Posted: 7/26/2007 9:17:21 AM EDT
| Can anyone give me a rundown of what I should expect. I'm from MI if that helps. What should I look for or what should I avoid. Thanks |
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Depends on where you are at. Some are very formal and have a panel with a list of questions they ask everybody. Others are informal and the questions change depending upon your answers and background. Some of the panel people are housecats who rarely work or worked the street. If you are very good you may BS one of them. Some of them are really street cops with years of weeding out crap stories. Tell the truth and try not to ramble and you should do fine. It took me a while to figure this out but if they don't want you after an honest interview you don't really want to be there either. Joe |
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Look for your typical questions: What is Integrity? What are some good characteristics of a police officer? What does honesty mean to you? Why do you want to be a police officer? Why is honesty important for police officers? Then you will usually get "what if" questions. Key to them is think of the best answer logically and stick with it. Be prepared to explain why and do not change your answer when the oral panel ask you why you made you decision. They will try to get you to second guess yourself. You also have the "tell us about yourself" questions. They are looking to see how well you describe yourself in an intelligent manner. Don't just say "I am a diligent work," give examples, I.E. "I complete a 4 year college degree in 3 years while working full time." Oral Boards are very different from agency to agency. You really have to just go to a few to get the feel for them. They are not hard, just remember to relax, answer the question directly, do not ramble, and look each panel member in the eye from time to time. |
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If they have name plates in front of them, take time to see the names and try to remember who is who. Two or three times I have had that happen where they turn the names down and ask if they know the names of the board. The were all here in Michigan. The "standard" questions listed above are good ones to have answers for. Sticking to an answer is very important. Being able to make important decisions with limited information and very little time under high stress is an important attribute to have. Joe |
| Not only specific questions, but think of some tricky scenarios they might throw at you. I almost missed one of my oral interview questions because of the phrasing of one word the panelist used. Think things through, and always look for methods that may be unorthodox but useable. |