Find a Mentor

Recently I posed a question, “What do you think is the single most important thing you can do for your success and career growth in a law enforcement career”, and we received some really great answers such as:

Have friends who and interests and activities that are not associated with law enforcement. (Robert Scott Hinderer)

Be a go-getter. Be at your mental and physical best: have a job, be studying at college, take a free class if you are not, work out regularly, volunteer, fix yourself and your life, and learn empathy and compassion. No one wants a sloth with no ambitions. (Ken Cyrette)

When you’re in the downs remember why u r in. And when up the highs share the wealth of knowledge and experience and help others grow. (Juan Nieves)

Invest in yourself. (James Villegas)

We also saw plenty of answers such as “honesty, integrity and doing the right thing.”  While these are great answers, this must be there before you even start or consider a career in law enforcement. A Peace Office must be honest, must have integrity, must have that sense of right and wrong, these are not teachable. Our academy can teach you the skills, you can learn to handcuff or to drive a patrol car, but we cannot teach honesty or integrity so if you don’t have it please choose another career.

So, what is it then that you can do, the single most important thing you can do for a successful career? Later we may talk about what is a successful career in law enforcement what it means to you.

But today I want to tell you the single greatest thing you can do for your career is find a mentor and learn to do everything better. Find that person in your section that always performs well, that is doing it right and working hard and learn from them. For a long time I’ve learned from one of the very best here at TCSO, Vince Galloway. I could write a book about how great he is and all he has done for Travis County.

When you first start in law enforcement you will have a Sergeant and a field training officer at least. Those are your first mentors, who you learn from. When you complete the training program you are not finished learning and improving. Find that mentor, the officer always doing it right, make them help you develop. Reach out to someone, a leader and let them guide you as well. Eventually you may find yourself being that person, the mentor to others and remember to take care of them as well. You may find yourself assigned as a training officer or promoted to Sergeant, remember your duty to mentor, to train, to develop others. Even as a leader you still need to keep learning and have that mentor.

Every once in a while take a breath and revaluate your position, “who are you responsible for and are you helping them become better?” You always should be building a better you and helping others become better as well for a stronger agency and the community you serve.