Professional Development Is Something You Do for Yourself
Years ago, an officer complained to me that he had applied to work in our Harbor Unit and was frustrated because he had been repeatedly passed over for the position. I asked him what he had done to prepare himself. Did he have any boating certifications, advanced lifesaving skills, or a scuba diving certification?
"If this agency wants me certified in scuba diving, they are going to have to pay for it."
The answer told me everything I needed to know.
High performers know what it takes to get ahead of their competition. While obtaining a scuba diving certification takes time and costs money, sometimes that is exactly what it takes to gain a competitive edge. Develop yourself on your own time and at your own expense if you want to work in a specialized unit. Serve as a quarry for the K9 Unit, improve your shooting skills for SWAT, learn to ride a motorcycle for Traffic.
If you have a desire to move into a specialized unit, ask yourself this. If you were the one making the selection, would you choose the candidate who invested in themselves, or the one who waited for the agency to do it for them?
Professional development is something you do for yourself, not something your agency does to you.
This piece first ran in The Edge, my newsletter for law enforcement professionals. Subscribers get it first.
It goes out every two weeks and covers promotion strategy, career performance, and leadership. New subscribers also receive The Oral Board Edge, my guide to winning your next promotional oral board.
