10 Signs You Are Perfect for a Career in Law Enforcement

A career in law enforcement is attractive to a lot of people. However, it is such a remarkable job that you may be wondering how you would find out if you were good at it before you sign up. It’s not like you have a lot of practice catching robbers and chasing criminals in a regular job. So here are ten signs that you would be perfect for a career in law enforcement.

You Are a Good Communicator

If you are a good communicator and like being around the public, this could be a fantastic career. You will need to be great at talking and explaining yourself to a wide variety of people as you will be dealing with people from all backgrounds during your career. The most important communication skill is listening. A throwaway comment could be the one thing that cracks the case, but if you weren’t listening properly, you would miss it. You will pick up a lot of information as a police officer, and the ability to listen and absorb it is imperative.

 

You Are Good at Conflict Resolution

If you attend a street fight or an argument, you could arrest the people you find there. However, if you can resolve the conflict so that all parties walk away uninjured, and you haven’t had to arrest anybody, it means that you are free to tackle the next crime, and nobody is getting a criminal record. Choosing the best way to resolve a conflict can be difficult as it is an art rather than a taught skill. If you are naturally good at this, you could be perfect for a career in law enforcement.

 

You Have Empathy

Having empathy is essential if you want a career as a law enforcement officer. It is easy to have empathy with a perceived victim. However, it might be that the alleged perpetrator is the victim, or the perpetrator at least had a good reason for what they did. Empathy with everyone involved will help you keep an open mind and solve the case. If you have already made your mind up when you arrive on the scene, you will not find as much information, which will be a hindrance rather than a help.

 

You Enjoy a Challenge

As a law enforcer, there will be times when you are faced with challenging situations. For example, a crime might be challenging to solve. For example, you may know that someone is lying to you, but you have to work out how to truth. There are a lot of day-to-day challenges in the world of law enforcement, but if the idea of being challenged excites you, it may be the perfect career.

 

You Are Adaptable

If you can switch from one task to another and back again without missing anything or feeling overloaded, then you could make a good law enforcement officer. Changes frequently occur in policing. For example, you are part-way through solving a crime when a more urgent one comes in, and you have to go and deal with that instead. Once that is resolved, you have to get back into the first crime you tried to solve without confusing yourself. This may be something you are already used to doing in your career, but the ability to switch without missing a beat could make you perfect for a law enforcement career.

 

You Can Exercise Self Control

It would help if you had a lot of self-control to be good at law enforcement. There will always be someone trying to start an argument with you or make you lose your cool, but to do so would be unprofessional, and it could lead to you losing your job or even going to prison. Self-control is essential, but if you know you can keep your head in a crisis, this could be a great career choice.

 

Common Sense

A lot of law enforcement comes down to common sense. This is because you will be expected to deal with situations you have never come across before. Although you might have a lot of legal knowledge, this doesn’t always make up for your lack of experience. If you have good common sense, you will be able to make the right decisions without having had a lot of experience.

 

Attention to Detail

Sometimes, the details could easily be missed, which leads to a crime being solved. Paying attention to the insignificant things helps the larger things slot into place and make more sense. However, not everyone is blessed with having good attention to detail. A law enforcement career is a good option if you have this skill.

You Love to Learn

There is always something new to learn in law enforcement. For example, you may start by getting a police studies degree from a provider such as Wilfrid Laurier University, but that is the beginning of your learning journey rather than the end. The law is constantly changing, and politicians introduce new laws all the time. You will have to keep updated with these changes to act accordingly. For example, if you want to specialize or get promoted, you need to take separate qualifications. If you are looking for a career that keeps you learning, you could be perfect for a career in law enforcement.

 

You Are Physically Fit

Being physically fit is an essential part of being a law enforcer. There will be times when you need to chase suspects, restrain criminals, and have the stamina to keep going for the whole shift. An interest in physical fitness will get you a long way.

If you have these ten characteristics, you might be perfect for a career in law enforcement. If this is something that you have been thinking about for a while, now might be the right time to challenge yourself and apply for the role.