Are you looking for a job or change in career? Are you 18 years old or above, with Australian Permanent Residency? Have you passed year 12 or above? If so, then Victoria Police is looking for people to fill various roles including police officers, protective services officers and police custody officers.
Over 3,000 officers are hoped to be recruited by 2021.
You could be one of them but it’s not that simple.
However, we have tried to make it easy for you to understand the whole process of recruitment by Victoria police.
What is Victoria police looking in a potential candidate?
(Top 3 most important attributes)
1- For Police Officer’s role
Good communication skills (verbal & written)
Emotional Intelligence
Integrity
2- For Protective Services Officer’s role
Good communication skills (verbal)
Community-mindedness
Assertiveness
3- For Police Custody Officer
Good communication skills (verbal)
Resilience
Non-judgemental
Most people will agree that they have these attributes.
Fantastic let’s move forward and know some specifics.
We will first go through “Entry Requirements” for job application…
A- Good Character and Reputation
All offences, including those that were committed as a juvenile must be disclosed in your application because…
“Victoria Police conducts extensive background checks on Police Officer applicants during the selection process.
Your previous history will be continually checked and assessed. Failure to declare information may result in automatic cancellation of your application.”
B- Education
If you are under 21 years of age, you must have completed your Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or equivalent (Senior Level Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) is accepted).
If you are 21 or older, you are not required to have completed a VCE or equivalent to be eligible to apply. There are no pre-requisite subjects and no Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) requirements.
C- Citizenship
The Victoria Police Act 2013 stipulates that you must be an Australian Citizen or hold Australian permanent residency to join Victoria Police.
New Zealand Citizens are required to have a Special Category Visa and be residing in Australia to submit an application.
D- Fitness
“As a Police Officer, you will be required to maintain a healthy level of cardio fitness and physical strength in order to meet the physical requirements of the job.
As part of the recruitment process, you will be required to undertake a fitness test and once employed with Victoria Police you will be required to undertake regular fitness testing.”
E- Licence
“To apply for a Police Officer position you must have an Australian driver’s licence.
A probationary licence is also acceptable. Both manual and automatic driver's licences are permitted.”
F- First Aid
“As a Police Officer, you will be required to have a current First Aid certificate whilst undertaking your training and while you are deployed in the field.”
G- Medical
“As a Police Officer, you will be required to meet the minimum medical requirements in order to safely and effectively perform the role. As part of your application, you will be required to undertake a medical evaluation.
This will include a self-assessment, an examination by a GP, a review of your hearing by an Audiologist or Audiometrist and your vision by an Ophthalmologist or Optometrist. You may also be requested to provide specialist reports depending on your medical history.”
Failure to completely disclose information will result in the cancellation of your application
H- Communication
“As a Police Officer, you will be expected to communicate clearly, effectively and professionally and negotiate confidently.
One of the fundamental skills a Police Officer requires is the ability to communicate effectively. It is critical that our members have the ability to give and receive verbal information in sometimes stressful situations. If an applicant is identified during the process as having a possible issue in this area, they are given the opportunity to participate in a process to assess their level of verbal communication skills in the context of operational suitability and safety.”
I- Associations
“During the selection process you will be asked to declare associations. An inappropriate association is an association with a person or organization suspected of, or known to be engaged in, or have a history of, unlawful activity. These associations will reflect on community perceptions of your integrity and ability to use authority with integrity. They may also put you in a position where associates attempt to ask you to forgo your duty or otherwise compromise your integrity as an employee of Victoria Police.
It is important that Victoria Police are aware of any association or potential conflict of interest which may compromise you or reflect adversely on the organization. These could be family, friends, members of recreational clubs or other people you associate with.”
Just to motivate you further, let’s explain the “Recruitment Process.”
The recruitment process can take in excess of 6 months to complete and assesses key competencies encompassing intellect, psychological make-up, general fitness, work history, community involvement and medical and prior offence history.
Application Preparation
You will be required to submit an application online. Your application will be thoroughly assessed and some may be rejected if deemed not competitive. Please ensure that you use correct spelling and grammar and that all questions are answered in full.
The application form will consist of:
a- Personal details, b- Employment history, c- Education history and d-History of prior offences and police dealings
Upon completion of your online application, you may be contacted by Recruiting Services Branch via email to complete the Victoria Police Entrance Examination.
All costs associated with travel to and from assessment venues/stages will be the responsibility of the applicant, including costs to sit the entrance exam, sum of skin folds test (if required), medical appointments and first aid certification.
1- Eligibility Checks
The Eligibility Checks stage of the recruitment process is where our recruitment team will review your application to determine both your eligibility and suitability to join Victoria Police as a Police Officer. This includes assessing your Body Mass Index (BMI), basic driving and criminal history and responses to motivational and behavioural based questions. The role of a Police Officer is a highly sought after position and as such the recruitment process is highly competitive. Not all applications will progress past this initial stage of the process.
2- Entrance Exam
ACER is the examination authority for Victoria Police.
The exam will include the following components:
1. Verbal Reasoning Assessment
2. Numerical Reasoning Assessment
3. Abstract Reasoning Assessment
4. English Skills Test (multiple choice)
5. Summary Writing Assessment
6. Extended Writing Assessment
7. Oral Communications Assessment
8. Computer Skills Assessment
For further information on the exam and how to prepare, please download the Police Recruit Information Booklet which is a free resource guide that includes sample exam questions for you to test yourself.
3- Entrance Exam
ACER is the examination authority for Victoria Police.
The exam will include the following components:
1. Verbal Reasoning Assessment
2. Numerical Reasoning Assessment
3. Abstract Reasoning Assessment
4. English Skills Test (multiple choice)
5. Summary Writing Assessment
6. Extended Writing Assessment
7. Oral Communications Assessment
8. Computer Skills Assessment
For further information on the exam and how to prepare, please download the Police Recruit Information Booklet below which is a free resource guide that includes sample exam questions for you to test yourself.
4- Background Checks
After successful completion of the Victoria Police Entrance Examination, Recruiting Services will conduct a preliminary check of your previous history to determine your eligibility and suitability for the role.
5- Video Interview
You will receive a link via email to complete the video interview. You will have 7 days to complete your video interview. You will be given a set amount of time to record your answers. You must complete the interview using any electronic device with a camera (e.g. mobile, laptop, PC, tablet).
The video interview has been designed to find out more about you, including your ability to communicate effectively, your understanding of the role and why you have applied for Victoria Police. The questions have a number of themes, being:
6- Fitness Tests
As a Police Officer, it is imperative to maintain a healthy level of fitness. As part of the application process you will be required to undertake a fitness test designed to test your level of cardio fitness and physical strength.
You may be invited to attend the fitness testing as soon as 1-4 weeks after passing the Video Interview stage. Therefore, it's important to ensure that you meet the BMI standard, have watched the fitness test video, downloaded the free POLICE FIT fitness app and are ready to pass the fitness test, before you apply.
7- Psych Testing
As policing can be psychologically demanding, all applicants must complete psychological testing during the recruitment process.
Victoria Police utilise a suite of psychological tests to assess candidates' psychological suitability.
8- Health Checks
You will be provided with your medical booklet at fitness testing day. This document is designed to assess your current health status as well as your medical and surgical history.
As part of this medical assessment process, you will be required to complete a self-assessment questionnaire, undergo an examination by a GP, have your hearing tested by an Audiologist or Audiometrist and your vision tested by an Ophthalmologist or Optometrist.
9- Comprehensive Checks
As your application progresses through the recruitment process you will be constantly assessed against Victoria Police’s values and code of ethics. It is during the Comprehensive Checks stage of the process that we will look further into your employment history, associations, social media and any police involvements
10- Panel Interview
The interview is usually the final step in your recruitment process. The interview will usually be conducted at the Victoria Police Centre, Flinders Street, Melbourne and attended by two trained members of Victoria Police. It will consist of behavioural and scenario based questions.
Following the interview, not all applicants will be deemed suitable for induction into the Victoria Police Academy.
11- Candidate Pool
If successful, you will go into the candidate pool awaiting invitation to start your training at the Victoria Police Academy.
Victoria Police will provide the successful candidate with 6 weeks notice before starting at the Academy.
And Most important information…
Salary and Benefits
You will earn $47,686 from day one at the Police Academy and then $65,510 after week 12, plus shift penalties and overtime, as required.
You will also be entitled to 9 weeks' annual leave and a range of other entitlements.
As a recruit you will earn $47,686 per annum, during the first 12 weeks of training at the Academy.
After you are sworn in at the end of week 12 as a Probationary Constable, you will earn $65,510 as you continue training for a further 19 weeks, both at the Academy and on-the-job at a police station. Additional shift penalties and overtime payments will apply.
After that, your salary progression is based on a yearly performance development assessment as per the Victoria Police Force Enterprise Agreement 2015.
If you want to attend an information session to find out more about the Police role, the recruitment process and what a day in the life of a Police Officer looks like.
Source: Victoria Police
1- Police Information Session - Werribee
Date: Thursday 10 May
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Address: Encore Stadium - Hoppers Crossing
2- Police Online Information Session (Webinar)
Date: Wednesday 16 May
Time: 12:00 - 1:00pm
REMEMBER: if you register but can't make it at the time of the webinar, you will be able to download the recording at your convenience after the webinar has ended.
3- Police Information Session - Melbourne
Date: Tuesday 22 May
Time: 5:30 - 7:30pm
Address: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Docklands)
4- Police Information Session -St Albans
Date: Wednesday 13 June
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Address: Western Centre for Health Research and Education - Sunshine Hospital
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