So I have an interview at a dept. this afternoon....Hoping all goes well, any advice would be appreciated.

Ethan

Good luck!

Be positive.

I am a Captain, and the Patrol Bureau Commander for a 125 man Department. I have conducted hundreds of Police Applicant interviews over the years. A list of things we look for:

1. Speaks firmly with an even tone.
2. Decisive with answers to questions (do not second guess yourself or beat around the bush).
3. Do not ramble, formulate your response in your head and then verbalize it. Rambling is a verbal manifestation of insecurity.
4. Dress accordingly. Remember that these interviews are another form of competition. Look better than the previous/next person i.e; don't show up wearing a furia fight wear t-shirt and baggy pants. Buy a damned suit.
5. Remain erect and alert during the interview. Do not fidget or "lounge" in the chair. Do not overdue this to the point that you appear rigid, but don't be a slouch either.
6. When you enter the room, make eye contact with every member of the board and if they introduce themselves by name, step forward and shake their hands, introducing yourself by name as well. They know who you are already, but politeness counts.
7. Listen very carefully to the questions and try like hell to answer them in their entirety, without rambling of course. On multiple part questions, there is nothing wrong with answering what you can remember and then stating: "I apologize, I know their was an additional part to the question but I am finding it difficult to remember,   could you please refresh my memory?"
8. Do not, under any circumstances, tell the board what you "think" they want to hear. It is very easy to tell if a person is being disingenuous and if you do so, I can guarantee that you will be dismissed from consideration.
9. When the interview is over, make a point to thank the board for providing you the opportunity. As I have said, they do not want robots. Professional agencies want educated, polite, and well spoken employees that can handle themselves if the need arises.

Hope this helps. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have any other questions.