Something that's going to come up in my background investigation

[buckstabu]

Hey guys

I've wanted to continue the tradition of MPOs in my family and have graduated university and am ready to enlist in the MPOs. I've been plugging away at my applications for a month or so and have a question that's been bugging me and I was hoping some here could give me some advice.

I've been working at a security company for a few years to put myself through school. In the summer I was asked if I would like a temporary "field supervisor" position which is largely just a glorified mobile patrol job, you get the car and drive from site to site and do a patrol and fill out paperwork. I needed the money so I took it.

I was doing pretty well until the end of the summer. At some point in the night on one shift I had dropped my set of keys to the office in the parking lot and couldn't find them. There was nobody else on shift and my boss wouldn't be avaliable for 2 days so I start panicking.

I called up a guy who used to work for the company and for some reason still had a set of office keys and asked to borrow them, telling him what had happened. I used these keys to get into the office and whatnot in the morning but the lot was full of cars and I couldn't find my keys. I had to be in to work again that night on a solitary shift (ie no other supers or my boss) and the other guy needed the keys back so I took them to walmart and cut myself a new pair until I could figure out what to do.

That was my mistake I know. At this point it looks like I'm trying to cover up and pretend it didnt happen and I'm not going to argue it either way. I know I should have at least left a note in the office explaining what had happened but I was hoping I could get in one more search of the lot for them and them tell my boss what had happened (i knew i was probably going to get canned for it, lol they've caught guys sleeping and drinking on shift and nothing happens to them but she told me straight up losing keys gets people fired) but the guy I borrowed the keys from told her before I got a chance and you can probably fill in the rest

I didn't get fired or anything but there was a lot of "betrayal of trust" and "reliability" thrown around. I'm not going to pretend I made a good, or even justifiable decision. I panicked and did the only thing I could think of in between actually doing my job for the night and I didn't fess up to it immediately as I should have.

Something like this says a bit about integrity and trustworthiness I think although I don't believe it paints a fair picture of me, it happened and I did it nonetheless. What sort of weight do any of you guys believe this will tie around my neck in my applications? It definitely will come up in background I'm sure (it's my only writeup in my file so it's going to be mentioned) and my boss told me that yeah, she's going to mention it when the BIs come calling. Is this the sort of thing that gets you marked "permenantly unsuitable"?

 

[gcclarke]

Is losing a set of keys and then trying to cover your ass while you try to find them enough to get a permanent black mark? ... Yeah, I'm just going to go ahead and say no here.

 

[ABC]

I'd say it's a valid and interesting question. As an applicant myself, I would have no problems in being your peer (especially after such a long, albeit, heartfelt rant). The greater judge of character would be the resourcefulness you used to obtain those keys (and as an FYI master keys that are carried around by security guards are worth thousands of dollars - not so much in individual replacement but moreso in replacing all the locks).

Sure there is lack of trust now as it pertains to you in the specific company you work for, but to get an overall assessment of your character I would hope the MPs place more credibility on other factors... like... say... lack of criminal record (which better apply to you or why the hell would you consider applying in the first place), the persuit of higher education, and promotability.

I'm sure that if it does come up a good and sincere explanation is needed. A good interviewer will always be able to distinguish between sincerity and embellishment. And let's not forget the single most important factor; the misfortune of having been born human. We all mess up, and as long as you don't have a history of it (criminologist tend to have a fixation on histories) I have a feeling you should do fine.

 

[J.J]

Sincerity and honesty is all I can recommend. Admitting you made a mistake and expressing what you learnt from it will probably work to your benefit. It will show a recruiter that when you make a mistake (and you will make many in life) you can recognize it was a mistake and then correct your actions to prevent it from happening again.
No one is perfect in this world...except Recceguy (but he isn't really from this world!!!!) ;D

 

[garb811]

The weight it is going to hold depends on you.  If you're going to obsess and fret about the impact it is going to have, it is going to cripple you.  Be prepared to discuss what happened and how you learned from it in honest and unemotional terms and it will become life experience.

Learn from it and move on. 

 

[FastEddy]

Hey guys

I've wanted to continue the tradition of MPOs in my family and have graduated university and am ready to enlist in the MPOs. I've been plugging away at my applications for a month or so and have a question that's been bugging me and I was hoping some here could give me some advice.

I've been working at a security company for a few years to put myself through school. In the summer I was asked if I would like a temporary "field supervisor" position which is largely just a glorified mobile patrol job, you get the car and drive from site to site and do a patrol and fill out paperwork. I needed the money so I took it.

I was doing pretty well until the end of the summer. At some point in the night on one shift I had dropped my set of keys to the office in the parking lot and couldn't find them. There was nobody else on shift and my boss wouldn't be avaliable for 2 days so I start panicking.

I called up a guy who used to work for the company and for some reason still had a set of office keys and asked to borrow them, telling him what had happened. I used these keys to get into the office and whatnot in the morning but the lot was full of cars and I couldn't find my keys. I had to be in to work again that night on a solitary shift (ie no other supers or my boss) and the other guy needed the keys back so I took them to walmart and cut myself a new pair until I could figure out what to do.

That was my mistake I know. At this point it looks like I'm trying to cover up and pretend it didnt happen and I'm not going to argue it either way. I know I should have at least left a note in the office explaining what had happened but I was hoping I could get in one more search of the lot for them and them tell my boss what had happened (i knew i was probably going to get canned for it, lol they've caught guys sleeping and drinking on shift and nothing happens to them but she told me straight up losing keys gets people fired) but the guy I borrowed the keys from told her before I got a chance and you can probably fill in the rest

I didn't get fired or anything but there was a lot of "betrayal of trust" and "reliability" thrown around. I'm not going to pretend I made a good, or even justifiable decision. I panicked and did the only thing I could think of in between actually doing my job for the night and I didn't fess up to it immediately as I should have.

Something like this says a bit about integrity and trustworthiness I think although I don't believe it paints a fair picture of me, it happened and I did it nonetheless. What sort of weight do any of you guys believe this will tie around my neck in my applications? It definitely will come up in background I'm sure (it's my only writeup in my file so it's going to be mentioned) and my boss told me that yeah, she's going to mention it when the BIs come calling. Is this the sort of thing that gets you marked "permenantly unsuitable"?

There are a number of factors here to be considered, if I were conducting your backround check.

1.  The Company and your Supervisor are at fault, in that they failed to supply you with a chain of command to report to at all times or emergencies, therefore limiting your choices or actions in that matter.

2.  Your Supervisor  sounds very hypocritical , as if she feels your omission of immediately reporting the incident, (which was beyond your choice of options) is severe enough to warrant her reporting it to Military Inquiries, in doing so could probably disqualify your Career choice, should have been grounds for your dismissal then and there. However that would have left her short handed and required her to recruit another Trained and Qualified replacement.

3.  Why your friend felt it necessary to report the incident, witout first consulting you of his intentions, therein giving you a choice and opportunity of reporting it thus ilimiting any doubt of concealment.

4.  Your  background ,employment history, education and pasion to follow a LEO Career IMO over shadows this incident considering it seems you were more a victim of circumstances than Character.

5.  Pay close attention to "garb811" s advice.

Good Luck.

Cheers.

 

[FDO]

It is the MP's that will yea or nay you. We send you on MPOAC and they will pout you through your paces. There is an interview that you will do. It may or may not come up. Whether you mention it or not will depend on your integrity. When you complete your MPOAC they will tell us at the CFRC what BMOQ you will be on or to ask you for another occupation choice.

 

[MAC]

Relax, everyone messes up.  Just be honest about it and when asked about it, tell them what you learned from it and how you would handle it differently next time. 

 

[Greymatters]

Relax, everyone messes up.  Just be honest about it and when asked about it, tell them what you learned from it and how you would handle it differently next time. 

This is good advice... 

 

[CBH99]

To be honest, I think you could take this experience and use it to your advantage.

Is there perhaps a better way you could have handled the situation in regards to informing your superiors?  Sure.  But from what you said, it was more a matter of "Haven't told them yet" rather than "I wasn't planning on telling them."  Sometimes we wait for the right time to bring up a certain conversation, and it comes back to bite us.  Sure, in hindsight, you could have handled it a bit better - but we all make mistakes, its whether or not you learned anything from the experience that is truly important.

On a positive note, it does show initiative.  You had a job to do, and did not have the required tools to perform it (Albeit, it was your fault.)  Regardless - you took the initiative to rectify the situation the best you could at the time.  It doesn't sound like it was ALL bad.

Be honest, be upfront about it.  File managers will respect honesty, and it shows a lot of maturity to just own up something and say "Yeah, I made a mistake.  I could have handled this better."  It looks much better to be honest and forthcoming about something rather than try to minimize it or ignore it.  I think your on the right track.

 

[bigcletus]

No one expects you, or anyone else, to be 100% perfect.  Apparently there was only one perfect person..and they crucified him...my point:  this is quite minor and I'd be very surprised if this held you back....that is if what you say IS the whole story.

 

[RJS2511885]

Hi,

I think I would have consulted an employment lawyer before posting dirty laundry on a public site.

Good Luck.

 

[Journeyman]

I think I would have consulted an employment lawyer before posting dirty laundry on a public site.

Why?


Mind you, regardless of this advice's rationale, the original poster hasn't been online here for two months (Last Active: December 11, 2009, 09:44:27 ).