Police officer it one of the best paid jobs in many countries, particularly in autocratic regimes. In some places, police officers and army employees make up for more than 15% of workforce. And though it luckily isn’t the case yet in the Western world, and we do not live in a police state yet, career of a police officer is getting more popular, and you will definitely compete with other applicants for the job in the public service. Why should they hire you, and not one of the other candidates?
You have several ways of responding to the question, and we will look at them in a moment, on my list of 7 sample answers. Before we proceed to the answers, however, I want to tell you a couple of things you should remember. First of all, try to combine confidence with humility in your answer. You certainly have your strengths, and can become a great police officer, but you should also be aware of your limitations and weaknesses, and always strive to improve on them.
And secondly, do not hesitate to give some praise to other job candidates. Police officers always work in a team of two or more people. Saying some good things about the other candidates, suggesting that they also deserve the job, shows right attitude to the work in the service, and will improve your chances of succeeding and signing the coveted employment contract at the end… Lets’ move to the sample answers. I tried to include all sorts of answers on my list, including some unconventional answers. I hope at least one of them will resonate with the message you try to convey in your interviews.
7 sample answers to “Why should we hire you?” question in a police officer interview
- You should hire me because I meet all job requirements, and I also believe to have the fitting personality for the job of a police officer. I am extremely responsible, always punctual, have attention to detail, and can stay calm in even the most trying circumstances. In my opinion, it is an important quality for each police officer, considering the controversy and the negative publicity brought by cases when police officers lost their temper and did something they should not have done.
- You should hire me because I see this work as my personal mission. I am not walking around the streets with my eyes closed. We face a lot of problems in this city, with drugs, gangs, robbery, and other issues. I am a proud citizen, and feel a calling to do something to make the situation better, following the law, of course. Job of a police officer will allow me to do so, and you can be sure that with my attitude I will do an excellent job.
- Speaking honestly, I do not know if you should hire me, or one of the other applicants for the job. I have my strengths, I did what I could to prepare for the hiring process, and I really want the job. At the same time I am sure other candidates also have their qualities, and strengths they can bring to the team. And only you know what exactly you are looking for in a new officer, and whether I am the right fit for this picture, or someone else will make your team stronger. I just hope you will make the right decision, and wish you best of luck with this difficult task.
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- You should hire me because of my experience. I’ve been in the army for ten years, worked as a private security guard for some high profile figures, and all in all I’ve experienced situations most other candidates almost certainly haven’t. I would love to bring this experience to the team, and perhaps help to take the entire department to next level. Of course, I haven’t met other applicants in person, and I have no doubt they also have a good reason of applying for the job of a police officer, and good intentions. My experience stands out though, and I hope it will help me succeed in this interview.
- You should choose me because I am especially tough, both physically and mentally. In my opinion, this particular neighborhood is no place for weak policemen. And while I am against any violence, my team members can always rely on me, and I do not crack under pressure. Knowing the local area, I really feel these abilities are crucial for the job, and hope you will hire me because of them.
- Maybe because I never give up. As some of you sitting here know, I’ve tried to get this job two times already, but I’ve always failed in the physical agility test. That’s not the case this year though. I’ve worked a lot on my fitness, dropped twenty pounds, and did all I could to prepare for the test. And I believe it shows my motivation, and how much I want to become a police officer, and that I am ready to sacrifice something for this career. Not many people have such an attitude to this work, and perhaps you should hire me because of that.
- That’s a question I’d love to have an answer for. Why me, and not someone else? I wished you could hire every single candidate interviewing for the job today. Because I’ve met the guys, and I can honestly tell that each one has some strengths to bring to the team, and I can imagine anyone of them to cover my back. But I know you have just two vacancies, and many of us will walk away empty handed. I hope you will pick me, after everything that has been said and done here, and during the previous stages of the recruitment process, but if not, I will be happy for the other candidates, because they are all nice people ready to serve the public as police officers.
Conclusion, answers to other interview questions for police officers
You can refer to a variety of reasons why they should hire you, ranging from your experience and personality, to your attitude and skills. I also suggest you to give some credit to other job applicants (you can use sample answers no. 3, no. 4, and no. 7 for an inspiration), just to show your team spirit, and demonstrate that you aren’t consumed by your own ego, and can appreciate other people and their skills.
As you can imagine though, this isn’t the only tricky question you may face in your police office interview. Continue your preparation for the big day with the following articles:
- Police officer interview: what are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Why do you want to work as a police officer?
- What motivates you the most in work?
