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!

Everyone makes a virtue on their CV of whatever they've done but if my DS had said he thought two years serving drinks would really enhance his skills for the detective route then I'd have been pretty sceptical. I do see that it has merit in itself, but it's just not a career move tbh.

Hospitality roles are actually a really good grounding for the police. People facing with a variety of customers, dealing with complaints and conflict, health and safety/licencing law. I'd always encourage people to get experience in this area.

My friend's DD is training to be a detective after graduating in law. She worked for a law firm during her degree. She also had to pass the fitness test, and did a lot of fitness training.

Update: DS home from Cambridge and has followed brilliant advice on this thread in applying for summer “jobs” - ie. to get right out of his comfort zone. Updated CV and sent off to a number of homeless/MH/drug & alcohol charities with a view to volunteering this summer at the end of his first year. Fingers crossed he gets something. He was a bit deflated when he applied to a food bank last year and they said they would only consider people who could commit 6 months (Cambridge hols are long but not that long!).

Good to hear OP. I still think he could use his time by actually being PAID to do the work rather than volunteer though. He could look at a paid role during the holidays and then another few hours as a volunteer maybe, seems a shame not to in a time when everywhere is crying out for staff. It certainly won't look any better on an application whether you were paid or working for free, it's about getting the real life experience.

I don't think a mental health / homeless charity will want to employ someone who lacks experience for a couple of months though..

He could look at summer placements in the probation service. His best bet is to contact his local office. Which part of London do you live in OP? I know Essex do them but it's dependent on local head of service

Won’t know if he doesn’t ask though.

worth sending the cv. If nothing comes back, nothing lost.

he could look at doing a ride along with the local force as well. Might get him some contacts to help with the application- there’s an art to it and insider knowledge is invaluable.

Delighted to say that - thanks to all advice on here, and despite the quoted reply - DS has got volunteering job for three days a week with a homeless charity this summer. He will be a meeter and greeter, serve food, do washing and kit them out from clothes store.

Thanks to suggestion by PP, he now also has an interview for the Independent Custody Visitor role - they said they were delighted to receive an application from a YP as their age profile is 45+. So grateful for all advice and DS feels he is taking positive steps

Tangotwister do you have any figures for how competitive this scheme is to get into? I'm a bit surprised that some people here are saying it's tough to get a place I assumed they would be short of applicants rather than the other way around. Well done to your DS for doing these volunteering positions btw.

You're misunderstanding me, I was saying he would be unlikely to get PAID work as a student with no experience. Not that he wouldn't get a volunteer position.

Well done to him anyway.

In 2019, there were 3,992 applications for 93 places on the National Detective Programme (Police Now).

@Mogginsthemog ah, that makes sense. Thanks!

I’m also surprised it’s that competitive to get into the police. Obviously there are minimum standards but I’m sure they would snap up a Cambridge graduate.

They’ll be lucky to have such a committed candidate. Your DS is lucky to know so clearly what pathway in life he wants. That truly is a gift!

Cross posted with your statistics above.
But I’m sure he’ll get there in the end.
Again - lucky them, and him!

Well done DS.

My advice remains the same to not apply for direct entry DC and to join on a normal PC pathway to get an initial grounding of policing when he does embark on the job.

This reminds me of a Consultant surgeon friend of mine whose son unexpectedly joined the police. They were very taken aback by his choice - also concerned, as he told tales of having to press alarms on his uniform while being surrounded by weapon-wielding youths in Brixton. (I’m sure my terminology is all wrong).
And he adores every minute of it. Of all their children he is the happiest in his career.

@Everybodywants thank you for this advice. I will pass onto my DS

@Famzonhol i thought getting into Cambridge was competitive but it’s a walk in the park compared to National Detective Programme it seems! Thanks for your kind comments

Hi OP

I know you DS has now got some volunteering work but I'd like to make a suggestion. In my experience the police have little to no awareness of disability. There are a lot of free or fairly cheap (under £30) course in Deaf awareness, blind awareness, ASD awareness. Some are on line others are face to face but relatively short, a week or even a half day.

He could pick one each holiday and by the time he has graduated have a handful.

Obviously the volunteering is more important but it would be something to bring to interview.

@sashh this is an excellent idea, thanks. Will pass on. I’ve just seen that there’s an online deaf awareness course by RNID/signature for £24.99 👍

In 2019, there were 3,992 applications for 93 places on the National Detective Programme (Police Now)

Thanks Tangotwister. Well those numbers have confused me further, because DS3 who is on the course your own DS wants to go for seems to have literally dozens of people in his intake. This is the Met so I wonder if your figures exclude the Met, and the Met has far more places than the rest of the country? All I can say is that I was extremely surprised when he told me that he was accepting a place on the course (Oxford and Cambridge grad/ post grad History), if only because at no stage had he mentioned applying or ever voiced an interest. All I would say is that the skills required probably mean that your DS won't have a struggle getting a place, so he shouldn't make an application read like a tick box exercise in things he's done specifically to evidence an interest, I think they're probably going to dig a little deeper than that and talking about all those things, if he does too many, could mask his inherent talents. DS3 did literally nothing, it was just him. That said, he did volunteer with a homeless project as an undergrad at Oxford (went out on the streets one evening a week I think, giving a warm meal to those who wanted it) but that was a long time before he had any interest in joining the Met - totally unrelated and I doubt he mentioned it. Good luck to your DS. If you come across any figures for the Met could you post? I'd be very interested. Thanks!

@goodbyestranger it is very confusing to me too! Son is interested in applying to Met via the Police Now programme (which has the stats I quoted). Did your DS apply via this route or direct to the Met for their 2 year detective constable degree holder entry programme? I have no clue which route is preferable tbh

Well you've got me now Tangotwister - no idea! I shall ask. But why would there be two two year graduate entry schemes running in parallel? That seems messy.

93 places for the Met would make sense? 3 or 4 per borough/CID unit.

As far as I know each force recruits separately, so it wouldn’t be a “national programme” in that sense.

Police Now is definitely national but small. Just read that it’s focused on diversity (BAME recruits) which is fab - but my DS does not tick that box so I guess will apply direct to the Met in due course!