RCMP Interview Just Finished

[[e-mail]]

Whew!!!!! Very glad that is over and done with. I expected to be in there between 2-3 hours. It lasted 4 hours. Good sign or not? I don't know. He is supposed to go over his notes later today and talk to my recruiter. I should find out tomorrow afternoon whether or not the application will proceed. It wasn't easy but I answered as best I could. I thought if he had ruled me out he might tell me right right away. On the other hand, my wife said if he figured you were in wouldn't he also tell you that too. So I'm not sure how to read it. I'll find out tomorrow.

DT

[ace13]

Well, I'm happy to hear that the interview is finished, at least, you don't have to deal with that anxiety anymore.  Good luck to you and keep us posted . . .I'll be definitely awaiting to hear your news.  Did they do the security part of the interview?  It's strange that they didn't tell you immediately, that's how they do it here in Newfoundland.  But I guess it depends on the interview.  So how did you feel about it though?  Did he drill you or was it relaxed?  I have my fingers crossed for you.
Ace13

[[e-mail]]

Thanks Ace. He was a pretty nice guy and kept it fairly relaxed. We even talked about the NHL playoffs, his prior career (he's an ex-member on contract). The document they make you sign at the interview excludes me from being able to say what questions he asked. But if you follow the interview guide where it talks about the 8 essential competencies then you should be okay. Think of life experiences that would apply to what they are looking for. He asked a few things that  would have been part of the security interview so I'm not sure if he sort of combined both parts.
At 12:00 he said he was done and he wanted to go over the results and see me back in the office at 12:45. So naturally I thought I'd find out then. However, when I came back we sat down and he said there was one question he had forgotten to ask. It was an easy one. Just my opinion on a topic. So then he just said he had to go over his notes (he wrote a lot of pages), wanted to talk to the recruiter tomorrow morning and he would call me tomorrow afternoon. So thats not too bad, waiting one day. Someone else here said they found out via a leter received 2 weeks later. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed too now. Thanks again.

DT

[sporto]

I bet you are glad that is finally over with.  Did they do the security portion of the interview with you?  It may be that the interviewer was just a little involved with writing and concentrating on each individual question.  He probably just has to review what he wrote before he can recommend you to proceed.  The interviewers are very thorough and meticulous so I am sure you have nothing to worry about.  My interviewer said he would have to rewrite his notes before he could pass them on for my file.  About a month after my interview I received a couple of phone calls from recruiting just trying to verify and clarify things that I said during my interview.  They never seem to stop investigating and reveiwing ones file.  Let us know about your phone call tomorrow and good luck!

[Glenn]

Thats great DT. It sure must be nice to live in the right province in Canada. Out here on the West Coast and Alberta, people wait anywhere from 4 to 7 months just to get the results back from the rpat test. A couple of guys who I work with volunteering at the local rcmp are still waiting for their rpat scores that they wrote in January. Another just got her results, took eight months. Maybe its the first letter in your last name?
I will be writing again next month, hoping for a better score than the 3.5 I recieved last year. Hoping for the best.
Anyway, congrats, hope you make the next cut.
Glenn 8)

[ace13]

I guess that because you already have the top secret clearance from the RCMP, that's why they didn't do a complete security interview.  I am really rooting for you!  Keep us posted for sure!

Ace13

[DT]

Well, my interviewer phoned me today. Negative.   He said I scored too low on a couple of the competencies. I got the "You're a great guy and I wish you luck" speech. Man, after the interview I didn't have a feeling either way but of course you always hope it swings in your favour. It makes the excellent results I scored on the RPAT and PARE seem wasted in the end. Not to mention all the work I put in preparing myself over the last several months. To make it this far and then fail is devastating. Its hard to take when you really feel your reason for existance is to be an LE officer. If only you could get a chance to prove yourself on the street instead of having to sell yourself in an interview. Not sure what I'll do now as I would have to wait 2 years to re-apply to the RCMP. There is always the provincial police and other city police forces. At my age the clock is definitely ticking though.
I'd like to thank everyone who supported me and offered me best wishes over the last several months. To those of you who are still in the application process somewhere, I wish you the best of luck.

DT

[ace13]

DT,

I am really sad to hear that.  But if a LE career is what you really want, keep your spirits high, take what you have learned from the interview and keep trying, whether it be the RCMP or another force.  Once again, thank you for all your advice, and good luck!  I wish you the best!

[[e-mail]]

I am sorry that you were not successfull DT. But keep your head up and go on with your life. I understand that it may be difficult right now but you'll get over it.  I agree that two years is a long wait to re-apply but if you choose to go somewhere else, keep in mind that the RCMP is not the toughest police force to get into. Peel Regional for example is a difficult one. They have a real physical test, not like our super PARE, and they are not afraid to tell you when you don't fit in.  However, it is well known that the moral is high and that they have one of the best police force in Canada. They are presently recruiting.

As for the other candidates who are still awaiting their interview, I wish you luck and I am gonna give you a few tips.

1. Do a lot of volunteer work. (Have some signed reference letters to prove it)
2. Do not try to be too friendly with the interviewer, stay professional at all time and focus on why you are there.
3.  Follow the STAR principle for all the questions.
4. Be motivated, ultra energetic and speak clearly.
5. Don't start the '' do you know Cst. X...'', they don't want to know who you may know.
6. Don't lie about anything. They know more than you may think and they will check what they are not sure about.
7. Do not try to impress them by what you know about the law or policing. The RCMP will teach you everything you need to know at Depot and during your field training program.
8. Try to pick example where you were a leader. If you were in the military and went for a UN tour, use it.

Once again good luck.
Simon.