What does a law enforcement job fair look like?
What is a law enforcement job fair?
A law enforcement job fair is essentially a meeting of various law enforcement agencies in search of applicants who are interested in pursuing career opportunities in the field of law enforcement. Law enforcement job fairs are typically sponsored and organized by individual law enforcement agencies or professional uniformed officers’ associations, such as the Police Benevolent Association and the State Trooper Association. Job fairs tend to have several law enforcement agencies in attendance, with each agency setting up their own individual booth. Job fairs are primarily held in large open areas, such as the parking lot of the sponsoring union hall, in order to allow various law enforcement agencies to set up booths and conduct interviews. Attending law enforcement agencies typically include some combination of local police departments , sheriff departments, and state police agencies.
For prospective applicants interested in a career in law enforcement, attending such job fairs is an excellent opportunity to speak to both sworn and non-sworn personnel, ask questions, obtain information on hiring requirements or employment benefits, and submit applications in person. In turn, recruiting and screening of potential applicants is made easier for law enforcement agencies as they are provided with the opportunity to interview a wide array of applicants on the spot, without screen their applications based on out-of-state address(es) or lack of familiarity with the area(s). Such job fairs are a useful tool in the recruitment and initial application process.
Advantages to attending a law enforcement job fair
An event like this is an excellent opportunity to meet personally with hiring managers. When you have interviewed with several different agencies, you can compare and contrast their hiring process, leadership style, and committed to professional development. The personal nature of a face-to-face meeting helps build rapport and professional trust.
A recruitment fair exposes you to a wider variety of law enforcement careers and agencies than you might ordinarily encounter. For example, most people are familiar with the general duties and responsibilities of the patrol officer or detective; they’re less likely to have considered careers in financial crimes or environmental protection. Meeting with a wider range of law enforcement professionals opens your eyes to more career possibilities.
The background information gained from an event like this cannot be overstated. You’ll gain insight into what potential employers are looking for, such as specific education, experience, or other requirements. And having a chance to ask questions about the hiring process gives you an opportunity to get additional information from which you might otherwise benefit. It also gives the agency or agencies with which you’re interested the impression that you’re serious about applying.
More often than not, competing for a position means making it through the selection process ahead of many other qualified applicants. If you’re successful, you’ll quickly forget the names of fellow applicants who don’t make the cut. If you’re not successful, however, coming face to face with those same competing applicants can be a jolting reminder of your need to step up your game, whether it’s by improving your interview skills or gaining additional training or experience.
Potential employers are guaranteed to notice well-dressed, punctual job seekers with a demonstrated knowledge of the agency and its various departments. They’ll also notice individuals who speak well, have an easy smile, and demonstrate an enthusiasm for protecting and serving. These are all traits that indicate you’re a professional who is serious about succeeding in law enforcement.
Getting ready for a law enforcement job fair
Investing adequate time before the event
Law enforcement job seekers should take time to research participating agencies before attending a law enforcement job fair. Often, participating agencies have information about their agency on the law enforcement job fair website or they may have their own websites to review. Take time to learn as much as possible about each agency so you will be prepared to ask any questions you may have when you meet their representatives.
Resume prep
In addition to researching participating agencies, law enforcement job seekers should prepare resumes tailored to what is attractive about them as a potential police officer and their desire to work in each department to whom they are applying. Once you’ve researched participating agencies, you may want to consider reviewing an agency’s job announcement for clues about what they may be looking for in a police officer. Applicants can benefit from knowing about any employment process steps that might apply to them.
Personal introductions
Every law enforcement job seeker should have a personal introduction prepared to use when meeting agency recruiters or interviewers. This introduction should be brief and very honest, hitting on your previous employment or military experience, your education, why you are interested in a law enforcement career, and your interest in the agencies where you are applying.
Top questions to ask at a law enforcement job fair
When speaking with law enforcement personnel, you will want to have a list of questions to ask in order to clarify for yourself the complexities of your position. Typical questions would include:
"What type of specific role is open?" Often, agencies have multiple positions, even within a singular police department. You will want to know if the job you are potentially applying for involves patrol, detective duties, or perhaps something completely outside the box.
"What level of experience is required?" Entry level positions are highly sought after since they generally require minimal experience. If you are looking for a job that requires more experience, determine exactly what "experience" the agency requires. Is it strictly law enforcement or is it any related field? Specific past employment may not be necessary for every position.
"What is the salary for this position and are there potential for increases?" Everyone wants to know what type of compensation is being offered. In law enforcement, you may likely expect a lower salary than comparable private sector jobs. This doesn’t mean that law enforcement jobs can’t be lucrative , just that you probably shouldn’t expect to break the bank.
"What are the requirements for employment?" Ask about physical, psychological and drug testing, suitability determinations and polygraphs. You want to know all of the requirements you will need to meet beforehand so you can prepare to meet the expectations.
"What training is provided for new employees?" Agencies tend to train their new employees in a manner that standardizes their methods and makes sure everyone is on the same page. You may also be required to attend training outside of your home location. Familiarizing yourself with the training process will allow you to know if preparation is needed on your part. You may also wish to discover if there are opportunities for advancement through additional training.
"What are the career advancement options?" Most agencies offer promotional exams to get an idea of where their officers stand and how best to advance their careers.
"What is the culture here?" You will want to know how the government views their officers. Do they only back you when you do everything right? How are promotions handled? Are all officers treated equally or are there favoritism issues?
Using social media at a law enforcement job fair
Social media is essential for all law enforcement professionals. Be it via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, the perennial challenge is knowing where your target audience hangs out. Once you’ve figured that out, would it not be nice if you could figure out who is going to be attending a Law Enforcement Job Fair? Surprisingly, it is not too difficult to do, and more importantly, you can leverage this information to maximize your potential for successfully attaining your goal of reaching out to recruiters before and after the event.
LinkedIn is the best place to connect with recruiters before the actual career fair. Prior to such event, LinkedIn can be an asset to not only find out who the recruiters will be but also connect with them. You simply have to type in the name of the agency in the search bar, and you will know who will be recruiting and appearing at the event, and you can make sure to send them an invitation to connect stating specifically why you would like to connect with them. You can also send messages post-fair to all of the connections you made to stay on their radar as a potential candidate.
Another way to find out who will be present at the event is to check if the Job Fair is listed with Eventbrite. Not only does Eventbrite list out all of the details of the event such as time, place and date, it also lists out all of the recruiting agencies that will be present. This allows you time to review each of their websites to familiarize yourself with their requirements such as training or educational backgrounds. Almost all law enforcement agencies now have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts as well. Plus, if an agency is considering hiring applicants, it almost inevitably posts photos of applicants who recently have had successful interactions with the agency. You can also contact the organization sponsoring the Career Fair for assistance if you have a question whether a recruiting agency will be present.
Most importantly, you must remain on agencies’ radars after the event is over to maximize the efforts you put in to attending the Career Fair. According to the National Police Foundation, "Studies show that it takes approximately 6-10 attempts to make a sale and 6, 7, and 8 of those may come with repeated attempts. Similar statistics can be found within the recruitment world." After the Career Fair, post links to yourself on the agencies’ Facebook pages and tweet links to yourselves and other information you can share relevant to available positions and potential vacancies on the agencies’ Twitter feeds. Every time you do this, your name will be right back in front of them. Eventually, they will start to recognize you, and pick up the phone.
What happens after the law enforcement job fair?
It’s not a bad idea to send a thank-you note (a hand-written one if you can) to the recruiter or contact person after the fair. You might also include a picture of yourself to remind them who you are, or some other detail that shows you can be moved to a follow-up action that no one else can.
Within two weeks, you should do an additional email or telephone follow up. This almost seems silly – you just met the person – but remember that many people will be doing nothing, while you are showing persistence and enthusiasm. And a fine line to walk, but one you are best equipped for, is to call them about a job you are not entirely sure they are connected to, with the question – should I be speaking to someone else? But if there is a question, in your mind, about what the jobs are, go ahead and use the name of the person you saw there. You will seem like the specialist. If they give you a person’s name , follow up with that contact as well.
You will definitely want to follow up after a couple more weeks, perhaps with a job inquiry. Be careful not to appear like you are prying. What we are after is simply keeping this employer in mind. Some of them will respond, some won’t. But again – we are taking the long view. Even if this does not lead to employment, we are making a mark nonetheless. The law enforcement field is a large one, and they are all collaborating with each other. Making a good impression gets your name onto their front burner.
This work is simple but the way we do it makes us seem less common than everyone else. It all serves to build your image as a person of action, the kind of person they want to hire. Staying engaged over time is what we do that others don’t.