28M - Ex-police (resigned) and bankrupt - career advice?

youngbuck2

emsywoo123 wrote: »

Completely unfair.

Firslty, there is nothing wrong with "NMW level", and for someone with GCSE's, a resignation while under investigation, and a poor reference, it would be unrealistic to suggest that the OP could obtain a great deal else *at this point* - no one has said never.

Secondly, there is a difference between humble and showing humility. The OP can at times come across as verging on arrogant, and the epic post about all that he has done while working for the police goes to show that. No one has questioned his career and achievements - if anything, the need to write quite so much about it is indicative of a need to prove himself to others and a false confidence.

I wish you every success OP - there's no doubt it must be a huge change to your career plans, and you have a lot in the pipeline.

I'm decided on what I'm doing now. In 3 years time I hope to be in a far better position than I am now.

Let's all be friends now and get along.

Look, I made you a cupcake:

missbiggles1

gettingready wrote: »

Yup, this is how those forums work. Shoot down anyone who believes in themselves and bring them down to NMW level and "being humble". Absolutely do not encourage them to aim higher. Never even encourage anyone t aim higher then you are.

:rotfl:



Yup again, happens here a lot. Lots of people are not confident themselves and seeing someone being confident they take it is arrogance.

Repeat as a mantra - do not try to stick out, level yourself down to everyone around you and still bow to them at every opportunity you get.

Just chill and do your thing, you will be fine

With little education, a job left under a cloud and a bankruptcy behind him, the OP should have little to be confident about, particularly as he doesn't seem to have learned by his mistakes.

When he can show that he can rise above his past, by his own efforts, that will be the time for him to be confident.

missbiggles1

youngbuck2 wrote: »

No problem - I genuinely began to doubt it after you said it and double checked

So did I, hence the delay.

youngbuck2

missbiggles1 wrote: »

With little education, a job left under a cloud and a bankruptcy behind him, the OP should have little to be confident about, particularly as he doesn't seem to have learned by his mistakes.

When he can show that he can rise above his past, by his own efforts, that will be the time for him to be confident.

I agree with everything in your post apart from what I have highlighted in bold.

On what basis are you claiming I don't seem to have learned by my mistakes? What mistake would that be? The only "mistakes" I have mentioned in this thread are the bankruptcy and my gross misconduct however I don't see how I haven't learned anything based upon my posts?

Bankruptcy - I'm bankrupt now, I am wiser and know to watch my financial affairs a lot more closely from now (again, I don't see where in this thread I have shown I haven't learnt from that mistake?)

Gross Misconduct - I don't recall making any inappropriate comments in this thread? So what are you basing your sweeping statement on?

As I've repeated numerous times already, I know I have a hard journey ahead, I know it will take a long time and if anything I have shown that I have reduced my expectations from my initial post looking for a good salary, to merely getting my foot in the door in any job and studying for a degree to better my chances? There are quite a few people on this thread who have said the same as you, but have gone about it in a more constructive way. Even the ones that didn't, I accepted, replied saying that I completely agree that it will be tough and both I and they have moved on?

Sorry if sounding confident, or even happy, is irritating you that much. By what you are suggesting in your last post I should apparently be acting very meek and timid, crying into my pillow at night - sorry but if I don't have a positive, optimistic attitude then what's the point in it all?

Southend1

emsywoo123 wrote: »

there is nothing wrong with "NMW level"

Let's be clear: there is nothing wrong with doing a job which is paid at NMW -it is often vital work such as cleaning, retail operations etc.

However, there is everything wrong with the current level of NMW which is not sufficient for an employee to reach an acceptable basic standard of living. The sooner NMW is raised and linked permanently to the living wage, the better. It's time to stop subsidising profitable global corporations with in-work benefits and make them pay enough for their employees to live.

Southend1

youngbuck2 wrote: »

I'm decided on what I'm doing now. In 3 years time I hope to be in a far better position than I am now.

Let's all be friends now and get along.

Look, I made you a cupcake:

Thanks. I love cake!!!

:beer:

gettingready

missbiggles1 wrote: »

With little education, a job left under a cloud and a bankruptcy behind him, the OP should have little to be confident about, particularly as he doesn't seem to have learned by his mistakes.

When he can show that he can rise above his past, by his own efforts, that will be the time for him to be confident.

OMG - are you for real?

Ozzuk

missbiggles1 wrote: »

With little education, a job left under a cloud and a bankruptcy behind him, the OP should have little to be confident about, particularly as he doesn't seem to have learned by his mistakes.

When he can show that he can rise above his past, by his own efforts, that will be the time for him to be confident.

You are judging without facts. Equally, he is trying to show that he wants to rise above his past.

Confidence is the easiest thing in the world to lose and can be the hardest to maintain/get back. I for one wish the OP the best and think he should take confidence from the fact he has got through all that has been thrown at him (whether of his own doing or not). He isn't just giving up, living of parents/state and just complaining about his life, he is looking to do better.

We should support people like this and not seek to keep them down.

LMH67

youngbuck2 wrote: »

Even if I knew I would keep my job I would 100% have left within the year. Speak to any police officer and they will tell you the same story - increased red tape, increased scrutiny, ridiculous bureaucracy, pay restrictions, pension changes etc.

I know everyone will say "well, that's the same for any industry regardless" - certainly not true. The police have far more restrictions than most professions. Did you know that it is illegal for police officers to strike? There's a specific act of parliament prohibiting that. This means that we can't take industrial action if we aren't happy. We had a pay freeze for 3 years whereas other emergency services were less affected.

I had been talking about leaving for a couple of years, as were a lot of my ex-colleagues. This provided the perfect opportunity. If I was offered my job back tommorow, I wouldn't take it. I feel like a huge weight is off my shoulders. The police is a 24/7 job. You might finish at 5pm each day and forget about your job til the following day. I was constantly on duty serving the public. If there was a fight with a bloke threatening someone else with a bottle? It was my job to intervene, even if I was on a night out with friends. Phoned at 3am to come in because of the London Riots even though I'd been on a night out or had other plans? My job to drop what I was doing and get into work.

The job has changed. I would go so far as to say more than 80% of officers have considered leaving at some point within the last few years. My gross misconduct just came along at a point where I was looking elsewhere. I can name at least 20 officers I worked with in a team of 120 officers who resigned because of changes. Probably another 80+ who have thought about it.

I loved my job, it was very rewarding and I had some fantastic life experiences and also experienced devastating life changing incidents which I did my best to assist in. I've saved lives (quite literally), dealt with devastated family members who have lost loved ones, attended fatal and serious injury collisions, stabbings, shootings and major incidents (remember the guy with gas cannisters who took hostages in Tottenham Court Road a while ago?). I completed a 27 hour shift during the London riots. I've seen a doctor perform open heart life saving intervention in the car park of a pub on a shooting victim. I've dealt with high profile figures and celebrities. I've found missing people and children that have gone missing. I've arrested burglars and robbers caught in the act and received commendations and other forms of praise. I've policed various major events, the royal wedding, the olympics, the diamond jubilee, Thatcher's funeral. I had a great career.

But unless you've worked in the police service you won't understand the level of changes that have occurred. Shift changes, pay changes, pension changes, restrictions, red tape, paperwork, and a real culture of scrutiny and blame which the public may say is a good thing, but do something slightly over the line and the wolves will come for you.

All I will say is, considering the allegation against me, I can guarantee that in a lot of other professions, it would have been dealt with as a written warning at worst. Unfortunately for me, I worked in a profession where the very highest standards were expected, and rightly so.

Perhaps I deserved the stress and ordeal I went through over a year. But at the same time, it was a blessing in disguise and gave me the final shove I needed to get out.

Anyone considering joining the police - do it, you will have a fantastic job and experience things that not many people will ever get to experience. Just beware that it is not the job it used to be.

Despite the gross misconduct charge, I know my conscience is clear. I know that the differences I made to people's lives more than negates the gross misconduct incident. I've quite literally saved at least one person's life and that's invaluable on a social level and for my personal conscience.

I know a lot of employers, once they are aware of the circumstances will view resignation as potentially an admission of guilt, but if given the opportunity I will explain as frankly and as honestly as I can.

As someone who joined the police in 1987 as a naïve 19 1/2 year old and had to retire 7 years later following an injury on duty, I'm sorry to say all I see is a large degree of negativity about how you perceived your service which is a real shame. The job is a vocation or should be - it is not something to go into just to get a good salary or benefits. When I joined as I was under 21, my starting salary was under £8K and didn't rise until I hit 21. I most definitely didn't join for the pennies.

As an officer you join understanding that yes, it is your life. If you see something going on around you, you have a DUTY to act - that's what your warrant card means.

The job I did was hard but I didn't do it for praise, thanks or rewards - I dealt with everything you could imagine (and worse) and just, well, got on with it - that was my job. The politics were just as bad back then, so nothing has changed really, just technology has moved on a pace. As a female officer (yep, I'm a girlie), when I first joined, we weren't even allowed to wear trousers and I remember coming back to the station one night with my knees in shreds after having to rugby tackle a burglar whilst running over gravel. It certainly gave my colleagues plenty of ammunition for jokes regarding ripped tights!

I can only imagine what you might have said to cause the disciplinary but you are right, the police do expect the absolutely highest level of behaviour - and quite rightly so. I don't understand your apparent surprise at this. I do feel though that you might have jumped too early - just imagine, you might have just got that warning but who knows now.

I could go on and on but I won't. I would suggest you stop beating yourself up over everything, draw that line and move on. You have a plan and until you put yourself out there in front of employers, you won't find out how they will react. I'm sure after what you've dealt with, you can find enough within you to survive a difficult interview or two until you learn what and how you need to say/not say.

Good luck with your future, you've got a great amount of experience to draw upon as long as you can learn to channel it in the right direction.

Southend1

Ozzuk wrote: »

You are judging without facts. Equally, he is trying to show that he wants to rise above his past.

Confidence is the easiest thing in the world to lose and can be the hardest to maintain/get back. I for one wish the OP the best and think he should take confidence from the fact he has got through all that has been thrown at him (whether of his own doing or not). He isn't just giving up, living of parents/state and just complaining about his life, he is looking to do better.

We should support people like this and not seek to keep them down.

Hear hear!