Oral Boards - FTW!

Got some great advice from a police officer speaking to the night class several weeks ago. "Win the interview."

That's all there is to it.

I won yesterday. Now in the background investigation phase. The last background I did felt much better. The investigator took more time with me and gave me the opportunity to explain what was on the 'personal history' application. I'm not so sure about this one. A detective with the department is handling this. We only met for the first time this morning (about five minutes total). He just verified some contact information, stated the process will start immediately and should take up to three weeks to complete. We'd be in touch.

While one part of me worries that this is a bad sign, the other half thinks this is the way this department rolls on their backgrounds. Keep their distance from the applicants until they pass this portion and the department has a good feeling that the applicant will get that 'conditional offer.'

I know my employment history (that which has plagued my efforts to get hired) sucks. It doesn't fit the larger departments' criteria for selection, but the smaller departments can (and have!) look past it to the human being. I'm hoping they do that here. Praying daily is more like it.

I've spent too long bouncing from job to job, but that's the way it worked when I was in radio. I decided to grow up and start a family, but a steady career track in banking was derailed by a 'hard luck' story, bad paperwork organization, and a bank run like an S&L.

I have to constantly remind others and myself that what is written down on paper is not the real person seated before them. I am all that and much more.

I'll try and post daily on this journey through the police hiring process. I hope it helps me more than entertains you. This will be the last police application process I go through before October. I didn't withdraw this application because I put it at the back of my mind. I wasn't going to deal with it until the department called. Well, they called.

Here's praying for good fortune.