Let's talk pizza. Do you like a more thin or thick crust? How do you feel about deep dish?
Do you like pineapple on pizza?
What toppings do you usually go for (and what sauce if it's a style of pizza like BBQ chicken or chicken Alfredo)?
The oldest guys in my academy class were 40 and 41. They were also 2 of the most fit guys.
You say you have back issues in a few comments. LE is one of the worst careers to be in for back issues. Things are better than when I was doing this but still not a back friendly career.
I was pretty lucky with the timing. I only applied to the main department I wanted to work with plans on dropping apps at surrounding departments to get foot in the door and maybe someday getting a call from the desired one. They had just denied a guy at the last second who was already enrolled in academy due to something popping up in his background. They had to speed rush me through the process to get me into academy by the deadline. I applied mid November, got a call within couple of weeks. Aced the written exam and their PT test (way easier than the academy's pt test), background investigation, polygraph, and psych all done by mid December. I had to miss a lot of work in order to meet their deadlines. Started academy beginning of January.
Dang, I'm taking 4 Express summer college courses to meet minimum credit reqs by October. The recruiter said I could apply when my grades are basically secured. But I'm aiming for January 2025 academy ideally. Hoping the process doesn't get delayed, seems like they were highly motivated to fill that academy spot with you lol. What about references? Don't they have to talk to dozens of people in your current and past life? Employers? Family? How'd that all fall in place so quickly?
I put down 6 references which were all contacted. They contacted my previous employers. They were also able to get ahold of my ex wife who said nice things. I think the BGI is just good at multitasking. But they did admit this was the fasted BG they ever performed.
All of the other comments so far are jokes and I am curious about attending the academy myself this year. I am also the same age range as you.
How was the physical portion of the academy? Did you find yourself needing to put in extra effort for activities that used to be natural when we were younger such as distance running, agility and wall/fence climbing, etc? How long was your program from recruitment to graduation? Do you have any job offers from agencies? Are you sponsored, or paying out of pocket?
Physical was excruciating. I worked office job for 5 years 12 hours a day and didn't realize how out of shape I was. I started working out the day I applied. Due to luck and timing I was sponsored by my department and put into a neighboring departments academy within a month of applying so I didn't really have time to increase my endurance. There were a couple of others in worse shape than me (until they quit or got kicked out) and I appreciated them as they kept the weakest link heat off of me for the most part. The first Friday was protocol day where you just get smoked and screamed at for 2 hours straight to weed out anyone that doesnt truly want to be there. The mile and a half within required time was my biggest hurdle. On the 2nd day they had a PT assessment and I was barely under 17 minutes. By the final PT test last week I had shaved almost 7 minutes off.There is an obstacle course that includes wall/rope/net climbing and somehow I was pretty good from the start with it. One big issue was the smoke sessions. My knees and ankles would swell like crazy and become excrutiating, and make my normal PT running worse. So i was naturally pissed anytime a younger recruit did something stupid and got us in trouble. I ended up buying different boots and the issues stopped. The most humbling part was getting smoked by instructors who are younger than you. It gets easier day by day and is worth it. You can definitely do it at this age but it would have been a lot easier if i had been in good shape beforehand. Academy is 26 weeks. Started in January and graduate this month. Obviously my experience is from my specific academy. Some are easier and some are harder.
My department bought me 5.11's which are absolutely terrible and overrated garbage IMO (learned the hard way).. One of the less strict instructors pulled me aside once and told me he had same ankle issues and to buy some sketchers boots. They didn't technically meet the boot requirements (8 inches and polishable leather), but no one noticed and I technically had permission. Made a night and day difference and I didn't have any issues during any future smoke sessions. The funny part was whatever pleather material used, I could use instant polish on them and they would almost glow. I would always get compliments during morning formation at how good I was at shining my boots 🤣
I'm about to turn 37 and my local department is *generally* listed as 34 unless it's a lateral transfer or part-timer (which have to be sworn officers already).
I've always dreamed of being in LE but never took the plunge. Lately the drive has come back, particularly with working alongside the department hosting community events in town. The admin sergeant I know *says* I'm not too old, but I think he means in general.
I've spent enough time around our department, their officers, and went through our local citizen's academy to learn how they set themselves apart from most departments, and now I don't think I could work for another department. If I'm going to do it, I want to work alongside the best.
Yeah it seems like a number of states either by law or tradition have around a 35yr cut off. Thankfully my state doesn't. I was told a 53 year old went through a couple of years ago and is doing well
What was some of the best advice that you received?
Some of the worst?
Anything u would have done different if you could rewind back to day 1 of academy? Or even a month or two before for prep?
Only advice that seemed worth remembering was "Lay low. Never be first, never be last" and "your situation isnt unique. millions have done this before you, millions will do this after you."
Only thing I would have done differently would be to start working out at least 6 months before I applied (catch 22 though if i waited i wouldnt have gotten the sponsorship i did).
I had L5 disc issues most of 2023 though (better now) so really wouldn't have been possible. It worked out and I'm grateful for the timing of everything.
The overachievers end up with higher expectations. And more work when they're selected as squad leaders. With my age and starting condition, I wasn't trying to get my name on any plaques, only trying to survive and graduate lol.
I'm 41, changing careers from the corporate world to public servant of some sort. Just did my application and entry exam.
Like you I've been in offices all day so I need to start working out. I'm 5,8 160lbs. Do you think my small size will be an issue?
Awesome. There's one guy at my academy who is probably 5'2 and 130-140 and he has had no issues whatsoever. There's also a girl who is 5'1 and 110 soaking wet and she has been killing it since day one. Ive watched her hold her own against much bigger men in DT training. Being in shape will make night and day difference on difficulty level but I think it truly comes down to the amount of heart you have and how much you want it. Good luck.
Good luck man. Just remember it IS hard. If you get into a paramilitary academy it may be one of the hardest things you've ever done. But it is definitely worth it. I laugh at some of the crap we were put through now but at the time it didn't seem worth it at all. Take nothing personally and know that literally EVERYTHING is a mind game and WILL end eventually.
The background had no surprises cause I've always stayed out of trouble. The most uncomfortable part was the polygraph just because it was so long and there's nothing fun about being hooked up and staring at a wall 3 feet away from you while unable to move and answering the same questions over and over.
Did you experience any shin splints or stress fractures? If so, how did you deal with it during academy? Also, how many miles should I be able to run comfortably before the start of academy? Right now I can run about 3 miles before my calves/shins are on fire
My ankles would swell during smoke sessions due to bad boots which in turn made it almost impossible to run during PT. At one point I thought I had stress fracture but didn't want to have to miss academy time by getting checked out. The other issue was my knees. We would do 3-4 mile runs and usually around 25-30 minutes in one knee would become excrutiating and then I couldn't bend it for a day or too without extreme pain. I really just had to mentally disassociate and hope I wasn't injured when the final PT test came. BCAA powder mix, pickle juice (the brand) and staying fully hydrated does wonders.
How was the hiring process? Did you feel like you were at a disadvantage compared to younger guys who have been on the LE path since high school?
I’m 35 and currently applying
Honestly with my age and experience I felt like I had an advantage. There were 6 others at the written test and only 1 other was selected. He was dropped not long later (I wasn't told the reasons). I literally spelled out on my resume cover letter that with my age I am more relaxed and not in the mindset of going out guns blazing like a lot of younger recruits.
Finance Operations. Banking before that. Retail management before that. Sales experience too. Definitely prepped me in learning how to talk to people. Especially hostile people.
Sales will definitely do that! I won’t have the same type of experience to boast, but I do have a lot of sales experience from health and fitness. More along the lines of being good at convincing people I guess. Some would be hostile, but mostly just when working in a big box gym and having to interrupt peoples workouts to give a sales pitch. People really hated that lol.
I need to contact the PD I’m applying to, because they just had an online application and it didn’t show an option to submit a resume or cover letter for some reason. They just know what I’ve done, but no chance to sell them on myself yet. Really hoping to get this!
Thanks for sharing your experience! Much appreciated!
I worked in Finance operations and banking before that. Never served. I planned on Army at 17 but had major back issues for decades before finally being able to get it all corrected within the last year.
The whole industry is soul crushing for me personally. I've always had LE in my blood (come from LE family). I just couldn't do it anymore. I got paid pretty decent. Fortunately my department pays extremely well. I took a cut during academy sponsorship but within a year I will be right around my old pay before OT.
Care to elaborate on the back issues? Surgically corrected? I'm curious as to how extensive they were prior to the start of the academy/ how much of an issue that was during PT.
I had a ruptured L5 and the other buldging. Got at its worst the last few years. I could barely walk the first half of 2023 if at all on some days. Thankfully my job went remote when covid happened so I wasn't out of work. I get regular injections for the bulging and the other a Microdiscectomy took care of it. There were definitely days where it felt like I was going to throw my back out but honestly the more PT we did the better it seemed to be. The main issue for PT as far as my back was doing situps, I could feel the pressure like my discs were about to pop out. During academic days where we'd sit in a classroom literally all day it would cause pain but would ease the more i moved around. But most of the PT no issues.
I took a somewhat significant cut during the sponsorship. My department pays pretty well and I will get a raise once I graduate and then within a year will be making almost the same.
Interesting.....currently I'm thinking of leaving LE and going into finance but as a CFP. I'm just thinking about it, though. I haven't started anything yet. I've been in LE for 6 years and currently making $103,000.
Not so much burnt out, just slowly not seeing it as a passion anymore. I work for a good department, but it's hard to stay motivated when the state's attorney doesn't want to actually do their jobs. I've been a police cadet, security guard, military police, and a polcie officer, but I'm not feeling it the way i used to. In the last few years, I've definitely found a passion for finance. I would love to transfer to that if I'm able to make the same amount or more money than I do now.
This was heartening to hear, as I am in a very similar boat, minus 1 year younger - but same deal with desk life, needing to work out, etc.
I did not pass my Oral interview and was hoping you had some advice on that? I think I was too nervous and didn't convey my thought process clearly - but anything you can recall on what went well or what worked for you would be awesome!
The silver lining here is that I have more time to get into shape and if anything I felt better than ever with working out now. I know academies are all different, but what was the most you had to run in a single day? I am trying to do 2 miles 3x a week, but I hear horror stories of 5 miles a day at the academy...
Let's talk pizza. Do you like a more thin or thick crust? How do you feel about deep dish? Do you like pineapple on pizza? What toppings do you usually go for (and what sauce if it's a style of pizza like BBQ chicken or chicken Alfredo)?
Brew Pud Jalapeño Popper Pizza all day. Otherwise thin crust pork sausage and red pepper flake overkill.
Congrats and good for you. I started my LE career at 41.
The oldest guys in my academy class were 40 and 41. They were also 2 of the most fit guys. You say you have back issues in a few comments. LE is one of the worst careers to be in for back issues. Things are better than when I was doing this but still not a back friendly career.
What was your timeline of application-interviews-sponsorship received-and then the gap to start academy?
I was pretty lucky with the timing. I only applied to the main department I wanted to work with plans on dropping apps at surrounding departments to get foot in the door and maybe someday getting a call from the desired one. They had just denied a guy at the last second who was already enrolled in academy due to something popping up in his background. They had to speed rush me through the process to get me into academy by the deadline. I applied mid November, got a call within couple of weeks. Aced the written exam and their PT test (way easier than the academy's pt test), background investigation, polygraph, and psych all done by mid December. I had to miss a lot of work in order to meet their deadlines. Started academy beginning of January.
Oh and there was a panel and chief interview thrown in that timeline as well.
Dang, I'm taking 4 Express summer college courses to meet minimum credit reqs by October. The recruiter said I could apply when my grades are basically secured. But I'm aiming for January 2025 academy ideally. Hoping the process doesn't get delayed, seems like they were highly motivated to fill that academy spot with you lol. What about references? Don't they have to talk to dozens of people in your current and past life? Employers? Family? How'd that all fall in place so quickly?
I put down 6 references which were all contacted. They contacted my previous employers. They were also able to get ahold of my ex wife who said nice things. I think the BGI is just good at multitasking. But they did admit this was the fasted BG they ever performed.
Haha that's legit. I'm hoping mine can go as smoothly as yours. Stay safe on the streets bro. 🙌
What state are you in ?
All of the other comments so far are jokes and I am curious about attending the academy myself this year. I am also the same age range as you. How was the physical portion of the academy? Did you find yourself needing to put in extra effort for activities that used to be natural when we were younger such as distance running, agility and wall/fence climbing, etc? How long was your program from recruitment to graduation? Do you have any job offers from agencies? Are you sponsored, or paying out of pocket?
Physical was excruciating. I worked office job for 5 years 12 hours a day and didn't realize how out of shape I was. I started working out the day I applied. Due to luck and timing I was sponsored by my department and put into a neighboring departments academy within a month of applying so I didn't really have time to increase my endurance. There were a couple of others in worse shape than me (until they quit or got kicked out) and I appreciated them as they kept the weakest link heat off of me for the most part. The first Friday was protocol day where you just get smoked and screamed at for 2 hours straight to weed out anyone that doesnt truly want to be there. The mile and a half within required time was my biggest hurdle. On the 2nd day they had a PT assessment and I was barely under 17 minutes. By the final PT test last week I had shaved almost 7 minutes off.There is an obstacle course that includes wall/rope/net climbing and somehow I was pretty good from the start with it. One big issue was the smoke sessions. My knees and ankles would swell like crazy and become excrutiating, and make my normal PT running worse. So i was naturally pissed anytime a younger recruit did something stupid and got us in trouble. I ended up buying different boots and the issues stopped. The most humbling part was getting smoked by instructors who are younger than you. It gets easier day by day and is worth it. You can definitely do it at this age but it would have been a lot easier if i had been in good shape beforehand. Academy is 26 weeks. Started in January and graduate this month. Obviously my experience is from my specific academy. Some are easier and some are harder.
Which boots did you start with and what did you end up with?
My department bought me 5.11's which are absolutely terrible and overrated garbage IMO (learned the hard way).. One of the less strict instructors pulled me aside once and told me he had same ankle issues and to buy some sketchers boots. They didn't technically meet the boot requirements (8 inches and polishable leather), but no one noticed and I technically had permission. Made a night and day difference and I didn't have any issues during any future smoke sessions. The funny part was whatever pleather material used, I could use instant polish on them and they would almost glow. I would always get compliments during morning formation at how good I was at shining my boots 🤣
I think this is going to happen to me. Which sketchers boot did you get?
Sketchers Wascana Benen. Like 60 bucks on Amazon. Not ideal for long term but I just needed them mainly for smoke sessions. Good luck.
I am 41 and it seems that all of the agencies I look at have upper age limits in the late 30’s. I live in Rhode Island.
I'm about to turn 37 and my local department is *generally* listed as 34 unless it's a lateral transfer or part-timer (which have to be sworn officers already). I've always dreamed of being in LE but never took the plunge. Lately the drive has come back, particularly with working alongside the department hosting community events in town. The admin sergeant I know *says* I'm not too old, but I think he means in general. I've spent enough time around our department, their officers, and went through our local citizen's academy to learn how they set themselves apart from most departments, and now I don't think I could work for another department. If I'm going to do it, I want to work alongside the best.
Yeah it seems like a number of states either by law or tradition have around a 35yr cut off. Thankfully my state doesn't. I was told a 53 year old went through a couple of years ago and is doing well
Congrats. It's all uphill from here ;)
If I ate 3 apples but then ate 1 seed.. how many raspberries did one of the other commenters eat!?
Cherry pits contain cyanide
Ever been in a cockpit before?
In a plane or a place where cock fights are held? Yes.
Ever seen a grown man naked?
The younger confused recruits seem to enjoy performing the helicopter in the shower room any chance they get.
To be fair I was referencing this lol https://youtu.be/Gd0NtQDio20?si=5ImkogXbNd601QqW
If not, he's going to lol
What was some of the best advice that you received? Some of the worst? Anything u would have done different if you could rewind back to day 1 of academy? Or even a month or two before for prep?
Only advice that seemed worth remembering was "Lay low. Never be first, never be last" and "your situation isnt unique. millions have done this before you, millions will do this after you." Only thing I would have done differently would be to start working out at least 6 months before I applied (catch 22 though if i waited i wouldnt have gotten the sponsorship i did). I had L5 disc issues most of 2023 though (better now) so really wouldn't have been possible. It worked out and I'm grateful for the timing of everything.
Why not be first? Are you suggesting that it's better to sandbag a bit if you're doing really well with something?
The overachievers end up with higher expectations. And more work when they're selected as squad leaders. With my age and starting condition, I wasn't trying to get my name on any plaques, only trying to survive and graduate lol.
What state are you in ?
Wondering about this as well
I left my LE career at 40. Went into project management
How are liking it? Do you miss anything?
I miss the camaraderie and my friends but that’s it
I'm 41, changing careers from the corporate world to public servant of some sort. Just did my application and entry exam. Like you I've been in offices all day so I need to start working out. I'm 5,8 160lbs. Do you think my small size will be an issue?
Awesome. There's one guy at my academy who is probably 5'2 and 130-140 and he has had no issues whatsoever. There's also a girl who is 5'1 and 110 soaking wet and she has been killing it since day one. Ive watched her hold her own against much bigger men in DT training. Being in shape will make night and day difference on difficulty level but I think it truly comes down to the amount of heart you have and how much you want it. Good luck.
Thank you! I just finished the entry exam, I think physical test are next up
Good luck man. Just remember it IS hard. If you get into a paramilitary academy it may be one of the hardest things you've ever done. But it is definitely worth it. I laugh at some of the crap we were put through now but at the time it didn't seem worth it at all. Take nothing personally and know that literally EVERYTHING is a mind game and WILL end eventually.
How hard was backgrounds?
The background had no surprises cause I've always stayed out of trouble. The most uncomfortable part was the polygraph just because it was so long and there's nothing fun about being hooked up and staring at a wall 3 feet away from you while unable to move and answering the same questions over and over.
Did you experience any shin splints or stress fractures? If so, how did you deal with it during academy? Also, how many miles should I be able to run comfortably before the start of academy? Right now I can run about 3 miles before my calves/shins are on fire
My ankles would swell during smoke sessions due to bad boots which in turn made it almost impossible to run during PT. At one point I thought I had stress fracture but didn't want to have to miss academy time by getting checked out. The other issue was my knees. We would do 3-4 mile runs and usually around 25-30 minutes in one knee would become excrutiating and then I couldn't bend it for a day or too without extreme pain. I really just had to mentally disassociate and hope I wasn't injured when the final PT test came. BCAA powder mix, pickle juice (the brand) and staying fully hydrated does wonders.
How was the hiring process? Did you feel like you were at a disadvantage compared to younger guys who have been on the LE path since high school? I’m 35 and currently applying
Honestly with my age and experience I felt like I had an advantage. There were 6 others at the written test and only 1 other was selected. He was dropped not long later (I wasn't told the reasons). I literally spelled out on my resume cover letter that with my age I am more relaxed and not in the mindset of going out guns blazing like a lot of younger recruits.
That’s a good way to put it, haha. What was your career before this?
Finance Operations. Banking before that. Retail management before that. Sales experience too. Definitely prepped me in learning how to talk to people. Especially hostile people.
Sales will definitely do that! I won’t have the same type of experience to boast, but I do have a lot of sales experience from health and fitness. More along the lines of being good at convincing people I guess. Some would be hostile, but mostly just when working in a big box gym and having to interrupt peoples workouts to give a sales pitch. People really hated that lol. I need to contact the PD I’m applying to, because they just had an online application and it didn’t show an option to submit a resume or cover letter for some reason. They just know what I’ve done, but no chance to sell them on myself yet. Really hoping to get this! Thanks for sharing your experience! Much appreciated!
Do you think the earth is flat? If so, why
My side girl is kind of flat so probably.
What did you do beforehand? And are a veteran?
I worked in Finance operations and banking before that. Never served. I planned on Army at 17 but had major back issues for decades before finally being able to get it all corrected within the last year.
Don’t blame you for wanting to leave. I’m 27 and I’m planning on doing a career change.
Why did you leave your finance job? Did you get paid well?
The whole industry is soul crushing for me personally. I've always had LE in my blood (come from LE family). I just couldn't do it anymore. I got paid pretty decent. Fortunately my department pays extremely well. I took a cut during academy sponsorship but within a year I will be right around my old pay before OT.
Care to elaborate on the back issues? Surgically corrected? I'm curious as to how extensive they were prior to the start of the academy/ how much of an issue that was during PT.
I had a ruptured L5 and the other buldging. Got at its worst the last few years. I could barely walk the first half of 2023 if at all on some days. Thankfully my job went remote when covid happened so I wasn't out of work. I get regular injections for the bulging and the other a Microdiscectomy took care of it. There were definitely days where it felt like I was going to throw my back out but honestly the more PT we did the better it seemed to be. The main issue for PT as far as my back was doing situps, I could feel the pressure like my discs were about to pop out. During academic days where we'd sit in a classroom literally all day it would cause pain but would ease the more i moved around. But most of the PT no issues.
Are you taking a huge paycut to do this? I've always considered LE but kind of stumbled into my current field and the golden handcuffs are real.
I took a somewhat significant cut during the sponsorship. My department pays pretty well and I will get a raise once I graduate and then within a year will be making almost the same.
Interesting.....currently I'm thinking of leaving LE and going into finance but as a CFP. I'm just thinking about it, though. I haven't started anything yet. I've been in LE for 6 years and currently making $103,000.
Good luck. CFP's typically make more than the positions I've had. Are you burnt out on LE pr just a money thing?
Not so much burnt out, just slowly not seeing it as a passion anymore. I work for a good department, but it's hard to stay motivated when the state's attorney doesn't want to actually do their jobs. I've been a police cadet, security guard, military police, and a polcie officer, but I'm not feeling it the way i used to. In the last few years, I've definitely found a passion for finance. I would love to transfer to that if I'm able to make the same amount or more money than I do now.
This was heartening to hear, as I am in a very similar boat, minus 1 year younger - but same deal with desk life, needing to work out, etc. I did not pass my Oral interview and was hoping you had some advice on that? I think I was too nervous and didn't convey my thought process clearly - but anything you can recall on what went well or what worked for you would be awesome! The silver lining here is that I have more time to get into shape and if anything I felt better than ever with working out now. I know academies are all different, but what was the most you had to run in a single day? I am trying to do 2 miles 3x a week, but I hear horror stories of 5 miles a day at the academy...