Adult & Juvenile Detention Officer Job Interview Tips

Corrections officers require a skill set that is very different from those in other career fields. As such, it is imperative that aspiring corrections officers make it apparent to their interviewers that they possess these skills. Utilizing a few specific interview tips found in the Killer Interview Secrets Book can increase your odds of impressing the panel and getting the job.

Show Conflict Resolution Skills

Conflict is an everyday part of life in correctional institutions, so although conflict resolution skills are ideal to possess in every career, they are absolutely essential to a corrections officer. Illustrate to your interviewer that you can resolve even the most difficult conflicts. Discuss how you have resolved conflicts in the past. If you have not had experience in resolving conflicts, draw upon knowledge that you have learned in communications, psychology and law enforcement classes to explain how you would react if you were put in the middle of a difficult situation.

Remain Strictly Professional

Corrections officers commonly work with the same inmates day after day. It can be easy to gain a familiarity with the inmates and inadvertently share personal details. To maintain safety within the institution, it is essential that corrections officers remain strictly professional at all times. If the interviewer notices that you are unable to keep your personal life out of the interview conversation, then he or she will likely question if you will be able to keep your personal life at home during long hours working at the correctional facility. During the interview, only discuss strictly work-related topics.

Discuss Career Longevity

Research shows that those working in law enforcement and corrections only work for the agency that hired them for an average of one year. It costs an average of $30,000 to train a law enforcement or corrections officer. In order to recoup their investment in your training, corrections facilities want to hire officers that they believe will work for the institution for a long time. So during the interview, be sure to discuss your long-term plans for working with the institution to demonstrate your career longevity to the interviewer.

Best Interview Prep Guides For Corrections Officer

If you are looking to do well on your next corrections interview, I highly recommend that you read Robert Lawrence’s e-book, Killer Job Interview Secrets through and through. You will get incredible insight on how to beat out the competition even if they are more qualified than you are.

Here’s a list of the toughest places to be a correctional officer sorted by counties: