Cops: Thinking About Retiring? Read This

I’ve been getting a lot of requests from law enforcement professionals who are contemplating retirement and going into the private sector. Many feel burnt out and are looking for a change. Some just feel it’s time to pull the plug. They put in 20+ years of service, and are looking forward to doing something outside of law enforcement […]

Read This If You’re Thinking About Leaving Law Enforcement

I’ve been blogging for a while on law enforcement transitions to the private sector (Cop to Corporate). A few years back only retired cops were looking for jobs in the private sector, mostly to augment their pensions. Today, more and more rookie and mid-career cops are reaching out for advice on leaving a career they […]

Avoiding “Cop Think:” How to Diversify Your Identity for Life After Law Enforcement

After leaving law enforcement to the private sector 15 years ago, I had the opportunity to speak to, counsel, and coach hundreds of law enforcement professionals thinking about life after law enforcement. The requests to speak about this subject was so overwhelming I decided the best way to share the insights I’ve learned over the […]

The Power of Second Chances

A few people who read my last blog asked me what to do if their reputation was blemished. Many were unable to find a job because something negative had come up about their past in a job interview. Some had been fired from their previous jobs and were publicly shamed via press releases or off-the-record […]

Life After Law Enforcement – The Secret Sauce to Getting a Corporate Job…

In my last blog I wrote about resume recommendations and focused on the hard way to get a corporate job. When you see a job posting online, in the paper, or through a job search service, you’re already at a disadvantage. Why? You and everyone else are looking at the same position. The sheer number […]

Guest Blog – Police Muscle

My friend Josh at Police Muscle asked if I would answer a few questions on transitioning to the corporate sector: Cop to Corporate Life Have you ever thought what it would look like to work in the corporate world? Have you ever wondered how your skills translate outside of law enforcement? I know I’ve asked myself […]

Resume Recommendations

Most police departments do not require a resume for sworn officers when applying for another position or specialty unit. If they do, the resume encompasses the officer’s entire body of work which usually requires multiple pages listing everything they did since the beginning of time. Many that I’ve coached will send me their resume that’s […]

Cop Lightning Rods – Down, but not out…

In November, 2014 I wrote a guest blog for Pinkerton called: The Corporate Investigations Discipline. I was asked to give my thoughts on Law Enforcement professionals that wanted to transition to the private sector. I categorized these transition groups into three buckets: Law Enforcement Transition Group #1 The first and most common group is comprised […]

Attention Law Enforcement Pros! Are You Dealing with a Mid-Career Crisis?

In today’s world, it’s very challenging to be in law enforcement. Many Law Enforcement professionals – especially at mid-career – are seriously thinking of a change. This blog is to spark conversation about the pros and cons of changing careers to different law enforcement agencies or leaving all together. A career change is a big decision to make […]

So you’re thinking of pulling the plug…

Police work is very demanding but can be very rewarding. It’s not easy to get a job as a police officer especially in an accredited department. It takes months or even over a year from the time you apply to when you start the academy. I remember my police academy orientation in 1989 (Honolulu Police Department). The […]