Getting a job in Law Enforcement after the military?

Question

I plan on joining the Marines infantry after high school (2 years). Afterwards, i want to become a police officer in my hometown Peabody, Massachussetts. Will this be difficult for me? If necessary, i could use the G.I. bill to go to college if it will help me get the job, be paid more, etc. Will getting a degree help me get hired or will i be able to get the job with the title Marine? I just need advice on how to get the job as a police officer after my 4 years in the Marines. Thanks

Answer 1

If your ultimate aim is to be a police officer, there are ways to plan for this by entering the military right out of high school. First, examine all of the armed services (talk to recruiters and read up on military service web sites). Do join the Marines if that branch of service holds a special place for you in your mind (you want the challenge of tough discipline, your family members served in the Marines, etc.). But given your final objective, it may be wise to seek out the service that guarantees you military police (security police, etc.) training and offers the best chance to do police type work. After all, you will be graduating from high school several years before you are eligible to be a civilian police officer, but you may be able to do that work in the military for several years before age 21.



You may want to check with the Peabody Police Department to inquire about their entrance requirements, including education. Many municipal departments (especially the smaller ones) will accept a high school education as an entrance requirement, but may require a college degree (associates or bachelors degree) for promotion. However, having college credits should help in landing a job. Also, you may be able to complete a two year degree or perhaps even a four year degree while on active duty in the military. If you have done well in high school, you might be able to pass a number of "CLEP" (College Level Examination Program) examinations where each examination passed will get you three semester hours of college entry level courses. Also, there are many legitimate colleges offering online courses to military members, which are often paid for by the military through tuition assistance (and your GI Bill is left intact). However, be cautious of the college you sign up for and be sure it is legitimate and respected. Take a look at such schools as Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, NJ, which has a good reputation for military and "distance" education.



The military will also provide discipline and experience, and will make you more competitive among other police department applicants. Just do not get in trouble in whatever service you choose, as that will ruin your chances for a law enforcement career. Also, Peabody has a relatively small police department (just over 80 officers total), so advancement may be limited and hiring cycles may be few and far between. Also, the strict budgetary constraints that are a product of our present economic hard times are actually seeing the reduction in size of many police departments. So you may want to look at surrounding police departments to see who may be recruiting. Also, just getting out of the military (and supposedly in good physical shape), you might want to consider the Massachusetts State Police, which has a very tough academy and a very good reputation and some excellent pay and benefits.



Best wishes, Z. G. S. Bear in Divide, Colorado

Answer 2

It's not going to be difficult, it SHOULD be far from being difficult, for any veteran if they want to get into law enforcement. Every state just won't hire you because of your Marine title. There are some states that don't require a degree in Criminal Justice, but they still will require you to take the exams for that state in order to become an Officer.



Anyways, my advice would be to get a degree in Criminal Justice while you're in the marines. Doing that will put you FAR above the other people who have a criminal justice degree with no military background. And if you get it while being in, right after you leave, you can start applying for Law Enforcement jobs with your degree and veteran status. I suggest if you were to ever interview with a police department, you don't throw your Marine status at them as that will probably aggravate them. Being in the military doesn't automatically give you knowledge of how the police force works and it's a whole different thing than being in the military. Trust me.

Answer 3

Requirements to become a police officer vary and how you become a police officer varies depending on the police department. Joining the military might be a good thing for you to do. Veterans get extra points on civil service tests. Some police departments that require applicants to have college will waive some or all of their college requirements for veterans. Also, some people simply like to hire qualified veterans whenever they get the chance to. If you want to become a police officer, you should get a college degree if you can. Getting a college degree is one of the best things that you can do if you want to become a police officer. Many police departments require or prefer applicants to have college. Having a degree could help you get hired. Some departments pay their officers more if they have a degree. Having a degree could also help you get promoted during your career. Getting police officer jobs is becoming more and more competitive. Do whatever you can to make yourself the best candidate that you can. All else being equal, a candidate that is a veteran with a college degree has a very good chance of getting hired. How well you do on written tests and during interviews can be very important when trying to law enforcement officer jobs. Best of luck!

Answer 4

Being a Grunt will not make you ready to be a cop. That is what the academy and field training is for. it will get you veteran preference points which will certainly put you above other prospective applicants. In addition, you will be more physically fit than the average applicant and better with marksmanship.



As far as the degree thing, it's dependent on the agency. some require AS or BS degrees some simply require HS diplomas or GEDs.



The upside of Military is the New Post 911 GI Bill that quite litterally pays you to go to school by paying for your classes and giving you a percentage of your Basic allowance for housing at your last pay grade. For me as an E-5, I get up to $1,400.00 monthly just to go to college. Pretty badass.



If you need to know how to get a job as a cop that is simple.

1. have a clean record.

2. don't get in too much trouble in the Marines.

3. Be smart enough to pass a written test.

4. be fit enough to pass a physical test.

5. Make it through the academy.

6. Make it through FTO.

Answer 5

The military (no branch or job) will not train or certify you to be a civilian cop. What the military will give you (any job in any branch) are the same 3 things:



1. A steady work history



2. Veteran's Preference Points in the hiring process



3. A source of funds (the GI Bill) to get the required education and training you need to be certified and get hired.

Answer 6

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