On September 29, 2021, I received this nice email from a student who purchased my PELLETB prep course nine months earlier:
“Sgt. Godoy,
I wanted to thank you for the prep course. I am happy to report that I have completed the entire hiring process and will be starting at the police academy in 3-weeks. This is my dream come true!
Donnalou Ramirez”
The email by itself was not exceptional. I receive lots of these messages each year and appreciate all of them. In this case, however, I was in for a surprise. Donnalou turned out to be truly exceptional. I think that current applicants will find her story interesting and learn some valuable life’s lessons from her.
Donnalou Ramirez
Motivation to become a Police Officer
As a child, I looked up to my parents who were both law enforcement officers. For most of my life, however, I desired to become a lawyer (a prosecutor). Towards that goal, I attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, where I majored in legal studies and minored in sociology. During my sophomore year of college, I got my first internship as an intern at a District Attorney’s office in the bay area. The experience was not gratifying. I realized working behind the scenes and primarily with litigation was not for me. I wanted to have a more direct impact on the world I live in.
Changing Course
Following my internship, I decided to pursue a career in law enforcement. Before I left this academic phase of my life, I decided to get a master’s degree in Business Administration. I felt that this would help me become a stronger leader and improve my communicational skills. As soon as I finished my master’s degree, I started applying to multiple law enforcement agencies in my region.
Hurdles Along the Way
For me, the hardest part was getting started with the application process. Locating and organizing all the paperwork and information was time consuming and sometimes frustrating. I needed to contact former employers, coworkers, close friends and family to let them know they might be contacted. It was difficult to locate specific information such as current home addresses, emails addresses and phone numbers
Donnalou Ramirez - from soccer to police officer
Even with my recent college experience, I was nervous about each step of the hiring process including the written exam, which was the California PELLETB. The agencies I was applying to had higher standards than most. They required a T-score of 50 to pass instead of the more common 48. I purchased Sergeant Godoy’s PELLETB QuikPrep course, studied diligently and passed the written test without trouble.
My agencies required that you pass the written exam before being invited to the physical abilities test. I was already in great shape because of my many years playing soccer. More recently, have been focused on competitive bodybuilding and became nationally recognized in that sport. Bodybuilding taught me as much about willpower and mental strength as it did physical strength.
Advanced Assessments were More Challenging
Next was the oral interview. I prepared for my interview by attending my desired agency’s online workshop, studying the Mastering the Police Interview course, and by running through mock interviews with former law enforcement officers. It is important to be able to advocate for yourself and confidently be able to tell your story. Equally important is that you answer every question concisely and thoroughly. Some questions will be more direct, for example “Why do you want to be a police officer?” and other questions will have multiple parts. Much like future police work, you need to PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS.
My agency started its background investigation after I had ranked in the top tier for my oral interview. Things like the Psych exam and Polygraph were conducted in parallel over the next several months. These tests were more challenging than the written test and I was grateful I had Sergeant Godoy’s advanced courses to guide me through them.
I received my conditional offer after completion of the polygraph and background. Once, my background was completed, my entire application up to this point was reviewed by the hiring board panel, then I received a conditional offer of employment.
In retrospect, the exams were not as hard as I expected. Part of the reason certainly is due to the preparation I did. Waiting to hear your results and not knowing how long to be wait was the most frustrating part. I never was quite sure what the timeline was. Get use to the hurry-up and wait process. Police work is like this. I believe the extensive police hiring process gives you a great taste of the kind of stress you will face during the job. It is crucial to learn to be patient with the waiting and the unknown.
Advice for Others
1. Start getting in good Shape …
months before you apply. Do not put this off. Female candidates need to work on their upper-body strength. I observed several females struggled getting over the 6-ft. wall, so don’t underestimate this challenge.
2. You can never be overprepared …
no matter how smart you are. I found Sergeant Godoy’s courses based upon their good reputation and was not disappointed. The agencies I applied to had far more applicants than openings, so scoring higher than my competitors was important.
3. Take one step at a time
For example, don’t spend time studying for the Polygraph or Interview until you need to.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Keep it in mind that every interaction with the recruiting staff is a good opportunity to build a relationship. Also, if you know anyone who is working, or has worked for the department, reach out to them, and ask questions about the department’s moral, polices, issues, etc.
5. Finish Strong
The advanced assessments, like the Polygraph and Interview, are places where good preparation will make or break you. I strongly recommend the technique of rehearsing your answers with a friend or family member using the questions in Sgt. Godoy’s advanced courses. The stress of taking these evaluations can cause you to fumble questions that would otherwise be straightforward if you only took time to think about them beforehand.
6. Commit yourself to success
Donnalou Ramirez
The most useful advice I received along the way is to make sure your heart is invested in your pursuits. When you are fully committed, the challenges become easier to cope with. The most useful advice I’d give others is to never give up or lose faith pursuing what you are truly passionate about. When there is a will, there is a way.
7. Keep yourself pumped up
This was my formula for success. I am certainly very excited about joining the academy in the next few days.
Donnalou Ramirez