| If you are contemplating beginning a career in law | | | | criminal record, high credit score, and academic |
| enforcement, one of the key factors in whether | | | | achievement but still fail to get hired. Sometimes |
| or not you get hired by a given agency or | | | | it's the unquantifiable factors like your |
| department is the background investigation. This | | | | interpersonal skills during the background |
| step occurs midway through the entire hiring | | | | investigator's interview or the fact you have a |
| process and involves an individual or team of | | | | decked out Crown-Vic patrol car in your driveway |
| investigators looking into various aspects of your | | | | and you run around in faux-police uniforms all day. |
| personal history, the results of which help | | | | Obviously this kind of person would likely not be |
| determine if you are fit to hold a position of public | | | | the best fit for a number of departments. |
| trust. General items that always receive scrutiny | | | | Background investigations take time, so don't |
| on a law enforcement background investigation | | | | stress out or agonize over your answers on the |
| are things like driving records, criminal records, | | | | questionnaire if it seems to be taking some time |
| any record of civil litigation, financial records, and | | | | for the department to get back to you. Most |
| employment history. Passing the background | | | | background investigators have more than one |
| investigation portion of the hiring process is crucial, | | | | case they are working, so it is very normal for |
| so here are a few things to think about before | | | | any one case to take between two to six weeks, |
| answering the questionnaire for your desired | | | | especially if you've applied to a smaller |
| agency. | | | | department that doesn't outsource their |
| Do not lie, embellish, or attempt to conceal | | | | investigations. Just remember to be patient, since |
| anything! Most background investigators will turn | | | | being patient throughout the process is part of |
| up more dirt than you can shake a shovel at, so | | | | the testing as well. |
| be truthful and upfront to start. If you're looking | | | | If you've decided on a career in law enforcement |
| to hold a position of public trust, you have to ask | | | | and you've made it to the background |
| yourself why you would lie or conceal something | | | | investigation portion of the hiring process, it is |
| to get the job in the first place. If an investigator | | | | normal to worry and wonder whether or not you'll |
| catches you being untruthful, you can be certain | | | | get hired. Above all, honesty is the key. The |
| you're name will be the first dropped from the list | | | | overwhelming majority of the time, assuming you |
| of potential candidates and you can forget any | | | | no felony record or major personal issues, it's not |
| chances of being hired by another agency. | | | | a given issue that will get you disqualified from the |
| While your personal history is a significant aspect | | | | hiring list, it's the lack of truthfulness or having a |
| of the background investigation, it is not the entire | | | | laundry list of excuses for past actions that will do |
| the only thing about you that an investigator | | | | the most damage during your law enforcement |
| takes into consideration. Some candidates have | | | | background investigation. |
| excellent employment history, family life, no | | | | |