5 Tips for Landing a Job as a State Trooper

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Staff Writers
Updated August 11, 2020

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State Trooper Job Tips

  • Know How to Answer Questions
  • Prepare for the Physical Fitness Test
  • Do Your Own Background Check
  • Dress Right
  • Prepare for Other Exams

Becoming a state trooper lets you defend those living in your state and catch criminals. Many states require that troopers patrol highways and other major roadways for speeders and others breaking the law. You usually need a degree in criminal justice or a similar field, but you may need to go through some type of training like at the police academy too. Before starting your job search or going to your first interview though, you should look at some tips for getting that job.

Know How to Answer Questions

Knowing how to answer the questions given to you during an interview can help you nail that interview and get an offer. PoliceLink, which is a branch of Monster.com, claims that some of the trickier questions relate to your background and why you want to work as an officer. Instead of simply saying that you like what state troopers do, the site recommends finding a way to draw experiences from your background into your response to show that you thought about the question in advance.

Prepare for the Physical Fitness Test

You rarely see obese or overweight state troopers on the job because these law enforcement professionals must go through a rigorous physical fitness exam before going to work. This exam may ask you to run a mile, do push ups and sits up and do other tests to show that you are in good shape. Check with the department in your state about what it requires applicants do on this test. You can then start training to ensure that you can pass the test.

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Do Your Own Background Check

Before becoming a state trooper, you will need to pass a background check. All law enforcement professionals must submit their fingerprints to a local police department and authorize that department to run those prints through its system. This will bring up any arrests you had in the past as well as any convictions. State troopers generally cannot have any felony convictions on their record, and some departments will turn you down because of misdemeanors. You can do your own background check to find out ahead of time if there are any issues in your past that will keep you from finding work in law enforcement.

Dress Right

While you can interview for some jobs in a tee shirt and jeans, you must dress like a professional when attending an interview for a state trooper position. Men should wear a tie with a button up shirt and a suit or a suit jacket and matching pants. Women can also wear a suit or some type of professional dress with closed toe flats or high heels. Take the time to shower and fix your hair before the interview too. The more professional you look, the better impression the interview panel will have of you.

Prepare for Other Exams

In addition to a physical fitness test, state troopers must also go through a mental screening, a polygraph and a drug test. The drug test portion will require that you visit a lab or facility and submit a sample that the lab will test for the presence of any types of drugs. During the mental screening, you'll answer a series of questions designed to see how well you can handle stressful situations and other things on the job. You can also prepare for the polygraph and learn how to stay calm during the exam.

Working as a state trooper requires that you put your life and the lives of others on the line every day that you go to work. You can use these basic tips on becoming a state trooper to land the job that you want.

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