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!

On reflection, I'm pretty sure that DS3 applied direct to the Met, given the description of how the scheme works. It would make sense that Police Now could be an additional national diversity drive. Thanks Tango.

“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!”

100%. Your DS is clearly so driven - Met should snaffle him up.

They are all crying out for applicants - desperate to comply with Boris’ more replacing some of the numbers lost since the Tories got in. The Met have been offering a golden handshake! He should look for a course that prepares him for the assessment centre etc but recruitment in all forces is very geared up to prep applicants to not-fair preparedness.

Detectives carry huge workloads: (20-30 live investigations, never have the time to investigate any of them properly and it’s drowning in nepotism and incompetence. I can’t see the direct entry detective pathway staying around long as they just don’t get the time or tutoring to develop them. Over 50% of our beg to be taken off the detective route and go plain uniform response cop.

There are far more mentally rewarding and financially lucrative jobs out there for a Cambridge graduate.

@Swansandcustard ofc DS has many avenues open to him as a prospective Cambridge grad. The world is (theoretically) his oyster! However, he has (since age 15) been utterly committed to joining the police. That is his goal and he will not be dissuaded from it. He is not motivated by money and being in the police would be mentally rewarding (and rewarding in so many other aspects too)

Fair enough @Tangotwister . DH and I worked for the police 16 years each, he’s a detective and is frantically digging his escape tunnel, as are many more.

The Met are desperate for TDCs so I doubt he would have problems getting in.

To be fair to both the police and Oxford and Cambridge graduates, the last couple of bosses at the Met were Oxbridge graduates (I just happen to know that, haven't looked further), so at least some stick with it and find it a sufficiently satisfying career.

@Tangotwister
I think some posts are a sad reflection of how poor the police can be as an employer and how slow they are to change.

I also think there is a dislike of “fast track” amongst the general officer population . I had a conversation on another thread about the removal of criminal police officers. Posters, who said they were police officers, insisting the ONLY way to train the police was spending years not being a detective and facing violence every day. They were adamant this the best training! I am clear that the police need to utilize intelligent people in ways that benefit society, but I’m not certain the police, overall, are ready for this. To hear that fast track candidates beg to go into uniform tells you a lot. Some police forces are poor employers!

Im sure he should pursue this career, but go in with his eyes open. The rank and file might not be welcoming. If the culture is different 2 years down the line, absolutely go for it. I think the pre best experience is doing something with people. That’s what policing is all about. People.

I just meant to add that the other posters were clear that facing down violent criminals meant everything in the police. Brains were not valued. Personally I thought that was terrible. However the “them and us” does seem to be very much alive. It’s sad and wrong. Hopefully new recruits can shift this attitude.

This is a sad thread. Enthusiastic and clever young people apparently likely to get a terrible training, and work overload, with a poor employer. Likely to be begging to move on.

People on the medicine threads saying the same stuff. Teachers too. What on earth has happened to the UK?

I have worked for both the police and the NHS. The Police are by far the better employer, and have a much better workplace culture. i don’t know whether it’s because we happen to have an excellent SLT, especially at mid level, or it’s my particular role and colleagues.

re. Dislike of “fast track”- my observation is that it’s viewed on merit. There are a lot of degree entrants that may be very clever, but have no people skills. It doesn’t matter if you’re some sort of crime solving genius, you need to have the people skills and decision making skills, and accurately assess risks. You need to be able to tell people what to do, and then do it.

we have a good few fast trackers that are brilliant at their roles. We’ve had some quit on the first day.

a friend is two years into the programme and is looking to leave. He is one that always wanted the role, is really happy he’s done it, and proved he can do it. But for various reasons it’s not for him. However he now has an enviable CV and is not short of offers for new jobs. It’s not like the old days where you get tied in, or the pension keeps you in. So even if o/p’s son finds it’s not for him, he’ll gain some really good skills along the way which employers will jump at.

Yellowdays please don't be sad on behalf of these clever young people. Not all Oxbridge graduates want to join the queue of lemmings chasing vac schemes or banking or consultancy grad schemes. Some actually simply find other things interesting. I'm all for my DC chasing vac schemes if they think that will make them happy and they'll actually find the work interesting but absolutely not otherwise. I've only ever seen exams and Oxbridge as something which gives my DC maximum choice, but never as a route to law or banking or consultancy or whatever. DS3 is loving what he's doing and when he stops loving it he can move on. Not a big deal and definitely not sad. I find OP's DS's enthusiasm from an identical background the opposite of sad! People skills are vital in almost every career and fortunately all my DC possess them. Going to Oxbridge doesn't sap the people skills out of its students you know!

That people skills bit was to Newnamenewme23. I have to say I've had the misfortune to come across some utterly charmless police officers on the beat including one who attempted to accuse my Jack Russell of a misdemeanor he didn't commit. Zero people skills there.

Hear, hear.

I totally agree.

I get so irritated by the assumption (usually by overpaid lawyers) that any aspirational young people should only work in the city in finance or a magic circle firm. Such a narrow minded point of view.

We need brilliant detectives, doctors and teachers and other professionals who serve the community more than we need overpaid fat cat lawyers.

Rant over.

I didn’t say that there aren’t PC’s with no people skills.

I said that being super clever, degree educated doesn’t automatically mean you will be a great Police officer. People skills are what sorts the good from the ineffective.

He could look into becoming a special in your home town (I think the 16hrs a month is averaged, so could potentially be done in the holidays).

Otherwise some sort of customer facing job which is extremely demanding but provides very little support - that way the graduate scheme won't be quite such a shock to him 😬

*I didn’t say that there aren’t PC’s with no people skills.

I said that being super clever, degree educated doesn’t automatically mean you will be a great Police officer. People skills are what sorts the good from the ineffective*

I know. And I was responding to the latter, since the implication was that the super clever etc might well lack people skills. That's an old chestnut. They're no more likely to lack people skills than not super clever non graduates, it simply doesn't follow.

Most of us want DC in fulfilling careers. Plenty of lawyers or former lawyers post on here and have great experience in their field plus have Dc doing exactly that career. I don’t think anyone pidgeonholes an Oxbridge grad though! They know their own minds. Thankfully.

It is important DC understand that the culture of some forces needs to change and, as we can see, there is an implied suggestion that bright does not equal being good with people. For what it’s worth, many lawyers have to be good with people. It’s a skill needed by many others too (unless you work in a bunker) and it is found in many grads too! Regardless of which university!

TizerorFizz I took care to add the caveat about doing law if they thought it would be something they actually wanted to do. I'm not in the least anti law as a career, the benefits can be huge and not the purely financial. As to knowing their own minds; really? Some will do of course, but so many seem to panic and follow the lemming like drive to go for vac schemes. I'm quite sure that the numbers applying for vac schemes from Oxbridge far outweigh the numbers who would suit and enjoy commercial law as a career and no doubt the same can be said for finance and consultancy. I think the pressure early on in the penultimate year of the degree is horrible and must lead to panic applications. It didn't used to be the case, and I doubt the firms in question actually have a better quality of graduate entrant than they did back in the old days. But yes, agreed, law is obviously great for those actually suited to it and enjoy it.

@goodbyestranger
I agree. It’s sensible to look at careers you might want to do and not follow others. It was @RampantIvy accusing posters of only talking about law and lawyer posters being overpaid. Not you. Nor me!

I do think young people consider careers reasonably carefully and what they might be suited to. Some definitely take lower paid jobs and will do those jobs for decades because they love them. In most state paid professional careers, someone near the top earns well with a great pension at the end. Not everyone is a lemming. If they are, and they get it wrong, they can move on. I’ve known several do this too. SAHM/D being a common route out.

I do think the police have been slow to really grasp the opportunity to train recruits from a good university background by actively responding to their needs and looking at how they can be of most use. I seem to remember DD saying this wasn’t possible 7 years ago. Might be wrong of course. The police need to embrace alternative recruitment and training and a different ethos in some areas to attract the best.

update: gobsmacked by this but a retired, very senior officer in the Met has reached out directly in response to this thread. Amazed they are on MN and so kind to reach out. They were struck by my (secondhand reports of) DS’s commitment and want to meet him with a view to mentoring him. How great is Mumsnet! DS back to Cambridge tomorrow so just packed up the car. He has his interview for Independent Custody Visitor in 2 weeks time too.

I am so enormously grateful to you all on this (very niche) thread.

That's a great update OP.

MN at its finest.

That reach out would be even better if it were from a rank and file DC in the Met, or indeed, any of the police forces. The fact that it’s senior officer demonstrates they aren’t as in touch with how it actually is in reality.

I’ve said myself and DH have worked for the police for a long time, and you’re delighted to believe a post from high ranks.

just remember this thread when your DS tries to quit ACDP/being a student officer

Search ‘police leavers’ on FB

He can volunteer as a special.