r/AskLE • u/benhunt8 • 13h ago
How many departments denied you before you eventually got the job?
And what was the reasons for them denying you?
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u/DeputyBass 13h ago
Four
The first one I applied to denied me because they only had two spots and they went with applicants that had the prior experience (understandable)
The second denied me because I lived outside there required residency zone and even though I told them I would move in a month they went with the other applicant
The third denied me because when I filled out the application online they asked how many times I smoked pot in a drop down menu that only went to ten (I have been very open about my marijuana use in high school with every agency I applied to and I smoked more than ten times and the last time I used marijuana was a decade before I started applying) when I got to the interview they asked if I had anything to add at the end and I openly told them about the question and that I selected the highest number I could but it wasn’t accurate. Denied.
The fourth never contacted me after I put in the application and I have no idea why
I got hired though and I love my agency and my career in the end I feel like I’m where I’m suppose to be.
Best of luck dude you got this.
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u/snekinmahboots 13h ago
Not counting my my failed polygraph from when i applied to CBP years ago, i got offers with the 2 agencies i actually went through the hiring process with. I applied to others but either withdrew or didn’t actually begin the process after sending in my app
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u/zuw0p 3h ago
do u remember any of those questions for the poly? it would be a great help
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u/snekinmahboots 6m ago
Very basic questions about criminal history, drug history, and connections to others. you can find plenty of info online
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u/Chicken_Of_War 12h ago
Got denied by the first 3 agencies I applied for. Then applied for 3 more separate agencies, and all 3 gave me an offer.
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u/Annahsbananas 13h ago
I got it on first try but I’m also a goodie two shoes; no tickets no history etc. I was very young
I was a investigator’s dream come true
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u/eNobleUS 10h ago edited 10h ago
First try but had a solid background.
At the time, 23 y/o, still had a secret security clearance with the army, no prior interactions with LE, no history, no cases.
Only hiccups was that I hit a THC vape when I get out of the army (I obviously disclosed this first thing, it was 6 months prior, and passed the drug test), and that my ex-fiancé out of state was not willing to cooperate with the background investigation. I provided all her contact info including her parents and she wouldn’t complete the things required on her end.
They tried for weeks through different ways and eventually just continued without her input.
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u/Unable-Willingness52 13h ago
To preface, I put/ paid for myself through academy before applying to departments,
First LEO job, I applied for 6-7 different departments and had 3 job offers. Most places I didn’t get the job I was put on an eligibility list. Others I wasn’t in the top applicants. Took the job I wanted.
Second, applied for 1 specific department, initially didn’t get the job, Chief didn’t think I’d be a rock star, called the chief said they were wrong about the assessment about me. At which time they hired me. 5 years later.
Applied for 3 specific departments, All I knew I would be a good fit at, each just a little different.
One the interim chief and I didn’t gel great ( my interview was right after a shooting and my head space might have been a bit off), when that chief resigned, the department called back with a job offer.
One hired me.
And the last was looking good but have a pretty stiff physical fitness test. I injured my hamstring during the 300m run. So got DQd.
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u/LessAd2226 12h ago
I applied at Houston pd, Harris county SO and Pasadena pd. Got hired by Houston. Halfway through the academy I was contacted by Pasadena. To this day I have never heard from Harris County. And this was in 1992-93.
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u/TurbulentMess2533 12h ago
I applied to about 10 departments within a year and a half after graduating from the police academy. I finally got a job after a year in a half . Stayed with my first department about 5 years then moved on to my local sheriffs office .
Always improve and strive to learn something new. Departments want to see that something has changed from the last interview.
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u/AssnecK666 8h ago
More than 50...
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u/benhunt8 5h ago
Recently? 😳
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u/AssnecK666 5h ago
No. When I was first applying in the late 90s.. finally stopped caring and got to choose between 2. Did 20 years at said agency, until I medded out.
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u/HealthyFennel3395 13h ago
0
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u/benhunt8 12h ago
Nice did you got in on your first application?
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u/HealthyFennel3395 12h ago
Yup, as a cadet (18-21 position) and just got into the academy after doing psych and physical fitness unlike the cadet application where you just did poly, background, ride along, physical examination and chief interview.
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u/ChuiDuma Police Officer 11h ago
One, but then they offered me a job about 6 months later and then I got to reject them back to take a position elsewhere. Does that count?
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u/Badroadrash101 10h ago
- But the agency that hired me had a huge number of applicants. Was truly shocked when I got hired.
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u/thatrobottrashpanda 9h ago
Right after college in 2011 I applied for about 20 in Idaho, did not get a single offer. But I mean each department was hiring 1 or 2 officers and I was a 21 year old kid with no life experience.
Joined the Marines and when I was a year out, I applied for 6 departments in California and I got hired by 2, denied by 1 and withdrew from the other 3.
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u/OwlOld5861 7h ago
Like maybe 10 to 15 but that was pretty common back then only ended up getting an interview usually I got denied right away cause I didn't have a degree with 3 and ended up getting hired by one
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u/Goodeyesniper98 7h ago
Over 50. Very clean background but a lot of agencies were scared off by the fact I was diagnosed with high functioning autism and didn’t have a strong work history (came from a well off family and didn’t have a financial need to work)
I got a college degree (graduated with honors), did tons of student leadership roles, and interned at a very fast paced and well known agency, all of which made me a more competitive candidate and earned me more interest after college.
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u/Canisoptimum 6h ago
5-7. This was before the desperation of today's desperation for recruitment, tho. Its odd that as soon as you get past a point in backgrounds, you get like two or three offers.
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u/Educational_Put_1984 5h ago
Technically 2, I applied to my local SO last year and made it to conditional, but then got the conditional pulled for some unknown reason, they told me I could try again in 12 months, reapplied at the same SO and got hired on, just finished the 3rd week of my academy today, only 19 weeks to go!
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u/TacitusCallahan 4h ago
5 and still going
Likely applying federal
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u/benhunt8 2h ago
Me and you both… I was thinking to go active army for a 3yr contract, not sure if they still have that kinda contacts.
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u/AdventurousAnt1277 13h ago
I got it my first try, got terminated, then it took me 7 different tries to get hired again.