INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Police Officer positions are at a 7% growth rate, which is as fast as average. With that said, there are currently 795,000 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 51,700 to 846,700 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Police Officer jobs was $67,290 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $39,130, and the highest 10% more than $113,860.
Our conclusion? The Police Officer job market is wide open for candidates.
Top police officer sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
Writing a memorable experience section: police officer resume edition
Checklist: ways to make your experience section stand out
- Find balance: use 4-6 bullet points per position;
- Include positions that are relevant to the job you’re applying for;
- Use action verbs when describing your responsibilities and results;
- Highlight your achievements by adding numbers to them (e.g. instead of saying “achieved a steady increase in…”, say “achieved an X% increase in…”);
- Prove that you’re willing to work hard, both individually and in a team.
We’ve gathered the most impressive Police Officer experience sections from real Enhancv resumes. Check them out for some additional inspiration!
- Police Lieutenant - serve in the capacity of Watch Commander and organize and direct subordinates to ensure the effective operation of the watch..
- Police Sergeant - served in the capacity of patrol supervisor, responsible to the Watch Commander and direct police officers and civilians to ensure the effective operation of the watch.
- Police Officer - variety of tasks to serve and protect the public health, safety and welfare.
- Improved soldier retention by 12% for the unit
- Provided security details for VIP’s and State Officials
- Successfully led teams of soldiers in combat scenarios
- Responsible for assisting & organizing all administrative aspects of the Police Department including organizing meetings and events, answering phones, completing audits, and completing multiple projects simultaneously assigned by the Police Commissioner.
- Worked collaboratively with over 20 Special Police Officers to enforce local city laws, ensure crowd control, and to protect the City of Long Beach.
- Founded the Operation Commendable Kids Campaign which encourages positive relationships between children, police officers and the entire community.
- Participated in ride-alongs and station communication
- Daily patrol calls, reports, and department meetings
- Completed 2016 Use of Force Memorendum
- Completed 2016 Police Officer Training Survey
- 480 hour internship
- Responded to calls for service from community members.
- Enforced Colorado State laws as well as municipal ordinances.
- Used problem solving skills and initiative to work independently.
- Conducted thorough investigations and completed detailed reports.
- Managed a team of 4 - 15 multi skilled officers, response for staff appraisals, coaching and mentoring staff to ensure skills are developed within the organisation.
- Leading at numerous critical incidents and implementing crises management techniques to ensure normality of service is returned as soon possible while balancing the needs of the investgation
- Reviewing security and policing plans including stakeholder security plans to maximise impact of limited resources
- Implementing joint working operations with various private security to reduce loss and ensure staff safety is maintained while limiting impact on customers
- Staff safety engagement, including how to prevent assaults and minimise loss to the organisation and personal
- Maryland Police and Training Commission Certification
- Certified NHTSA Drug Recognition Expert (DRE)
- Uniformed police officer, patrol division
- Crime scene investigations / Traffic enforcement / Collision investigations / Criminal & Civil calls-for-service response
- Proactive policing of neighborhoods in collaboration with community members, addressing elevated crime enforcement/awareness and promoting both life-safety and community relations
- Special Branch Linguistic specialist to police the EuroTunnel
- Station Officer for Sevenoaks and then Margate/Ramsgate area
- Police Firearms trained and certified
- Received Commissionaires Commendation for Excellence in Policing by arresting a serial arsonist who enjoyed setting old peoples homes on fire in the middle of the night whilst residents slept
- Building a rapport with the community to give a voice and deter crime.
- Analyze crime patterns to ensure patrolling is proactive.
- Enforcing the law to maintain public order and safety.
- Respond quickly to incident and take appropriate actions
- Gathered preliminary investigation information as first responder to incident.
- Investigate reported crimes.
- Observe and take appropriate action in the event of suspicious activity.
- Wrote reports on arrest made and activities performed.
- Ability to perform long hours shift work
- Ability to lead and guide those under him.
- Possess Police Class 3 licence.
- Promoted to the rank of SSGT.
- Monitored and investigate suspicious persons and situations and unusual activities.
- Directed and control crowds at parades, funeral processions and sporting events.
- Preserved peace and order, preventing crimes and protects life and property.
- This department is focused on protecting the airport from terrorist attacks and enhancing security
- Working on team with 20+ Colleagues
- Communication with people from all over the world. It helps to recognize what are their intentions
- Demonstrated ability to resolve complex disputes, deescalate high-threat situations, and manage critical incident scenes.
- Selected by Maryville Police Department command staff to serve as a field training officer.
- Served as a member of the Maryville Police Department Honor Guard, Motorcycle Unit, and SWAT Team.
- Selected by the State of Tennessee to train police officers statewide on advanced enforcement techniques.
- Served as the Officer-in-Charge of a uniformed patrol shift in the absence of the shift commander.
- Investigated crimes, wrote reports, issued citations, made arrests, and testified in court.
- 2013 Outstanding Service Award
- 2013 HERO Award
- 2012 HERO Award
- 2012 East Tennessee Police Officer of the Year
- Responsible for assisting and organizing all administrative aspects of the department including organizing meetings and events.
- Worked collaboratively with 20 Special Police Officers to enforce local city laws, ensure crowd control, and to protect the City of Long Beach.
- Founded the Operation Commendable Kids campaign which encourages positive relationships between children, police officers and the entire community.
- Went through police training to carry out policing duties while on duty
- Maintain peace and security of posts that was being assigned to ensue SOPs are being adhered to
- Was deployed to Woodlands Checkpoint and also Jurong Island
- Proficient in crowd control, protecting financial instituitions as well as handling counter terrorism activities
- Manage a group of men operationally and admistratively
PRO TIP
Include quantitative data throughout your Police Officer resume to impress the hiring manager. Real facts and figures that show off your competency as an audit manager go a long way. Did you reduce the costs of audits? Manage a large team? Boosted efficiency? Show off the real numbers!
Action verbs for your police officer resume
Recommended reads:
Police officer resume: crafting a strong skills section
Do this if you want to make your skills section stand out.
- Check the job advert for keywords and add them to your skills section to pass ATS;
- List only skills that are relevant to the position to keep the hiring manager focused;
- Balance between hard, soft, and technical skills;
- Elaborate on some of your strongest skills in other sections of your Police Officer resume, e.g. the experience section or your resume’s summary.
Top skills for your police officer resume
Legal Knowledge
Reporting
Weapons Skills
CPR and First Aid
Computer Skills
Driving
Self-Defence
Active listening
Conflict resolution
Empathy
Compassion
Adaptability
Nonverbal communication
Critical thinking and observation
Building trust
PRO TIP
Add a Talent Section to your resume, where you can pick your top 3 soft skills and describe how you used them to complete a project or balance departmental communication.
Recommended Reads:
Police officer resume header: Tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your police officer resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Police Officer resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
How to write an inspiring police officer resume summary
Checklist: Writing a resume summary that makes you stand out
- Keep it short and use well-structured sentences;
- Mention your total years of experience in the field and your #1 achievement;
- Highlight your strengths and relevant skills;
- Add keywords from the company’s website or the job description.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Read the job description carefully and understand what the hiring company is exactly looking for. After that, write your summary accordingly while highlighting your potential and ability to be the best at that job.
Recommended Reads:
Making the education section of your police officer resume stand out
Education section checklist for your Police Officer resume:
- List your highest education degree: including your major, year of graduation, and the institution you attended;
- Highlight the extracurricular activities that have helped you gain additional expertise;
- Share more about the certifications you’ve got, especially if they are relevant to the job position;
- Entry-level applicants: Mention relevant courses and projects.
Top certifications for your police officer resume
How to Become a UK Police Officer
The Definitive Guide to Becoming A UK Police Officer - Also Great For Special Constable Applications
Police Legitimacy, Procedural Justice & Community Relations
The Courage to Lead Change
Constitutional Oriented Policing
Making Criminal Justice Effective Again
StudiGuide 20: Use of Force in California
Study Guide for the California Police Academy (P.O.S.T.) Written Examination
How to get that job in the Police or CJS
Right choices and application process guides
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Police Officer. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
Police officer resume: Formatting tips & tricks
Which came first: the hen or the egg? This question reminds us of the thing our resume experts hear most often in their job – which comes first: the content or the format? Well, we advise you to pick the format first and then go on with drafting your resume’s content.
And how do you choose a resume format? Well, based on your applicant profile. In general, there are three basic resume formats for you to choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Let’s look at each one of them in more detail:
The reverse-chronological resume format is quite straightforward. Here, you describe all your previous jobs in a reverse-chronological form, meaning your latest job comes first. This resume format is great for people with lots of experience and skills who don’t have any career gaps.
If you are a recent graduate or don’t really have much experience in the industry you’re applying for, go for the functional skills-based resume format. This format focuses on skills and character traits, rather than experience. It makes the hiring manager realize you’re the perfect fit for the role without putting too much emphasis on your work history.
And if you’re looking for something a bit more intriguing and exciting, check out the hybrid resume format. It’s a combination of the reverse-chronological and functional skills-based formats, which makes it great for all types of job-seekers. The hybrid resume allows you to showcase both your professional experience and your skills, education, and additional qualifications. If you’re feeling creative, add a separate section about your typical day or life philosophy.
Our top style and layout resume format tips:
- Go for a standard 12p resume font;
- Choose 1-inch resume margins for a professional and easy-to-read feel;
- ry your best to fit your resume in a one-page template. If you’re a professional with over 10 years of relevant experience, having a two-page resume is also fine;
- Make sure to save your resume as PDF – this will help you avoid unwanted editing and formatting issues.
Read this: How to make your resume stand out
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Police Officer resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Other sections that’ll look good on your Police Officer resume
Do you want to move beyond the traditional skills, education, and experience section? Easy-peasy!
Just choose one or two additional sections to help recruiters get a fuller picture of who you are, both as a person and as a professional:
Adding a Splash of Creativity to Your Police Officer Resume
Boring resumes are no longer an option if you’re looking to impress recruiters.
And no matter whether you’re looking to give your old resume a new life or want to start building a new one from scratch, being at least moderately creative is always a good idea. Do this by adding a ‘favorite books’ section or even a pie chart of what your typical day looks like.
What makes a great police officer resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
