enforcement has so many different facets that is should be nearly impossible for anyone who has a genuine interest in policing/law enforcement who is either having a tough time getting hired with a service or is not sure if being a Police Constable is right for them can find a career of some sort. From my minimal amount of research and conversations I've compiled a short list that I will discuss this week and for next weeks blog. The jobs are as follows:

Correctional Officers are in demand both provincially and federally. Correctional Officers are not just responsible for maintaining order within correctional facilities but also have a variety of units including medical and tactical training.

Special Constables. The role of a Special Constable can be as unique as they city you're deployed in. Whether it be prisoner escort/transportation, court security, court liason, provincial firearms officer and jobs working as Peace Officers or as transportation enforcement specialists for instance riding the TTC or other major transportation venues and ensuring the safety of passengers. Special Constables are also being enlisted for positions working security on university campuses as sworn members have more powers of arrest, still a limited role in law enforcement but substantially than a security guard.

Border Services Officer. Much like being a Special Constable, the Canadian Border Services offer many different positions involved with Canadas national security, controlling our borders.

Nuclear Security. Law enforcement is one of Canadas fastest growing industries. Nuclear safety is a national priority, just as Corrections Officers have opportunities to serve in exciting tactical response teams, so do nuclear security officers.

Any of this sound interesting to you? Get on the forum and discuss it. Next week I'll outline some of these career directions and how to get the ball rolling on them. Do some research, you might be surprised how well you could server your community and country by taking on one of these careers in law enforcement.