Advice for aspiring police detective

[Tangotwister]

DS is at Cambridge, reading History, and wants to join the Met Police when he graduates (not for 2 years) on their detective graduate entry pathway. He is absolutely committed and won’t be talked out of it (to the extent that he hasn’t got a plan B if the police don’t take him!). Can anyone advise what work experience he should seek to get in the Uni holidays to enhance his CV? Internships in the corporate world etc don’t really cut it!

Perhaps volunteering with: Youth clubs, community organisations, CAB/legal advice, drug support charities, homeless charities, prisoner support charities??

He doesn't need any work experience tbh.

Currently recruiting. Not onerous. www.cambridgeshire-pcc.gov.uk/get-involved/volunteer-schemes/independent-custody-visitors-scheme/

Interested to know how long he's been keen on the Met, and why?

What will he do if they pull the direct entry? Will he join as a PC and get some on the ground experience?

He could do a couple of rides longs, hopefully make contacts.

Police cadets it always good, although I can’t remember if it’s under 18’s.

otherwise anything public service. Sometimes 999 call handling jobs can work around studies, if he can do the 6 weeks training in the summer.

Red Cross/st johns Amb volunteer.

best thing for police is to find a mentor to help navigate applications and interviews.

I teach on these programmes, although not for the met.
He needs some volunteering that takes him out of his comfort zone, meeting the type of people he wouldn’t normally mix with.
If he wants to do the detective DHEP I’d suggest volunteering as an appropriate adult. He’ll be trained / develop enhanced communication skills and he’ll also be sitting in on police interviews all the time, so will soak up interview skills whilst he’s there.
Other options, as others have said, drugs support / homeless charities CAB etc. They’ll definitely want to see some effort put into developing himself alongside his degree.

Thanks for all the replies/ideas so far, please keep them coming! To answer questions/follow up

@iamruth - yes absolutely he would. He's utterly committed to joining the police. Would happily do years as a regular before becoming a detective. Cambridge have alerted him to the Detective Entry Pathway though - perhaps that's preferable?

@goodbyestranger he's been set on it for about three years (age 15). Morrisby careers test put it as his number one career and he looked into it and was won over.

@Newnamenewme23 Police cadets is under 18s, sadly.

He looked into being a special constable and would have done it (16 hours per month) if he hadn't got into Cambridge/moved away from London. Cambridge is so full-on that he can't spare the time (and they ban non-Uni jobs during term time), plus he comes home every vacation (and their vacations are long!) so he wouldn't be in Cambridge for c. 5 months a year

@Juja and @EwwSprouts - great suggestions, thank you.

@igivein - volunteering as an appropriate adult sounds brilliant! Never thought of that. I will get him to look into it. Thx so much

He should join the special constabulary, he will need to do 2 years (I think it's that's long) as a PC anyway to learn the job as part of the direct entry scheme so he could give himself a really good head start by being a special. It will give him a really good insight into the role and he may even get to do attachment with CID, or at the very least he will make connections who will help him with his application when the time comes. Good luck to him!

@delorisvancartier Special Constable was his initial thought but see my above reply to @Newnamenewme23 - it's just not feasible, sadly. Thank you very much though - really appreciate MNs engaging with this (somewhat niche!) thread

I have looked into the direct entry to Detective programme with DC. They don’t typically take kids fresh out of Uni - they are looking for some life experience. One route might be to get a civilian role within the force and apply from within. There’s loads of admin type jobs available that will inform how the system works and give a head start to the application for the detective programme

Tangotwister emerging from the shadows somewhat but one of my DSs astonished me by announcing that the Met had offered him a place onto this programme. He read History at Oxford, graduated with a first, then did an MPhil at Cambridge. Fairly ivory tower background tbh. He did no work experience which was relevant but is very sharp. He's loving it.

That’s fantastic @goodbyestranger! Many, many congrats to your DS - he must be pretty special as it is sooooo competitive. If I may ask, was the MPhil in something relevant - eg. Criminology? That’s what my DS is thinking of doing as a Masters….

Not sure if this helps OP, but is this the Police Now programme? Aware of a very recent post-grad accepted onto the Detective programme. Neuroscience/ psychology background and no f/t work experience since finishing Masters. As far as I'm aware, work experience as a student involved shadowing at CAB, volunteering with youth groups etc. Nothing overly onerous, but definitely demonstrating an ability to get out of comfort zone and a 'roundedness' beyond pure academics. Hope this is of some use and good luck to your DS! x

Different force but we recruit seasonal and weekend workers in the call centre mainly for low level calls. We do a detective entry too but you need to do 2 years on the front line responding before starting the detective work.

I didn't know it was competitive at all. I was just so surprised he had applied! No, his MPhil was History too. Best of luck to your DS. DS is more enthusiastic about this path than I can say.

Is there an OTC or similar at Cambs?

that or any similar group would be good- he clearly has the brains but needs to look at demonstrating people skills- working with others, risk assessment, giving and receiving instructions etc.

My old beautician joined the police on the back of a few NVQs (no A levels). She is now part of the Mounted Branch at the Met as she's a very good rider. Obviously not graduate training scheme ...

He absolutely does need work and life experience. It is blindly obvious when new cops have never had a job before and it's a difficult life or death job where you need to be a proper adult.

I'd get him to consider joining as a PC and not going direct entry. If it is absolutely what he wants to do then he does not need a masters. Perhaps continue with the undergrad so he's got a degree to fall back on if he doesn't like policing.

What I'd advise him to do now:

Join the Bluelight Police recruitment support Facebook group, it's never too early. He can get to grips with the application process and the competency values framework.

Get a job alongside his studies, in the first instance any job but with variety. Hospitality or caring would be good as flexible hours. As much customer facing stuff as possible, he will need to be able to communicate with and work with everyone in society.

Volunteering is an ok idea too, but he may as well get paid for the work that he does.

Mental health or youth work would be valuable experience. Great idea the person who said become an appropriate adult, would be a good way to see how the custody system works.

I'm not saying that you can't become a good detective without front line experience, but I really struggle to see how the new entrants will be managing complex investigations properly with just 12 weeks experience on area. I know several candidates who have transfered from direct entry dc to staying as a PC to properly learn the ropes. It's a long old career with plenty of time for role changes.

I started as someone who was ADAMANT I'd do my detective exams very quickly to be a DC. Within weeks of actually doing the job I'd changed my mind, he should not limit himself, keep an open mind, the pay is exactly the same (shockingly bad) whichever route you enter.

Perhaps continue with the undergrad so he's got a degree to fall back on if he doesn't like policing

Eh?

I don't think OP's DS is contemplating leaving Cambridge!

This is what my DS is considering. He has a first class degree in Law and Criminal Justice and is currently employed (and has been for coming up 18 months) in an investigation support role in our local force.

My friend who did this got a law degree then worked 2 years as a barperson (good drunk people management skills) and as a volunteer CAB adviser.

trimma did your friend set out with a plan to become a detective or did law not work out and then they worked at a bar while they decided what to do. Two years as a barperson doesn't sound very targeted.