Question for PH BiBs...............
Discussion
Question aimed at the boys in blue on PH........
My youngest son, who will be eighteen in March is at the point in his life where he has to make a choice, which way his life may go....
He was intending going to university like his two older brothers, (they study computing and graphic design) to do a course in psychology, however, he is having serious doubts and fancies a career in the police force, in fact thinking about it he always has done), so, my question is...
Given your time all over again, would you join the police??...
, and would you advise him to give it a go....I realise there are many pros and cons, for instance pros....An interesting job, no two days the same etc, and cons, unsocial hours......
He has talked about becoming a PCSO as a taster....We live in the area north of Manchester btw......
Anyhow, what does the team think????.....
Thanks in anticipation....
My youngest son, who will be eighteen in March is at the point in his life where he has to make a choice, which way his life may go....
He was intending going to university like his two older brothers, (they study computing and graphic design) to do a course in psychology, however, he is having serious doubts and fancies a career in the police force, in fact thinking about it he always has done), so, my question is...
Given your time all over again, would you join the police??...
, and would you advise him to give it a go....I realise there are many pros and cons, for instance pros....An interesting job, no two days the same etc, and cons, unsocial hours...... He has talked about becoming a PCSO as a taster....We live in the area north of Manchester btw......
Anyhow, what does the team think????.....
Thanks in anticipation....
A friend of mine (well a friends sister) went to Sheffield Uni, did a Geology degree and then joined the Met afterwards - using nothing learnt in her degree (apart from life/people skills it had taught her).
Shes now part of SO16 (or 19 - can't remember) the diplomatic firearms protection squad and is often stood outside Downing Street.
She loves her job, apart from the shifts and loves the variety it can offer.
I'm halfway through an application at present (waiting for assesment centre date) and am a 31 year old graduate whos been working in the city for the last 7 years. My advice would be for him to go to Uni and get his degree, some life experience and people skills and then decide - at least then it'll give him something to fall back on in a few years if it doesn't work out.
Shes now part of SO16 (or 19 - can't remember) the diplomatic firearms protection squad and is often stood outside Downing Street.
She loves her job, apart from the shifts and loves the variety it can offer.
I'm halfway through an application at present (waiting for assesment centre date) and am a 31 year old graduate whos been working in the city for the last 7 years. My advice would be for him to go to Uni and get his degree, some life experience and people skills and then decide - at least then it'll give him something to fall back on in a few years if it doesn't work out.
Edited by zippee on Thursday 7th December 21:08
as i understand it (not a BiB), the police is a bit like certain socialist civil servant places. You get "tagged" when you join, high flying cambridge 1st are groomed for the top jobs and an A level kid joins at a certain level and his career is mapped out. There is a little bit of give and take, but as I understand you can be a prick but if your from the right uni you are ok and vice versa a super smart "ms holmes" secretary will get f' nowhere. i would get your kid to uni, he will join later but fly faster..
waiting for a real Bib to put me right ...
waiting for a real Bib to put me right ...
Becoming a Special or a PCSO is a good way of deciding if it is the life for him.
It is interesting work, that's for sure, but the inflexible and authoritarian working practices might grate.
I was very close to joining GMP. I even had a date to have my uniform fitted.
Then I got cold feet, studied law and ended up defending villains instead of chasing them. It is the same sort of job, just a different side of the same coin and the pay is better.
I have been a criminal defence solicitor for about a dozen years and it is starting to wear a bit thin these days.
I have a smackhead client with gangrene in his leg. He stinks of rotting flesh.
Another client is a pregnant prostitute who was sick on my office carpet a few weeks ago. Last year she cut her own throat from ear to ear with a razor.
I get to deal with child pornography cases, rapists, wife beaters, the mentally ill and even speeders.
I have been threatened by a paranoid schizophrenic waving a large pair of scissors.
I have taken instructions in a police cell from an alcoholic vagrant who was so thirsty that he drank water out of the toilet bowl, and from drug dealers who conceal ecstasy pills under their foreskins.
All in all, it is a bit of a hoot.
I have ended up old before my time, on anti depressants and drinking far too heavily.
But it beats working for a living and, provided that you have a sick mind and a black sense of humour, then I would highly recommend it.
It is interesting work, that's for sure, but the inflexible and authoritarian working practices might grate.
I was very close to joining GMP. I even had a date to have my uniform fitted.
Then I got cold feet, studied law and ended up defending villains instead of chasing them. It is the same sort of job, just a different side of the same coin and the pay is better.
I have been a criminal defence solicitor for about a dozen years and it is starting to wear a bit thin these days.
I have a smackhead client with gangrene in his leg. He stinks of rotting flesh.
Another client is a pregnant prostitute who was sick on my office carpet a few weeks ago. Last year she cut her own throat from ear to ear with a razor.
I get to deal with child pornography cases, rapists, wife beaters, the mentally ill and even speeders.
I have been threatened by a paranoid schizophrenic waving a large pair of scissors.
I have taken instructions in a police cell from an alcoholic vagrant who was so thirsty that he drank water out of the toilet bowl, and from drug dealers who conceal ecstasy pills under their foreskins.
All in all, it is a bit of a hoot.
I have ended up old before my time, on anti depressants and drinking far too heavily.
But it beats working for a living and, provided that you have a sick mind and a black sense of humour, then I would highly recommend it.
Daughter did a Forensic Science degree at Uni , was turned down by Cheshire, GMP and Avon and Somerset because they had filled their "quotas" , but she could apply again in two years . She had wanted to join the police since age 14. Now a Paramedic because the degree qualified her for that , just hope she doesn't attend my next off !
My brother has just finished his first month as a policeman in the met - he had to wait two and a half years from success at interview until commencement of the training course at Hendon.
In the meantime he had a succession of temping office jobs (actually a stint in a police station as a civilian admin assistant and a period in the probabtion service as well as others) and was starting to het pretty dispirited.
Anyway, he loves the job now (i guess he would at such an early stage) and isn't even annoyed at having to work christmas and boxing days this year.
In the meantime he had a succession of temping office jobs (actually a stint in a police station as a civilian admin assistant and a period in the probabtion service as well as others) and was starting to het pretty dispirited.
Anyway, he loves the job now (i guess he would at such an early stage) and isn't even annoyed at having to work christmas and boxing days this year.
mungo said:
PCSO is nothing like police work - they really are not even worth half a police officer and most of the ones we have just been given are soon to quit as they have applied to join the job properly.
If he wants to do it he should just apply for the real thing.
If he wants to do it he should just apply for the real thing.
Hi Mungo....
Oh, he told me to mention - The reason he's considering applying to be a PCSO is because Lancashire Constabulary aren't recruiting Police Officers at the moment, and he reckons he will get some good experience by being s PCSO until the gates are open again.
Alternatively he's considered going to university / getting an actual job and being a Special Constable to get some experience behind him as well, until they're recruiting officers.
Would i do it again..... Yes i would.
I used to work In IT prior to being Job and am glad i am doing what im doing now.
Its actually quite good fun, no two jobs in a row are the same let alone 2 days.
Get to meet a wide variety of people ranging from your, come near me copper and ill stab you up to mr surgeon whos been burgled.
Get to do some cool stuff like boshing doors on warrents, chasing suspects.
Doing the foot patrols on friday and saturday nights is quite good if your confident, that ranges from having a laff with the drunks to breaking up fights.
It does have its downsides.
Paperwork can tie you up a whole shift.
Doing sudden deaths, searching bodies, death messages, reassuring badly hurt people in car chrashes.
But then the out of the ordinary upsides like actually saving people by providing immediate first aid. Getting to a job in time to prevent someone getting badly hurt.
I wouldent do it straight from school or uni, id work for a few years first getting experiance of dealing with people, as dealing with people as police are completely different and you need to have certain skills from life to be able to do the job.
But yeah, go for it, if its not for you then take a career break and come back a few years later.
The job does change you somewhat from what you were like before you join. But in my view and experiance it has been a good thing from what i have seen.
PM me if its any help.
I used to work In IT prior to being Job and am glad i am doing what im doing now.
Its actually quite good fun, no two jobs in a row are the same let alone 2 days.
Get to meet a wide variety of people ranging from your, come near me copper and ill stab you up to mr surgeon whos been burgled.
Get to do some cool stuff like boshing doors on warrents, chasing suspects.
Doing the foot patrols on friday and saturday nights is quite good if your confident, that ranges from having a laff with the drunks to breaking up fights.
It does have its downsides.
Paperwork can tie you up a whole shift.
Doing sudden deaths, searching bodies, death messages, reassuring badly hurt people in car chrashes.
But then the out of the ordinary upsides like actually saving people by providing immediate first aid. Getting to a job in time to prevent someone getting badly hurt.
I wouldent do it straight from school or uni, id work for a few years first getting experiance of dealing with people, as dealing with people as police are completely different and you need to have certain skills from life to be able to do the job.
But yeah, go for it, if its not for you then take a career break and come back a few years later.
The job does change you somewhat from what you were like before you join. But in my view and experiance it has been a good thing from what i have seen.
PM me if its any help.
Pat H said:
I have ended up old before my time, on anti depressants and drinking far too heavily.
But it beats working for a living and, provided that you have a sick mind and a black sense of humour, then I would highly recommend it.
But it beats working for a living and, provided that you have a sick mind and a black sense of humour, then I would highly recommend it.
WTF?!?
I have to say that wouldn't be my first choice of job. Like my health and sanity (what's left of it) far too much, thanks all the same.
I would say get some life experience first, then have a good long think. The job and the conditions of service have all changed for the worse recently and the new pension arrangements are rubbish, in my opinion.
In a few years time officers will be
hired as detectives, trafpol or whatever having been trained and qualified before joining. They will be on fixed term contracts with no stability of employment.
Would I join now? No.
In a few years time officers will be
hired as detectives, trafpol or whatever having been trained and qualified before joining. They will be on fixed term contracts with no stability of employment.
Would I join now? No.
My career has been a tremendous adventure. In 13 years I have done just about everything you could imagine a policeman doing in his career - I have seen more people with bullet holes in them than I have in car crashes. Of course there have been some big personal tests but I do seem to have more job satisfaction than almost anyone I know - and many of my friends are now in director level roles.
I jacked in a career as a graduate trainee with Ford Motor Co following the tragic death of a close friend. It made me appreciate the importance of life and that I didn't want to spend a chunk of mine looking at chassis numbers coming off production lines on a computer screen. I was initially "streamed" but dropped off that program, it was fast-tracking me into the same sort of job I had quit at Ford.
I had always thought about it since leaving school. At that time I was given some advice by a police friend of my parents - who were both lawyers: Join a big force; Met, GMP, TVP, West Mids, Etc. The small forces are under funded and offer limited career paths both of which lead to malaise in the work force and a frustrating career. I still think this is good advice. Working in a specialist department in a big force you have alomost unlimited resources which is a tremendous filip for morale.
You will never get rich doing it but there are some huge benefits. It can be hard on personal lives and relationships (but what job isn't these days?)
Yes "The Job" is changing and probably will become harder as time goes on, but again this is the same in commerce. If your son wants "a life less ordinary" then encourage him.
As well as the PCSO route another way to get a taster is to become a Special Constable.
[url]www.met.police.uk/recruitment/[/url]
I jacked in a career as a graduate trainee with Ford Motor Co following the tragic death of a close friend. It made me appreciate the importance of life and that I didn't want to spend a chunk of mine looking at chassis numbers coming off production lines on a computer screen. I was initially "streamed" but dropped off that program, it was fast-tracking me into the same sort of job I had quit at Ford.
I had always thought about it since leaving school. At that time I was given some advice by a police friend of my parents - who were both lawyers: Join a big force; Met, GMP, TVP, West Mids, Etc. The small forces are under funded and offer limited career paths both of which lead to malaise in the work force and a frustrating career. I still think this is good advice. Working in a specialist department in a big force you have alomost unlimited resources which is a tremendous filip for morale.
You will never get rich doing it but there are some huge benefits. It can be hard on personal lives and relationships (but what job isn't these days?)
Yes "The Job" is changing and probably will become harder as time goes on, but again this is the same in commerce. If your son wants "a life less ordinary" then encourage him.
As well as the PCSO route another way to get a taster is to become a Special Constable.
[url]www.met.police.uk/recruitment/[/url]
Edited by scobbo on Saturday 9th December 07:19
Wacky
PM me. I may well have the "inside track" on this one...
I'd still suggest he goes to Uni first though, for the life experience as much as the degree.
University of Central Lancashire (as per Friday's Evening Post) are recruiting Special Constables at the moment. Two of the students featured were doing "relevant" degrees - one was in foresnic science, the other was in criminology or similar.
PM me. I may well have the "inside track" on this one...
I'd still suggest he goes to Uni first though, for the life experience as much as the degree.
University of Central Lancashire (as per Friday's Evening Post) are recruiting Special Constables at the moment. Two of the students featured were doing "relevant" degrees - one was in foresnic science, the other was in criminology or similar.
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