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Uniformed Police Officer
by cools952
I was really struggling to think of a Dooyoo review to write until I saw this subject area! As I've been working for the police for the past 16 years both as a civilian initially and now an actual officer, I thought I'd share my experiences.
Whatever your background everyone seems to have an opinion of the police whether ... thats a "they do a great job but its not for me" attitude or the "as opposed to lecturing me for speeding why not catch some real criminals" one! Some choose to discover what being a police officer is like for themselves and I can really recommend it.
The job itself is a trying one with plenty of highs and lows. My initial experience with the police was as a 16 year old working in a department called the Admin Support Unit (ASU). This department housed the hundreds of files that were ongoing through the court system and gave me an insight as to just how much paperwork was required in the job. Many of the office based jobs had begun to be "civilianised" at the time in order to free up police officers to be out on the streets and I could see, as a civilian, just how time consuming and draining dealing with all that paperwork could be. But this was and still is the price of our Criminal Justice system and it is the burden of the prosecution to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that a suspect is guilty of a crime. As such, for all the governement's ongoing promises of trying to "beat bureaucracy" I feel that lots of paperwork will always be an integral part of the job.
Seven years later and a colleague of mine said he was applying to join up as a police officer and leave the civilian ranks behind. I'd never really fancied it myself but decided to take the plunge as a support to my mate, and to see if I could get through the many hurdles facing applicants. I'd be lying if I didn't mention that at the time I would also be earning about £7k a year more as an officer as opposed to a civilian!
The beauty of joining the police is that no formal qualifications are necessary so you get a real mix of university educated applicants next to those that have "studied at the university of life!" The real key to joining is how you are as a person and how you react to certain situations. Also, if you struggle to communicate effectively, there is no real point in even attempting to join. As long as you are 18 or over, you are welcome to apply with no upper age barrier.
I was in an ideal position as a civilian to join up as over the years I had befriended a number of police officers that had come through the doors of the ASU. The initial process was the application form which was a mix of a number of security questions plus a fairly detailed section about what makes you as an individual tick, what life experience you have, and of course, why you want to be a police officer. The application came in the form of two booklets which seemed to take an age to complete as they had to be handwritten so that the assessors could check that your writing was legible!
Different Forces mix up the next stage of the application but I had an assessment which tested my ability to work in a group, problem solving, basic numeracy and writing tests as well as logic and observation tests. My observation skills have always been awful, but fortunately the scores were taken over all the subject areas and I got through.
The next test for me was the physical and again, the nature of these vary across the Forces. Mine involved 3 laps around a mini assault course, designed to mimic some of the aspects that you may face as a police officer. It involved sprinting, crawling, jumping over obstacles, pulling a body (which in my nearly 9 years as an officer I have never had to do!!!) and a push-pull machine to test your strength. Although I didn't find the course overly taxing, a decent level of fitness is required and if you push yourself too hard you make mistakes which incur time penalties.
Following the physical was the medical for me which is basically a general health test. Forces again vary regarding what their standards are. If like me, you had a bit of childhood asthma, you may seek to join one of the bigger metropolitan Forces as their standards for lung capacity and things like eyesight fluctuate massively from the rural Forces that have far fewer vacancies and can afford to be more choosey.
If you pass all of those, then there is just the little matter of an interview to get through before you pick up your uniform. The interview is usually conducted by a Superintendent or above with an Inspector and Sergeant. If you are thinking about joining, I would strongly recommend popping into your local police station and asking for some advice about the process. Most of the Forces websites also now contain a great host of useful information to read up on.
Assuming you pass the interview you go into training after your welcoming ceremony. Your first two years as a police officer are classed as your "probation" with much of the initial 3-6 months being classroom based as you start to go through the law books to make sure that you don't arrest someone for the wrong thing when you are unveiled on the streets! This really pushed people when I went through it as not everyone is as academically minded as others. Although you don't need to be a brain surgeon to get through this, some people did really struggle and a few of my colleagues dropped out which was sad considering all they had been through to get to this stage in the first place.
If you can battle through the law input, along with all the policy and procedure work you will be allocated a "parade station" and a tutor officer. The tutor will be an experienced officer that basically watches your every move for the first 10 week and assesses your development. Any problems should be ironed out with a little discussion and practice although for some, this is the stage that they get to when they realise the job is not for them.
When you get through your tutor phase there is just the little matter of completing that initial two years before you are confirmed in rank. This period is perhaps the most nerve racking for officers as the comfort blanket is pulled away more and more and you are expected to deal with issues and take the lead. It is perhaps the steepest learning curve part of the job but getting through it is so rewarding.
Once you're confirmed in rank the world is your oyster. You can now choose to carry on working on a response team (24/7 shifts) or a Neighbourhood Team (slightly more sociable hours focussing on specific communities) or widen out to the likes of CID, Firearms, Traffic or any other of the many departments that exist. If you haven't had your fill of exams and law, you can also apply for promotion and take another beast of an exam to start that process.
For me, the beauty of being a police officer is the wide variety of work and the worn out phrase that "no two days are the same." It really opened my eyes up to what goes on in the world and that there are some truly evil people out there along with some truly wonderful ones. It can sometimes get difficult to switch off from work, particularly when you get ladened with some of the ridiculous amounts of paperwork that the job heaps upon you. Many a night I have struggled to sleep thinking about what I need to get done the next day.
There is obviously the side to policing that would shock and disturb a number of people. I have attended some truly horrible road traffic accidents which perhaps makes me realise why so many of my colleagues are so vociferous in enforcing seat belt laws, particularly when children are involved. Also the first murder scene I ever attended is something that I can vividly recall to this day.
Counselling is available as part of the job, and its perhaps not surprising considering the kinds of situations you can be exposed to. I'm glad to say that mandatory referrals are now common place for certain incidents meaning that all the bravado that some officers try and show afterwards can still be probed to make sure there are no deeper issues.
The last 9 years that I've been a police officer have been a real rollercoaster. I've met some amazing friends that I'd like to think I will be close to forever and have lost, in the line of duty, some close friends that I have been proud to have called more than just "colleagues."
The Police Service isn't for everyone and some people decide at one stage or another that its not for them. It can be depressing with the incredible amount of paperwork that only seems to have increased since the age of "blame culture" and popularity of lawsuits against people. It always upsets me when a suspect is handed a paultry sentence for a serious offence he's committed when I know I've worked hard for the past 3 months to get him to court. That being said, there is perhaps no greater feeling than when a serious offender is handed a good term of imprisonment and you can tell the poor victims that their ordeal is perhaps now over.
Working shifts can also be a trial if you have never worked them before. Added to the fact that you are not always guaranteed to finish on time, many a romantic dinner date has been ruined thanks to the perils of the job!
Policing certainly isn't for everyone, but for me, I love it. My opinion is that the positives far outweigh the negatives and the thought of being able to make a real difference in peoples lives day in day out is something that few other jobs can offer. I'm really glad I joined and the fact that I can retire on a full pension at 48 helps too!!!
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Public Librarian
by RUTH1957
Yes ,I am a Librarian I people who come in think us librarians know everything . I have been working in libraries for over thirty years and have enjoyed most of my time. There have been certainly changes to my job and now I run a average size branch library which i really do enjoy.
When I first started out we had know ... computers so it was what we called the 'brown issue' which involved having those cardboard tickets for the borrowers and book tickets in each of the books which we had to take out when the book was loaned out. Things were very simple then in libraries as we only loaned out books then after a few years they bought out cassttes which were able to be hired out.
In the mid eighties my library was computerisedf and suppose things have really have changed.People now can borrow Dvds, Playaways which is story on MP3 style player, CDs, Books. There is also a good range of merchandise on sale, and computer access.
Various activities go on now in Libraries Computer help, Baby Bounce and Rhyme time for the little ones, Homelibrary Service for those who cannot go out to the library, Craft activities for children,Reading Group. All these activities do go on in my library so as you can see there is plenty going on for everyone.
I find every day is different and I love working with the public.Sometimes it also can be challengeing but rewarding.
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Homemaker
by benjismum
I've been a homemaker since March 2009 and to be honest it's sooo boring! I hate cleaning, ironing, washing, and just generally sitting around waiting for the other half to come home! I'm eternally grateful for having a dog as it's my excuse to get out of the house and see some life! It's not quite so bad during the summer as I enjoy ... gardening and sitting out there on my swing seat enjoying the flowers, knowing that I've planted them all and looking after them.
I do enjoy cooking though, I like experimenting with different ingredients. The bottom line is that someone has to do the housework. My fiance works 8.30-5.30 so I can't expect him to come home and start doing the hoovering or anything! I always make sure the house is tidy when he gets home but I don't think he really realises how much work goes into keeping a house clean and tidy. It's very easy for him to think I don't do anything, just sit watching tv all day. I dread to think how the place would look if he were living on his own!
Before we moved in together I had loads of hobbies but now I feel guilty for doing them as I'm looking around seeing things that need to be done!I think I just need to come to terms with being a homemaker and try to enjoy it, I can't work for a couple of personal reasons so I think I'll just grin and bear it.
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