7 wonders as you leave policing

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Candace Stokes
5 years ago
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1 7 wonders as you leave policing

2 Police into Private Sector - PiPS The PiPS team came together after many decades of service within policing. We are committed to building a uniquely useful service for officers as they leave policing and settle into their new career. We support you as you seek new employment or build your business through meaningful support with specific networking in the form of PiPS Net. Helping members to make the most of their opportunities and talents Follow PiPS on

3 Seven things to wonder about as you leave the police service or Seven things to ponder and reflect over if you have already left This is not for the faint hearted but has the potential to save you money, time and heartbreak.

4 1. Making a difference This is a really tricky one. You have spent a great many years making a real contribution to society. You have followed the rules and been figuratively held by a big influential organisation.

5 And therein lays the problem to your future. Having been used to making a difference many officers look to replicate that and perhaps miss out on lower key but satisfying routes. Sometime it takes a while to understand that it is okay to do something not so hugely for others and that there are many routes in business that will allow this side of your personality to continue but perhaps not so overtly. The need to give back (and if I may be so bold, be seen to be giving back) often justifies our existence and after a long career in policing can seem almost obligatory. This is a time for you now, do something that engages you and interests you as you could be looking at several decades of working yet. Don t worry about choosing something worthy that will come in time when you help a colleague, do a charity walk, offer your support and advice without expecting anything in return.

6 2. Staying with the familiar Many officers build companies and new careers in the field of policing related arenas and if they have a real feel for it then that is fabulous. But all too often police officers believe that there only skills are in policing and therefore must stay in this field. They follow the crowd often out of loss knowing what else to do everyone else is in security, so it must be good Sorry, but that field is saturated and the only way you will be really successful is if you have a real passion for it, you are willing to commit a huge amount of energy into it and in truth that you really do have something more than others to offer. What is your USP (unique selling proposition?) Often people will say they have set up a security company; but have they really? Are they running a business?

7 Perhaps they got lucky in the first days and got a small contract. When that contract ended they had not build on the opportunity and now are sitting twiddling their thumbs; not wishing to lose face they press on but money dwindles and confidence ebbs. So do not follow the crowd think about what you are interested in and what you can bring to the market that will make your offering special.

8 3. Think that you are owed a living? I know that sounds harsh and perhaps you do not consciously think that but dig a little deeper and is that belief there? It is a regular theme on the LinkedIn group so it may also be running around in your head.

9 I gave thirty years to the job, served the community, played by the rules and where are they now? No one appreciates all I did The list is fairly long and varies only in passion. The truth? Brace yourself There is no they There is no tangible human overseeing care to those who leave, people care, but organisations cannot. You were paid to do a job; you did it and now that engagement is over

10 They are looking to people in the job now their duty of care to you finished but you have your pension so it is not all bad. Does that sound harsh? Probably, but better to know it now, accept it and look towards all that you can do next without feeling bitter. Yes, it would be great to have them help you into your next career but really that is not their problem so you will now have to do this yourself. And no bad thing because if you take it seriously your confidence and resilience is going to go through the roof.

buy an Oyster card to travel around London. BUY! The horror, and you have to top the flipping thing up!

11 4. Oyster card horror! In London, part of reintegration to normal life often begins with a shock as you hand in your warrant card you have to buy an Oyster card to travel around London. BUY! The horror, and you have to top the flipping thing up! As you will understand I am referring now to the need to pay for a good many services that were part of the package. Perhaps a clothing allowance or a smart blue outfit to ensure your jeans and tee shirts do not get worn out too quickly.

12 Often that has led to officers being really bewildered by now needing to pay for so much, personal development, training courses, and travel (but you will not be expected to intervene when there is a problem but of course invariably will!) That has gone now and it can be a bit of a shock but one your will adjust to once you get into that acceptance frame of mind. Now you will be reaching into your pocket for many items and it may feel painful. Understand that you get what you pay for (free websites are rarely truly free but that is for another book) People are in business; if they have what you want and you can see it is at the market rate than it is a fair exchange of energy nothing more.

4. You have much more to offer than you might think Police humour is brilliant, so dark and so cutting; it really does have a place in helping deal with the worst side of the human experience.

13 4. You have much more to offer than you might think Police humour is brilliant, so dark and so cutting; it really does have a place in helping deal with the worst side of the human experience. So what is the negative? Well, in the longer term what seems to happen is people can feel less useful than they might. The pull down can be useful as part of a team; get a bit too full of your own importance and you will be

14 Shown in no uncertain terms that you are no better or no worse than the rest of the team. But not so great for the individual who now needs to step up and be seen as having skills and talents that will be useful in their next career. So in policing terms what happens if over time you get quite used to underselling yourself? As you head out into the private sector you really do need to outline what you can do, why you are excellent at what you do and why anyone would be a fool to not employ you, buy your widgets or your services to mankind (in whatever form). The only caveat is be realistic I spoke to one officer who said he wanted a career as a trainer what is your experience? I asked well, I taught street duties once.

15 Hmmm not really a hope there, but you have skills and abilities that you may not be clear about but you need to get clear on them and then learn how to tell people about them. Yes, I know there are twits out there who with no particular cause seem to think they are a gift to the world and that everything they do is completely marvellous. That is not you! You would not be reading this if it were as you would believe you already know everything. So you need not fear that others will think you boastful or arrogant. We are looking here for realistic reflection of what you can offer the working world. You are, as mentioned probably a lot better than you realise.

16 5. If you build it they will come! This leads us neatly to perhaps challenging the belief that if you build something; a company; a website; a CV, then people will flock to it as if by magic. That somehow your clients of new employer will just know you are out there. The film Field of Dreams was about magic, and you cannot afford to believe that people will just find you.

17 This includes; The people on LinkedIn who state as their current status Looking for employment so give me a call or the like. Apparently with no real idea what they want to do so even if someone could help them, how would they know how? Starting a business but keeping such a low profile that no one new can find them. This is a really dangerous way to start a business because often you have a whole team of people still in the job who want to support your efforts and so will become customers or promote what you are doing in the first few months. Customers and clients come through the door so you can be lulled into believing that this will continue. It rarely does. The next person leaves and everyone starts to support them and you can be left thinking Where did everyone go?

18 If you send off a CV you will probably need to chase it up. Better yet you could make a personal contact in the company you are applying for to help you stand out from the crowd. Yes, I know, scary! Embrace your new world you will now need to stop hiding your light under a bushel and learn how to sell yourself or your product or service with some determination and some style. Tell people what you want to do, what difference you can make to their company, what difference your service will make to their life. You do not need to go over the top and overdo it but you MUST tell them you are there.

19 6. Why would you know? I hope you will agree that a specific need of a police officer is the ability to take charge of almost any situation. Often of course you are following instinct and since things invariably turn out well you can start to believe that you can cope with everything and should be able to solve any problem without any help.

20 This can leave you with the belief that you, as a take charge sort of person, does not feel the need for any support and that you should just know how to do well just about anything and so do not reach out for help and support when you would save time, money and heartbreak so easily. Big shock coming; confident people are usually the very first to ask for support and additional knowledge. It really is a case of the more you know the clearer you become on actually how little you know. Why on earth would you think; That you should just know what companies want to see in a CV? Perhaps you are thinking hey how hard can it be? You should just know how interviews in the private sector run That you should just know how to run a successful business.

21 You had a great career in a job that many people would be overwhelmed in. People might remark to you that they do not know or understand how you managed it So why on earth would you believe that you would just understand the private sector without support? Yes, you can learn the hard way. Do not tell anyone you are not sure what to do next, and wander around not quite sure what to do next perhaps you could spend a fortune on marketing products (new businesses are an easy target sad to say) but then have no idea how to use them. The person who steps up after one long career to say I am up for learning all I can now about my next career is looked at in admiration; never doubt that for a moment.

7. Don t look back wearing rose coloured spectacles Well okay look back and laugh remembering the fun and the good times but also remember the constraints and the frustrations.

22 7. Don t look back wearing rose coloured spectacles Well okay look back and laugh remembering the fun and the good times but also remember the constraints and the frustrations. When you have been held secure within an organisation for a long time it can feel like they were the good times and nothing will compare. Let it go and reminisce realistically and the next career will be even more fun.

23 And the next career absolutely can be huge fun and can bring you such a sense of achievement; but this can only happen when you let it. The potential for your future rests almost entirely on you accepting that great success, however you measure it, is possible in your next career. Complaining and pointing out where people, politicians, organisations have got it wrong is often part of the job culture. It serves no purpose now; be around positive energetic people and see the difference. No matter how engaging your arguments, no one likes to spend time with a continual complainer except of course another continual complainer. Now is your moment to spend your next decades doing something you love, scary times perhaps but often the things worth the most are those we really had to fight for. Angela Hackett 2012

Come and join us www.policeintoprivatesector.co.

24 Come and join us You can join the conversation on LinkedIn but most of all make contact with us. We have been there and really do understand. Send an and make sure you do not waste anytime getting to where you want to be.

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