Police professionals develop a wide range of transferable skills throughout their career, through training and daily duties; skills that are highly valuable in many other professions. Noted below is a small number of key transferable skills commonly gained in policing:
Communication Skills
• Clear verbal and written communication, including writing reports and interviewing
• Conflict resolution and de-escalation; remaining calm (the patience and skills required here is of high value while serving in the police and beyond)
• Public speaking and active listening, altering communication style depending on the audience
Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking
• Rapid decision-making under pressure
• Analysing complex situations, data and intelligence, from several sources, to make decisions and offer solutions to challenging and unexpected situations
• Evaluating and prioritising tasks in high-stress environments
Adaptability & Situational Awareness
• Adapting and responding swiftly to changing circumstances
• Keeping up to date with ever evolving situations, recognising and quickly assessing changes in environment
Leadership and Teamwork
• Leading and working with multi-disciplinary teams during operations, sharing ideas to achieve common goals
• Coordinating with other agencies, departments and members of the public, building strong stakeholder relationships
• Mentoring junior officers, encouraging individuals to take charge in their everyday roles
Ethical Judgment and Integrity
• Upholding legal and moral standards
• Accountability and responsibility
• Handling sensitive and confidential information
Attention to Detail
• Investigative reporting and recording accurate information; identifying details and discrepancies to aid the resolution of cases
• Following procedures and protocols accurately, keeping up to date with changes to remain legally compliant
Physical and Mental Resilience
• Enduring high-stress, physically demanding situations
• Maintaining composure under pressure
Risk Assessment and Management
• Thinking strategically and quickly to assess risk and make quick, often critical, decisions
• Identifying potential issues and opportunities for escalation, implementing appropriate controls to prevent further disruption
• Competent and compliant use of computer systems in the writing of reports and recording of data
• Managing databases, radio communications and forensic analysis of intelligence in many forms
Police officers often make career transitions, whether within the policing field or to a completely different industry.
Ex-police officers have many opportunities outside the police force. As a company we have seen movements to roles, at all levels, in project management, operations, investigation, audit, compliance, quality assurance, corporate training, technology, investigation, crisis management and counselling to name a few.
If you would like to gain support to fully showcase your transferable skills in your CV then you can arrange a call with us or you can order your documents here.