Creating a Civilian-Friendly CV for Police Leavers.

Introduction:

Transitioning from the police force to civilian employment means adapting not only your mindset but also the way you present your experience on paper. One of the biggest challenges police leavers face is creating a CV that resonates with civilian employers. Many of the terms, responsibilities, and experiences you’ve gained in policing need to be translated into civilian-friendly language that clearly demonstrates your transferable skills.

In this blog, we’ll guide you through the steps to craft a civilian-friendly CV that highlights your strengths, avoids police jargon, and helps you stand out in the job market.

1. Why You Need a Civilian-Friendly CV:

While your experience in the police is extensive and valuable, many hiring managers in civilian industries may not fully understand the structure and terminology used in law enforcement. They are looking for key skills that apply to their industry—such as leadership, problem-solving, and communication—but won’t necessarily be able to translate your policing experience into these skills on their own.

Creating a civilian-friendly CV means:

• Focusing on Transferable Skills: Highlight skills such as leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, and decision-making.
• Translating Police Jargon: Avoid using police-specific terms and explain your experience in a way that’s easily understood by hiring managers.
• Focusing on Achievements: Emphasise the results of your work rather than simply listing responsibilities.

2. Structuring Your CV for Civilian Employers:

A well-structured CV is crucial to making a strong first impression. For police leavers, the challenge is in balancing a clear format with the right content that demonstrates your value in civilian roles.

Here’s the ideal structure for a civilian-friendly CV:

• Personal Profile (Personal Statement): This section is a brief summary of your career, skills, and what you’re looking for. Keep it concise and tailored to the role you’re applying for.

• Key Skills: List around 4-6 key skills that are directly transferable to civilian jobs, such as team leadership, strategic planning, crisis management, or communication.

• Work Experience: Instead of listing police-specific duties, focus on highlighting your leadership roles, decision-making capabilities, and achievements. Use civilian terms like "managed," "led," "coordinated," or "resolved."

• Education and Qualifications: Include relevant degrees, certifications, and training, including any civilian qualifications you may have gained during your time in the police.

• Additional Training: Include any training that’s relevant to civilian industries, such as health and safety, project management, or leadership courses.

• References: You don’t need to list references on your CV, but include a note saying, "References available upon request."

3. Writing a Civilian-Friendly Personal Profile:

The personal profile at the top of your CV is your chance to make a strong first impression. For police leavers, this section should focus on summarising your skills in a way that resonates with civilian employers.

Here’s an example of a civilian-friendly personal profile:

Before: "Experienced Custody Sergeant with over 20 years in law enforcement, responsible for managing detainees and overseeing custody operations."

After: "Experienced operations leader with over 20 years of experience managing teams, improving operational processes, and ensuring compliance with legal standards. Skilled in conflict resolution, strategic planning, and delivering results under pressure."

In this revised version, we’ve removed police-specific jargon ("Custody Sergeant") and focused on transferable skills that apply to a range of civilian roles, such as "operations leader," "managing teams," and "strategic planning."

4. Showcasing Transferable Skills:

Your skills are what set you apart from other candidates, but in a civilian CV, you need to present them in a way that makes sense to hiring managers who may not be familiar with police work.

Here are some key transferable skills and how to present them on your CV:

• Leadership:

  • Before: "Managed a team of officers in CID operations."
  • After: "Led cross-functional teams to successfully deliver high-priority projects, ensuring collaboration and compliance with regulatory standards."

• Crisis Management:

  • Before: "Handled public order incidents and led response teams."
  • After: "Managed crisis situations, coordinating resources and implementing strategic solutions to resolve high-pressure scenarios."

• Communication:

  • Before: "Liaised with various agencies and stakeholders."
  • After: "Developed and maintained strong communication channels with internal and external stakeholders to ensure project success."

5. Highlighting Achievements Instead of Responsibilities:

When listing your work experience, it’s tempting to write down all the duties you performed in each role. However, civilian employers are more interested in results than job descriptions. Focus on the impact you had rather than just your responsibilities.

Here’s how to transform duties into achievements:

• Before: "Responsible for overseeing 20 officers in a busy metropolitan area."

• After: "Led a team of 20 officers, implementing strategic initiatives that resulted in a 15% reduction in response times and improved team efficiency."

• Before: "Handled investigations into serious crimes."

• After: "Led high-profile investigations, successfully resolving cases through innovative problem-solving, which resulted in a 20% improvement in case closure rates."

By focusing on measurable outcomes, you show potential employers the value you brought to your role and how you can contribute to their organisation.

6. Avoiding Common CV Mistakes for Police Leavers:

Here are a few common mistakes to avoid when crafting your civilian CV:

• Using Police Jargon: As mentioned earlier, avoid police-specific terms that civilian employers may not understand. Instead, focus on skills and achievements that can be translated into civilian roles.

• Making It Too Long: Keep your CV concise—aim for 2 pages maximum. Hiring managers may not have time to read through extensive job descriptions, so focus on the most relevant information.

• Listing Too Many Responsibilities: Remember, your CV should focus on achievements rather than just a list of duties. Highlight the impact you had in each role, using measurable results wherever possible.

Conclusion:

Creating a civilian-friendly CV as a police leaver may seem challenging, but by focusing on your transferable skills, translating your experience into civilian language, and highlighting your achievements, you can build a CV that resonates with employers in any industry. Remember, the key is to present yourself as a strong candidate who brings leadership, problem-solving, and operational excellence—qualities that are in demand across many civilian roles.

Call to Action:

Need help refining your CV? Check out our comprehensive CV-building course for police leavers, and learn how to craft a document that opens doors in the civilian job market.