Career Research Essay

The tasks and activities to be a police officer are simple but strategic. One must inspect

all public places to make sure laws are being followed, to prevent crime, and arrest violators of

the law (www.cacareerzone.org). One also needs to stay on his or her game because one must

protect our people and our streets. Police Officers have a busy week with five eight-hour shifts

and two consecutive days off which both can be scheduled randomly whether its nights,

weekends, even holidays because Police operations are a 24-hour deal.

Police officers must have special skills. These skills help them deal with civilians and

their issues. Some skills required are public safety/security, customer service, knowledge of

laws and government, fluency in the English language, and lastly, listening and monitoring

abilities. These skills would be used in different ways from using public safety/security

procedures for a disgruntled citizen to the knowledge of laws and government to know what to

be on the lookout for throughout your day as law enforcement. There are a great set of skills to

have in order to be a sufficient police officer.

Another fact about police officers is that their average salary is about $28/hr roughly

(www.discoverpolicing.org). This salary is about $60,000 a year. The steps to follow in

becoming a police officer include being of age, depending on the department it could be 18 or

21, and having the minimum educational requirements, which is a highschool diploma or GED.

Later, you must pass the Law Enforcement Entrance Exam and you must also pass the Police

Academy training which could take up to six months to complete. Two universities that provide

an education for this career are Walden University in Minnesota and Liberty University in

Virginia (www.criminal justice programs.com). With a Criminal Justice degree and educational

background coupled with a passion for serving others, police officers can generate a good living

with adequate pay.

 There are few careers that follow the same guidelines as a police officer. A couple

careers that are similar to a police officer do are a detective, a firefighter, a sheriff, and a deputy.

Some similarities are they all need training and provide law enforcement.

(www.cacareerzone.org). These careers usually have the same prerequisites as far as basic

physical skills and abilities are concerned. Also, the purpose of each career is to serve and help

those in need. Ultimately, if one’s focus is on serving others, one does not necessarily have to

be a police officer. There are several other rewarding, similar options.

I believe that becoming a police officer would be a good choice for me because I can be

a strong leader. I have leader-like qualities, which would help me keep other officers or deputies

in line. (Do What You Are). Being in this line of work is dangerous, and other officers need

strong guidance from someone else who aims to coach them and work along with them when

drastic things happen unexpectedly. I am also caring, which means I can provide generous help

for the people that need it. Furthermore, I am considerate and respectful, which means I can

defuse a hectic situation calmly if needed. An additional strength of mine is how thorough I am

with my decisions and with my work. In conclusion, with these traits, I am confident that I would

be a great candidate for a police officer position.

 Works Cited

“California CareerZone California CareerZone.” Announcements RSS, www.cacareerzone.org/.

“California CareerZone California CareerZone.” Announcements RSS, www.cacareerzone.org/.

Discoverpolicing.org, www.discoverpolicing.org/.

Writers, Staff. “Police Careers & Law Enforcement Degrees: How to Become a Police Officer.”
LearnHowToBecome.org, LearnHowToBecome.org, www.learnhowtobecome.org/police-
officer/.