Police Officer Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Police Officer resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Police officers are the guardians of our communities and our safety. They protect and serve by patrolling their jurisdictions, responding to calls for help, investigating crimes and accidents, and arresting suspects. They keep the peace by maintaining a presence in the places where people gather—from schools to stadiums to parks. And they look out for public safety by enforcing traffic laws, responding to accidents, and patrolling neighborhoods on foot or in an officer car.
If you’re ready to become a part of this vital team, you’ll need a resume that showcases your skills, experience, and passion for protecting others. Here are some tips along with an example resume to help you write yours.
How to Write a Police Officer Resume
Here’s how to write a police officer resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most important part of your resume because they’re the first thing recruiters will see. And they’re the best way to showcase your experience and qualifications.
So it’s crucial that you use them to your advantage. And the best way to do that is by using specific, descriptive language. For example, rather than saying you “assisted with community outreach,” you could say you “developed and implemented community outreach initiative that increased foot patrol presence by 20% and reduced crime by 10% in first six months.”
The second bullet point is much more specific and provides more detail about what exactly you did and the results of your work.
Related: What Is a Police Officer? How to Become One
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for a police officer role, your resume is likely to be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) for certain keywords. This program looks for specific terms related to the job, like “law enforcement” or “patrol.” If your resume doesn’t include enough of these keywords, the ATS might automatically reject your application.
To make sure your resume makes it past the ATS, use this list of common police officer keywords as a starting point:
- Law Enforcement
- Criminal Investigations
- Public Safety
- Investigation
- Police
- Firearms Handling
- Emergency Management
- Security
- Criminal Justice
- Emergency Services
- Interrogation
- Physical Security
- Intelligence Analysis
- Homeland Security
- Counterterrorism
- Evidence Collection
- Surveillance
- Patrol
- Police Operations
- Public Safety Leadership
- Field Training
- Basic Firearms
- National Security
- Supervisory Skills
- Criminal Law
- Probation
- Security Operations
- Private Investigations
- Customer Service
- Negotiation
Showcase Your Technical Skills
In order to be a successful police officer, it is essential that you are proficient in the use of technology. This might include experience with police databases, evidence tracking systems, or communication programs. Additionally, police officers need to be familiar with procedures for handling evidence and conducting investigations.
So if you have experience with any of these technologies or procedures, be sure to list them on your resume. And if you’re not familiar with them, now is the time to learn them!
Related: How Much Does a Police Officer Make?
Remember The Basics
As you’re writing your resume, you’ll want to keep a few basic guidelines in mind.
Make Your Resume Easy to Scan
There are a few things you can do to make your resume look more professional and easy to read. First, use a standard font type and size throughout the document. You should also left-align your text, use bullets instead of paragraphs to list your experiences, and keep your bullets under 2 lines. Additionally, you can use bolding and italics to emphasize important information, but should avoid using all-caps or too much formatting variation. Finally, try to leave some white space on the page to make the document less overwhelming.
Be Concise
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to how long a resume should be. However, a one-page resume is typically the best option for recent graduates or those with limited work experience. For more experienced candidates, a two-page resume may be more appropriate. When trimming down a resume, focus on removing any irrelevant information and ensuring that the most important details are front and center.
Check Your Work
Proofreading your resume is important in order to make sure it looks professional and error-free. Spell checking is a must, as are punctuation and grammar checks. It is also helpful to have someone else proofread your resume for you, as they may catch mistakes that you have missed. Beware of easily confused words, and make sure that your tense is consistent throughout the resume.
Use a Summary
A resume summary statement is an excellent way to introduce yourself and your goals to potential employers. By highlighting your skills and experiences, you can show how you can be an asset to their team. When writing your summary, be sure to target the role you’re hoping to land and focus on your most relevant skills. Keep it short and sweet, and you’ll be sure to make a great impression.
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