Police Officer Portfolio

Timothy Sutton
Professor Marxhausen

1300 EDUC
December 7, 2017

Police Officer

Career Research Worksheet

This worksheet is about the career field as a whole. For example, you are researching
“education” and not second grade science teacher.

Please add spacing to this document and type your answers under the questions below. Be sure to
highlight your answers in yellow so I can identify your information quickly.

1. What is your intended career? If you are not sure of a career right now, choose one of interest
to explore.
Law enforcement

2. Find a professional website for your career. What is the name of the website? Please provide
the link here. You may find a professional website from the journal that you discovered above
or sometimes by using google.
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/

3. Using the library databases or a professional website, find one professional/academic journal
related to your career. What is the name of the journal?

http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/33-3021.03

4. Field/discipline:
a. Identify the career field/discipline. For example, if the career is a teacher then the field
is education or if the career is mechanic then the field is automotive industry.
Patrol Officer
b. Identify a specific position or title in the field/discipline (for example, an elementary
school teacher or body work repair mechanic).
Eventually work for the Vice
c. Identify two related positions in a similar or related field/discipline in which you may be
interested (for example, a day care worker and college instructor or machine repair and
certified dealer service manager).
Detective or FBI

5. Knowledge /Training:
a. List the minimum education required
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job
experience, or an associate's degree.
b. List any required certifications or licenses. How often do you have to renew the
certification or license? How many hours of continuing education units (CEU) do you have
to obtain each year to keep that certification or license?

No certifications and License required
c. List the majority of the skills needed to be successful in this job.

Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking
d. How many years of experience are required to work in this career?

At academy training

6. Salary/Earnings:
a. List the hiring (starting) salary range. (Use current position listing or job boards.)
$40,560
b. What is the average salary (not the highest)?
$78,110

7. Future of this career:
a. What is the job outlook for this career? In other words, is this in a growing area? Explain
the growth or decline (in numbers) of this particular career.
Yes it is growing there are 53,400 jobs available
b. List the availability of this career in the market area of Houston, and Texas in general,
and/or other states in which you are interested in working.
3,150 jobs in Texas

c. Can this an international career choice? Explain why or why not.
Not really because you would have to learn different laws for each state and if you went out
of the country than you would have to learn the laws of that country to become and officer.

8. Daily Activities:
a. What do people in this field or job do? In at least 10 complete sentences in your own
words, (not a list) describe a typical day for this position. Be very thorough.

Patrol officers wake up and get dressed for work and eat their breakfast and go to work.
When they get to work they do role call to see who is there. Then they get their task and
where they will be patrolling. Then they go and get in their police car and head to their
area. They actually do not have very fast days or a lot of criminal activity. They typically
have slow days and there is some people they might hand out tickets and they may arrest a
few people but overall it is slow. Then they head back to the police station. They file reports
on crime scenes and documents to go to court with. They go to court sometimes when they
give people tickets. Then they go home and go to bed and do it all over again the next day.

9. Career and you (in complete sentences):

a. How does this career align to your interests and personality? Use your Do What You Are
results to justify your alignment. Explain what your initials mean and how those initials
match or do not match your career choice.
Because I get business done and I do not play around. And I am also good with interacting
with people so it can help me in the future.

b. Why is this career significant to you? Why did you choose to go into this career? What
inspired you?
Because my dad has been a police officer for about 24 years now and is still a police officer
and I also want to help people and get criminals off the streets.

c. Describe how and why or why not this assignment altered or completely changed your
career path.
It did not change my career path because this is what I have always wanted to do I believe
strongly in justice and I want to give it to people who break the law.

10. Please add all works cited entries for information you collected for this worksheet.

Police Officer, November 2, 2017, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/protective-service/police-and-
detectives.htm#tab-1

Sources may include:
Occupational Outlook Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/)

Texas Workforce Commission http://www.twc.state.tx.us/

Any other professional websites or databases suggested by a librarian, professor or career counselor

NO Wikipedia

Job Analysis Worksheet

This worksheet is about a very particular type of job in your career field as a whole. For
example, you are researching high school biology teacher and NOT “education” as a whole
career.

Please type your answers under the questions below.

Using the internet or other sources indicated on the list provided by your instructor, librarian, or career
counselor look for a specific job posting in the area of the state or country in which you want to work. List
that job posting as one of your sources in MLA format. Make a screenshot of the job posting to turn in with
this worksheet. Use the job posting to answer the following questions.

1. What is your intended career? If you are not sure of a career right now, choose one of interest to explore.
Law Enforcement
2. What is the title of the position?
Patrol Officer
3. With what company/organization is this position?
Where is this position located? Try to find a position in the area of the state or country where you actually
think you will be working.
Houston Police Department

4. A. What education/training is required for this position?
b. Describe your plans to accomplish your education/training.

60 hours of college, 21 years of age, and no criminal past. I will go to college and get a bachelor’s degree and
then join the police unit.
5. A. How many years of previous experience are needed?

b. Describe your plans to gain the experience you need.
There will be a 6 month long training at the police academy. I will enroll into the police academy and go from
there.
6. A. What specific skills required for this position?

b. Describe your plans to develop these skills.
Control of your attitude, staying calm under pressure, bravery, and integrity
7. Does the position list a salary, and if so…

a. What is the range? $49,009- $57,205
b. What is the starting salary? $26,600
b. What is the average salary? $51,057

8. What are three STRENGTHS (skills, knowledge and personal qualities) that you currently possess that can
help you be successful in this position? In at least 5 sentences, describe why these are strengths to this
position.
I am easy going so I can control my temper and be good. The reason this is good is because the people want to
make you mad so they can complain and get you fired if you lose your temper. I have integrity which is
important in this job. Because there will be times when you need to tell the truth and I can do that. I am also
respectful and that is important. The reason this is a good strength is because if you respect people they will
respect you back maybe but you also cannot get in trouble if you are respectful.

9. What are three WEAKNESSES (personal traits that you currently lack) that can hamper or prevent your
success in this position? In at least 5 sentences, describe why these are weaknesses for this position AND how
you will improve upon these weaknesses.
My weakness is that I am a slow runner. That is a weakness because you have to chase bad guys down and
catch them but I am slow. I am not politically correct so I can say somethings that might offend them. And if
you offend them then they go to your boss and want you fired. I do not put up with much BS like laziness and
it will make me mad sometimes.
10. Describe the interesting facts did you discover about this career that you did not know before. (“There are
none” is not an acceptable answer.)
I pretty much know everything because my dad is a police officer and has told me a lot but eventually
something probably will pop up and ill discover something new.
11. Describe how certain you now are about pursuing a position in this career.
I am very certain I have always wanted to be a cop.
12. Cite all the sources below in MLA format from which you obtained this information.

www.jobing.com

Transferable Skills

As you begin your job search, it is important that you know your own qualifications. Over the years you
have developed many skills from coursework, extracurricular activities and your total life experiences.
If you have researched topics and written, and edited and presented papers for classes, you have used
skills which are not limited to any one academic discipline or knowledge area, but are transferable to
many occupations. A prospective employer expects you to be able to apply the skills you have learned
in college to the work environment.

Below is a list of five broad skill areas which are divided into more specific, skills. Rate the skills

indicating your ability in each area.

0 = no ability 2 = some ability

1 = enough ability to get by with help from others 3 = strong ability

Communication Research & Planning

The skillful expression, transmission and interpretation of The search for specific knowledge and the ability to
knowledge and ideas. conceptualize future needs and solutions for meeting
1______ Speaking effectively those needs.
1______ Writing concisely 2______Forecasting, predicting
3______ Listening attentively 0______Creating ideas
3______ Expressing ideas 3______Identifying problems
2______ Facilitating group discussion 2______Imagining alternatives
3______ Providing appropriate feedback 2______Identifying resources
3______ Negotiating 3______Gathering information
3______ Perceiving nonverbal messages 3______Solving problems
2______ Persuading 1______Setting goals
3______ Reporting information 3______Extracting important information
0______ Describing feelings 1______Defining needs
2______ Interviewing 3 ______ Analyzing
1______ Editing 1______Developing evaluation strategies

Human Relations Work Survival

The use of interpersonal skills for resolving conflict, The day-to-day skills which assist in promoting effective

relating to and helping people. production and work satisfaction.

0______ Developing rapport 2______Implementing decisions
0______ Being Sensitive 3 ______ Cooperating
3______ Listening 3______Enforcing policies
0______ Conveying feelings 3______Being punctual
1______ Providing support for others 1______Managing time
1______ Motivating 3______Attending to detail
3______ Sharing credit 2______Meeting goals
0______ Counseling 1______Enlisting help
3______ Cooperating 3______Accepting responsibility
3______ Delegating with respect 3______Setting and meeting deadlines
2______ Representing others 1 ______ Organizing
0______ Perceiving feelings, situations 3______Making decisions
2______ Asserting

Organization, Management & Leadership Career Specific (REQUIRED SECTION)

The ability to supervise, direct and guide individuals and The specific skills required for an entry-level job in my

groups in the completion of tasks and fulfillment of goals. chosen career. See job posting for ideas.

0______ Initiating new ideas 3______ Honesty _______________________________
3______ Handling details 2______ Anger management _____________________
2______ Coordinating tasks 3______ Bravery _______________________________
3______ Managing groups 2______ Tough ________________________________
3______ Delegating responsibility 3______ Smooth talker __________________________
1______ Teaching 3______ Making decisions _______________________
2______ Coaching 3______ Manage conflict ________________________
0______ Counseling 2______ Respect for others ______________________
0______ Promoting change 3______ Accepting responsibility __________________
0______ Selling ideas or products 1______ Organizing_____________________________
3______ Decision making with others
3______ Managing conflict

Ways I can develop my skills (REQUIRED SECTION):

Just get out there and practice them by doing things that make you work with these skills and I can practice them with a

friend and see how that goes and just keep working at it since these are important skills in the field I am going into._______

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Timothy Sutton
Cypress, Texas |281-736-8915| [email protected]

Dean of Lone Star
Lone Star Dean
9191 Barker Cypress Rd

I am a fun and outgoing person but when business needs to get done I am the man you
want. I have a hard work ethic. I am also trustworthy and a good listener. If I have to stay late I
am willing to if that is what you need. I want to apply for the position of librarian assistant. I
want to apply for this position so I can help the librarian out and others that are looking to find
certain books. I found out about the job from a professor at Lone Star.

My qualifications are intelligence, good customer service, hard work, great personality,
outgoing and leadership. I have also had a job since my sophomore year in high school for three
years so I will stay for a while or forever if it works out the way I want it too. I have completed
high school and I am going to college so I have an education. I have also been the leader of
coworkers at my job and my boss always gave me special jobs he needed done because he could
trust me to get the job done on time and right.
I feel that I would bring that I would be a good fit for the position and bring enthusiasm to the
workplace and be a person that you are glad that you hired. I hope to hear from you and schedule
an interview. Thank you so much for giving me your time to consider me for the position.

In the resume cover letter, I learned where to put my name, email and address. It is good to know
that so you do not mess up the resume. I also learned that a resume needs to be short and sweet
using three paragraphs. I always thought it was supposed to be some long resume about you. I
also learned were to put the name of the person I am sending the resume too. I pretty much
learned the format of the resume. I learned what order I need to write the resume. I also learned
that employers do not look at resumes very long that is why it has to be good if you want to get
hired. This is something that is very important to learn. Now I know how to write a good resume
so I can have a better chance at getting hired for a position in the future.

Timothy Sutton

Professor Marxhausen

1300 Educ

December 5, 2017

Police Officer Career Paper

The reason I have always wanted to be a police officer is because of my dad and the love for law
and justice. Mostly because of my dad since I have always looked up to him and he has been a police
officer since I grew up. I am a laid back person and I can control my anger which is something that you
need to be able to do if you are a police officer. I am also a hard worker, you cannot be lazy and be a
police officer because you are on call and it is never going to slow down. I am also respectful which is
important because you have to be able to respect people even if they do not respect you because as a
police officer you will get disrespected a lot but all that matters is if you show respect to the person that
you are dealing with in situations. I knew a lot of things about being a police officer because of my dad so
there were no surprises really when it came to being a police officer so I was not surprised at all when I
was given a description of being a police officer.

When it comes to becoming a police officer you need to have a degree and training but it also
depends on the type of work you want to do and how high you want to go in the chain of command. But
to start off you need a least an associate’s degree and they could get you to become a lieutenant or get a
bachelor’s degree and you can become the chief of the department depending on high you want to go.
Then once you put in an application you have to fill out other paper work and go to the doctor for a
physical checkup. Then you have to take a lie detector test and they will ask you random questions and
you have to answer and if you pas then you have to take a physiological test and that is a long test and it
is created to see if your mind is right and how you would deal with certain situations. Then you have to
go and pay to get in the police academy and there you will train for six months and it will test you with

homework and physical work. It also makes you train and you have to meet certain requirements and then
once you pass you get sworn into the police academy with your class and you are assigned to a certain
area and you patrol that area until you a ready to move to a new place or get promoted.

A day in this career is long and tiresome because you have to deal with people that are problems
for society and it is your job to deal with them and it can also be scary because people are now starting to
kill cops all because they are wearing a badge and some bad things have happened in the past but people
think all cops are bad. There is also a lot of paper work because you have to write about the situations and
what happened and who it is with so you can take the paper work to a lawyer who is prosecuting the
suspect. You also have to appear in court for certain things like a case that you are a witness to so people
can hear your testimony of the situation. And sometimes it can be a slow day and nothing really happens
you sit in your patrol car all day long with nothing to do. Pretty much in this job there are two types of
days and it is unpredictable about which day you are going to get because sometimes there are more
crimes committed in a day and other times there are less crimes committed in a day. You also could just
be running radar in your patrol car and handing out speeding tickets. You can also do extra jobs like
security at sporting events or traffic control for places that have bad traffic problems around their
businesses or around churches that are letting out and traffic gets bad because a lot of people are leaving
the church so it is a job full of adventure each day just like Forest Gump said life is like a box of
chocolates too never know what you’re going to get. You can always advance through the chain of
command you need at least a certain amount of time in each position before you can promote. You have
to take a test to promote and become something higher in the department. I think I will dislike the people
I have to deal with but at the same time I just have to put up with it and control my temper.

Big employers for this job are in the big cities. But there are also small towns that you can get hired on to
their departments. But the big employers in this career are in the big cities. Unless you want to become
DEA or FBI. Because they would be your bigger employer since they are on the federal level but there are

always openings for this job and it just depends on where you want to work and how big of a city you
want to work in.