If you want to become a United States Border Patrol agent, you must understand that the panel interview is as important or even more important than the entrance exam. If you show up unprepared for your oral exam or you project a lack of enthusiasm or interest, YOU WILL be disqualified. It’s really that simple.
That’s why I encourage every applicant to study up on the interview by reading over Robert Lawrence’s Killer Job Interview Secrets E-Book. Robert goes over a wide variety of sample interview questions that will prepare you for the customs & border patrol oral interview. You will learn how to beat out the competition even if you’re the least qualified of everyone.
Here are more tips on the border patrol panel interview:
- You won’t come across multiple people asking the same questions simultaneously, nor will they ask your opinion of what qualities make a good police officer.
- The USBP interview is a panel interview consisting of hypothetical situations.
- You will enter a room staffed by two field agents and a supervisory agent; he or she will be the one wearing captain’s bars.
- You will be given the opportunity to introduce yourself and tell the board a bit about yourself.
- You will then be presented with the scenarios. Be detailed and complete. Speak clearly and with confidence. The board will not expect you to react as a trained agent would react. Rather, they are interested in evaluating your problem solving abilities.
- Dress professionally, be polite, and use good hygene. Personally, I hate interviewing applicants that need to brush their teeth.
- The board members will take turns asking specific detailed questions and will take notes throughout the process (This documenting of the interview is mandatory; it does not imply you are doing well or poorly with the interview).
- At the conclusion of the interview, you will step outside while the board members finish the documentation and rating. After that, you will return to the interview room and they will inform you of their conclusions. At this time, you will either be referred to the next phase of the hiring process or you will be instructed how to reapply for another interview after a 6 month waiting period should you not be referred.
