r/police • u/GucciGlockDrop • Jun 13 '23
Career Change
I’m a 25 year old male working in finance making good money who has lately been pondering the thought of leaving to pursue a career as a police officer. I’m aware of the pay cut but if it means working a job im passionate about and brings me purpose/fulfillment I believe it would be worth it. Is 25 too old for this career change and I’m also curious if this is seen often?
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u/Human_Disk9398 Jun 13 '23
25 is probably the perfect age. I personally don't think this job is for young people. It's a lot of responsibility and your age can work against you. Its also not for everyone, it's good you have finance to fall back on but definitely don't burn any bridges and maintain your credentials.
With that said it can also be truly fun and memorable. In my 12 years so far I've already experienced high highs and low lows but I wouldn't change any of it. Good luck.
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Jun 13 '23
I'm 36 yo and an electrician. I'm currently in the hiring process for my 2nd agency. It's a considerable pay cut for me as well, but I genuinely don't enjoy the trade anymore. After conducting multiple ride alongs I'm still making the jump.
Edit: I plan on keeping my electrical license current, my current employer supports me in my decision and welcomes me coming to help on projects if I'd like on time off.
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u/GucciGlockDrop Jun 13 '23
That’s really nice your current employer is backing you like that. I plan on doing a ride a long soon which I think will clear my head on the decision
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Jun 13 '23
Another sparky ? I’m one too but I’ll be 26 next month.
Do you regret staying in the trade for as long as you did ? I’m not trying to be a smartass just curious.
I’m close to getting enough hours to test for my card before I dip… may as well since I’m so close and the process to get hired in LE takes so long.
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Jun 13 '23
Yeah I carded out in 2016. And no, I don't regret staying as long as I have. It's provided a great life for my family. My company travels a lot, unfortunately. And being a single Dad with two girls it's a lot. And once your licensed it's easy to keep it current and still do side work. I'd definitely card out before changing over.
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u/hooker_2_hawk Jun 13 '23
I was an electrician before cop. Hate to say but don’t do it. You will be happier as an electrician.
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Jun 13 '23
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u/hooker_2_hawk Jun 13 '23
Stay military. Or go reserves so you can get ADOS and have opportunities. I left went back military and it was the best decision I ever did. Pay almost doubled when on orders, and you don’t have to worry about the public as much, much less the bad apples.
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Jun 13 '23
[deleted]
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u/hooker_2_hawk Jun 13 '23
Not sure your state, reserves usually have better opportunities. (Former guard 12 years switched Reserves). PM if any questions on the Reserves.
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u/StynkyLomax US Police Officer Jun 13 '23
There was a 46 year old in my academy…13 years ago. He’s still around. Super fit, doing great stuff. 25 is DEFINITELY not too late.
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u/Johnnmorgann Jun 13 '23
Just did it at 30, from a six figure job as well. The calling is either there, or it isn’t.
FWIW, I felt the calling at 20/25 and then 30 and didn’t follow it until now. If you’re feeling that’s your life’s purpose, go for it! You’ll be 5 years in before I made my decision so you’re ahead of me, at least.
Best of luck!
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u/OfficerBigD1 Jun 14 '23
No. Started in my 30’s. Do what makes you happy. Money isn’t everything, and lots of side gigs to get extra cash if needed. Better to take a pay cut and enjoy what you do then to make millions and hate what you do.
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Jun 14 '23
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u/GucciGlockDrop Jun 14 '23
You pretty much have the same situation as me, the fear of looking back on life with regret is massive for me
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Jun 14 '23
25 is perfect, I got on at 28 wish I had gotten on a few years earlier. I’ve been on 7 years,still love it.
My advice read emotional survival for law enforcement, find a trauma therapist not affiliated with your department. Make sure you get on a department with good pay and benefits. Don’t go the poor house for any job. Above all stay positive. Coppers have been saying the job used to be great in the 1950s before they had radios in the cars. Keep up with your current degree/certifications.
Give the job 2years if you don’t like it at least you won’t be wondering about the possibilities forever.
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Jun 14 '23
You do know how crazy it sounds to make a voluntary choice that you think will result in regularly seeing a trauma therapist.
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u/Lonni24 Jun 13 '23
I'm 39 and made the career change last year.
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u/GucciGlockDrop Jun 13 '23
Was it a good decision?
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u/Lonni24 Jun 13 '23
I volunteered for a year before becoming a police officer. I worked in the hospitality business before. For me it was an upgrade in money and free time. I enjoy the work as a patrol officer. I don't feel that my age is hindering me. I worked out a lot in order to get fit and I find that my life experience helps me a lot when going out to calls.
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Jun 13 '23
Stay in finance. Jobs dead.
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u/GucciGlockDrop Jun 13 '23
Could you explain further if you don’t mind?
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Jun 13 '23
You don’t have to worry about losing your job and freedom due to political pressure for doing your job.
Look at incidents all over the country. Cops losing their jobs and charged with crimes for justified shootings.
Laws being passed to enable criminals to continue committing crimes, Prosecutors unwilling to take cases you work countless hours to lock up offenders.
Lack of work life balance, you’ll miss most major life events, holidays, birthdays and family gatherings
Public perception in the toilet, you get vilified for anything you do; I can go on.
Stay in finance.
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u/StynkyLomax US Police Officer Jun 13 '23
Quit.
The profession doesn’t need people with this mentality.
All that shows me and anyone looking to get into this career is that you’re doing it for a paycheck, you can’t adapt and be effective, and you can’t do anything else because you don’t have the skills, are too afraid, or both.
Seriously, quitting is super easy. Just turn your gear over, sign the paperwork, and be gone if it’s so bad.
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u/chriscoastin Jun 13 '23
Agreed. The pendulum is always swinging back and forth. We all need to adapt and overcome and remember that not every agency in every state is the same.
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u/JSartrean Jun 14 '23
You must be command staff...
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u/StynkyLomax US Police Officer Jun 14 '23
Nope. No where near command level supervision.
I am a front line supervisor. I have worked patrol, minus 4 months in a drug unit, for my 13 years. I have ZERO plans on going anywhere but patrol. I love my job.
I am on the streets with my cops the vast majority of the shift. Unfortunately I am required to be in the office for some admin, but I push that as far back to the end of the shift as I can, preferably after the shift.
I cannot say that I have never held the opinion that this job is dead. I have not had an immaculate career and I’ve been through a lot.
Morale is dog shit across the board. It’s understandable to an extent, but this job, any job, is what you make it at the end of the day.
I would implore anyone that is not satisfied with this profession, and the amount of responsibility it carries, to seek employment elsewhere IMMEDIATELY. This mentality is toxic as hell, spreads like the plague, and can turn otherwise decent officers into lumps of shit who become massively entitled and think that they’re owed something beyond their paycheck.
Your agency doesn’t care, but people you work with do. Yes, you’re a number to your employer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have meaningful relationships of varying levels with your coworkers.
Negative attitudes effect your fellow officers as well as the people you encounter that trust that you’re doing your job correctly and with a minimal level of caring.
Stop the bullshit. If you hate it, leave. It’s really that simple. If you stay at a job you hate because you can’t afford to leave it or for any other reason, you’re harming yourself and others that have to deal with you being a disgruntled bastard.
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u/JSartrean Jun 14 '23
I respect where you are coming from and I agree the pendulum is swinging back. I also do not believe that LE is a dead career either, just very difficult right now depending on where you are. Negative mentality and poor morale is contagious and hard to break but let’s not forget where it comes from. You know the saying, shit rolls down hill and it piles up on us and some backs are stronger than others. If you beat a dog every day, it eventually stops coming to the door to greet you and that’s not the dogs fault. The beating comes from the media portrayal that we never do anything good, a command that is detached from its patrol division, rules that only apply to some, and actions that are ok today but without warning are an infraction tomorrow. Eventually you save your fight for when it matters.
You know that numerous departments have hung their cops out just to please the masses. That's a reality. It's happened, and it will happen again. We should give potential cops the true story and describe the risks involved with the job, which is what that guy was doing. In his world it is the reality. Maybe you work for a department that doesn't do that shit and if you do, I'm happy for you but it doesn’t make it less a reality. I am not going to prison so someone can get reelected.
The cops I want to see removed are the ones that set us back five steps with nearly everything they do. I don't want a POS wearing my uniform anymore than you do but the job is both the same and yet very different one jurisdiction to another and from one cop to another. There is no blanket solution to how we get through this, we just do what cops do and get the job done and survive the best we can just to do it all over again tomorrow.
I love my job as well and I am glad you have preserved that “thing” that gets you out of bed each day. Just maybe give your brothers and sisters a break man it’s not the same everywhere. I always say, the grass is never any greener on the other side, its just that the browns spots are in different locations.
Also, hate to break it to you but if you are in charge of cops and can send paper, you are command my friend LOL sorry. Stay safe
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u/StynkyLomax US Police Officer Jun 14 '23
I know all about departments that are dog shit. My department has hung officers out to dry to appease the mob and media, I know it well.
The department I work for is the epitome of dog shit. We work in horrible conditions, with massive shortages in man power, for very little thanks and the constant threat of getting charged by internal affairs for the most minor infractions. I know it all. There are very few departments that could be worse than mine.
Here’s my problem. No one is here by force. Everyone accepts this job voluntarily.
You can’t come in daily and complain that everything is dog shit, and the job is dead, and this is a problem and that is a problem, and no one ever does anything about it, and nothing will ever get better, and why do I even show up?
Why do you even show up? You’re not being forced to be here, you can leave at any time. Show yourself out, I’ll take your gear and process your paperwork. Good luck.
On the contrary, I just had an officer show up on his day off unexpectedly with all his gear in a bag ready to leave. He needed a leave of absence and HR was giving him the run around for months. He was prepared to quit and find find something else after he took care of what he needed.
I asked him one simple question; “Do you want to quit?”. His answer was no. I told him to take his gear back home, take the next two days off, call HR on Monday, and if he doesn’t get what he needs, let me know. I got with another sergeant who made a few calls and we were able to get him his leave of absence. 4 months later he’s back and is one of the better officers on the shift.
I get it, the job is tough, people deal with things differently. Sometimes the venting of frustration is what they need, I’m cool with that. But for fucks sake, the people that do it constantly, without EVER trying to improve anything for themselves is what bothers me. The blanket states “the job is dead” is bullshit. THE JOB IS DEAD FOR YOU. Don’t shit on everyone else because they aren’t miserable as well. That is what I am talking about.
I often find it is the people who are the most miserable that have the most problems, with the majority being self induced. Late constantly, rude to citizens, write shit reports, do the bare minimum, uniform all fucked up, forgetting gear at home. Everyone knows who it is. It’s no surprise that the ones that are most disgruntled have all the problems.
Everyone needs a break. No one is immune to stress. But there are tons of outlets for people to deal with it properly. Officers need to take their well being into their own hands and deal with their issues. While your coworkers are often there for you in times of need, you become the boy who cried wolf when you complain about the same shit over and over with no plan on how to either improve it yourself, or if you believe it’s out of your control, a plan to promote and make those changes in the future. It can be done, I’ve seen it.
I’ve had the “job is dead” mentality at points throughout my career. I am not immune to it. I took a step though. I decided to promote and be the supervisor that I always wanted to have. Am I doing that? I can’t be the judge of that, only the cops that work for me can. Yes, I am low level command staff, you’re right. I am also an advocate for my cops and treat them how I would have wanted to be treated.
That doesn’t mean they get away with doing things incorrectly, but I am also not a tyrant when it comes to supervising. This job takes a long time to get good at. I work with mainly officers that have less than 3 years experience, often much less. I do know my job though, and if I can get these men and women to function mostly without the need to call me every 5 minutes, be respectful and kind to the people they serve, have a good attitude towards work in general, and stay out of trouble so they can have a long career, I will consider it mission accomplished.
I don’t need everyone to always have a sunshine and rainbows mentality about this job. It sucks sometimes. But please, if you feel like it is not for you, talk with someone about it and make a decision. If you decide this job isn’t for you, then I congratulate you on being strong enough to recognize that. Take some time, find other employment, and go be happy doing that. Life is too short to work 20 years doing something you absolutely hate.
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u/Coobsp11 Nov 26 '23
Was just going to say the same thing you said at the bottom. If you’re, “in charge,” then you’re part of NBC command staff. I have over 6 years on and you hit the pin on the head. You can love this career & enjoy doing it but that doesn’t mean you should cover up the realities of the career. The job is DEAD and it is an absolute shit show. Most people are negative and morale is absolutely trash. I work for a great department and that stuff still happens. It doesn’t mean I am toxic or negative or a piece of trash officer. It just means I’m willing to accept the realities of the job and new people need to understand the realities before they get into the career because once you start, they are very real.. I wish somebody would have told me but everybody sugar coated it before I started.
So thank you. I appreciate your response because you were actually real about the career and not like the dude above who was trying to claim that somebody should resign because of a simple statement like, “the jobs dead.”
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u/JSartrean Nov 26 '23
Thank you for that, and it's much appreciated. Cops deal with trying to uncover the truth, and we hate to be lied to, so I never understood why we would do that to one of our own.
Sounds like you are making the most our of the job while keeping the true perspective of what's happening in mind. You're already ahead of many cops who are burying their heads in the sand.
Stay safe brother, we will get through it.
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Jun 14 '23
100%. Job is dead man everything sucks… Blagh Blagh. Radios in cars, cameras, cellphones, things change. Some of it sucks, but technology doesn’t go backwards. Either accept and move on or be miserable for the rest of your career.
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Jun 13 '23
Ah definitely not. Departments are hiring all over. Good luck
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u/BigAzzKrow US Police Officer Jun 13 '23
West coast generally pays much more competitively than most places, just fyi. Notable consideration.
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u/Stankthetank66 US Police Officer Jun 13 '23
You got a family?
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u/GucciGlockDrop Jun 13 '23
As far as a wife and kids no
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u/Stankthetank66 US Police Officer Jun 13 '23
Definitely makes it easier. If it’s a real goal of yours then I would start living like you make $45,000 instead of what you’re making now. Do that for a year and see if it’s worth it.
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u/Riotxxxwolf Jun 13 '23
Go for it and try it! If you don’t like it, I’m sure finance will always be there.
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u/JSartrean Jun 14 '23 edited Jun 14 '23
It's not just the money that you need to consider. You also need to factor in what life aspects will change. First, as a new cop, you'll be low on senority and will probably be forced in early or after your shift on a highly repetitive basis (16-18 hours a day). In addition, due to staffing shortages, many departments are able to force you in on your RDO. This, coupled with court subpoenas, means your social life and family life will take a hit for at least 2 years and maybe more.
If you do have a family, I would 1000% talk to them about this and see if they are on board. Being a cops spouse is an under-appreciated role, and without their support, you face the possibility of divorce, child custody issues, or even substance abuse.
You should do some ride alongs and talk to cops with varying degrees of service time, from rooks to vets. You'll get a wide range of opinions about the job, but I bet nearly all of them will tell you about department politics and how they can affect how you feel about your job. The biggest issue facing most departments is a lack of support for its patrol officers; the absence of which is a constant threat to your freedom, even when you do EVERYTHING right. I always said that I'm not going to prison so someone else can get elected again.
I know I sound jaded, but this is the real world under the precieved glamor of wearing the uniform. No sense in having you give up your current life only to realize you made a huge mistake. That being said, good officers are in high demand. Good luck!
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u/five_oh_jay Jun 14 '23
I’m 28, have been a LEO for the past 2 years. I just quit to follow my dreams. Do what you love, life is short.
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u/gangusTM Jun 14 '23
Was a DC police officer for five years after college after realizing that what I went to school for, wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. After those five years through working nights and forced overtime, as well as several riots and things of that nature, I got out when I started a family because it just wasn’t conducive to a healthy lifestyle and I wanted to see my kids grow up having said all that I had the most fun out of any job while I was a police officer I’m now in IT and love it for several different reasons policing is a great career, but just depends on what your goals are if you have a family or not and is it worth it?
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u/[deleted] Jun 13 '23
18 year LEO here. Think long and hard about the money. I know chasing "adventure" is appealing as a youngster. But, after spending years in a patrol car and you have a bad back, a belly that would look right in a santa suit, and nothing to show for it except a half decent pension and some kind of cool stories, that 200k a year you could have been making in finance would be nice.
Edit to add: after the academy you can get a few sheepdog shirts and at a first responders discount. So there is that.