There’s no worse feeling than when you’re in a police oral board interview and the raters on the panel asks you a question you don’t know the answer to. That’s why I’ve always encouraged visitors to explore this website in order to invest in a Police Oral Board Prep Guide beforehand.
You will be well prepared and it will help you immensely as you prepare for your police oral exam.
The best way to handle this dreaded debacle is to go into the interview prepared. Familiarize yourself with a few common police oral interview questions and arm yourself with answers prepared ahead of time.
Check out these tough law enforcement situational interview questions and some suggested responses in order to avoid an interview disaster:
Tell me about yourself.
This is usually the opening question in a police oral interview and it’s the perfect moment for you to toot your own horn — not to tell your life history. Your answers should be a quick rundown of your qualifications and experience. Talk about your education, work history, recent career experience, and future goals.
Best Answer To This Question:
Short and sweet is best but make it something that will stand out later in the interviewers’ minds. You should use a brief history statement and blend it in with a current statement of who you are now such as:
I was lucky enough to work for my father 10 years ago. During those years, he taught me to value hard work and dedication. I have taken this motivation to do just that. While working full-time, I have just graduated with a 3.85 from the University of FU with a degree in Criminal Justice. I am married and enjoy shooting, grappling, and working as a reserve officer for the town of Putinville.
Here are some of the six areas the panel will rate you on:
Anticipate that interviewers will ask you about these target areas and devise a game plan to respond to them now. This will make you prepared and sharp for the interview.
1. Technical competence: Does the candidate have the necessary skills and knowledge to do the job?
2. Job motivation: How motivated are you to perform the job?
3. Fit with the work environment: Will the candidate fit into this work environment or would you be suited for a different department?
4. Compatibility with the employer and management philosophy:Will the candidate be compatible with the boss and accept management philosophy?
5. Interpersonal relationships: Can the candidate get along with co-workers and supervisors?
6. Past failures: What past work experiences have been unsuccessful and will they affect the candidate’s ability to perform this job?
The Basic Interview Questions:
While planning ahead, you should be able to answer just about any question posed by the interviewers without hesitation or panic. They will be asked in one form or another and cover about 90% of all types of interview questions you can expect in any type of interview setting.
