This episode is the first of the interview series where I talk with friends and colleagues about their career changes. Our occupational lives are so complex and often the pathway takes many turns due to life, opportunities, challenges, or new ways of seeing your own career. This might be out of personal interest and perspective; however, I will have a conversation with a few women who have left one industry for another role. 

In the conversation with Diane, we talk a bit about what goes on behind the badge. Diane is a campus police officer now; however, she has worked in residence life, studied forensic psychology, and talk English overseas. We discuss everything from volunteering, Zumba, policy academy, and resources you should consider for getting into police enforcement as a women. I am grateful for Diane’s honest and willingness to share her successes, challenges, failures, and lessons learned. I learn so much about opportunities to work with the government and other agencies related to law, and Diane reminds us that NCIS or Criminal minds is not the FBI/CIA fully. Much of the career paths and point of entry look different, so we list a few generic ways to learn more about this career path below. I know I am reminded about what life on campus looks like for an officer, the humorous, scary, and typical events do community policing or patrol on a daily basis. In talking about police enforcement, there was some surprising, appalling, and insightful aspects for what women in the academy deal with when entering the field. From this experience, I think listening to this conversation reminds me about how we work with, talk to, and treat one another is so very important beyond work and in society. Also, she reminds us how working in service to the public does take a toll on your physically and emotionally, so we swap resources and ideas.

“If you support me, my confidence builds. If you make me feel like I’m literally less than you because I'm female, then I can’t grow here.” Diane shares her Police Experiences as a Women. 

Resources from things we discussed on this episode:

-What is a Forensic Psychologist? https://www.psychology.org/careers/forensic-psychologist/#what-is 

-FBI Jobs https://www.fbijobs.gov/ 

-Central Intelligence Agency Careers https://www.cia.gov/careers/index.html 

-Police Academy Requirements (US) https://policeacademyhub.com/

-Physical Ability Test (PAT) https://nationaltestingnetwork.com/publicsafetyjobs/ntn-test-pat.cfm 

-As of 2017, 14.1% offers are women from Police Officers | Data USA https://datausa.io/profile/soc/333050/  

-Campus Police https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campus_police 

-Copline http://www.copline.org/ is the suicide/help hotline for police

-Citizen’s Police Academy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen%27s_Police_Academy 

-Citizen’s Academy for FBI https://www.fbi.gov/about/community-outreach

--Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement: A Guide for Officers & Their Families by Kevin Gilmartin

--Food Freedom Forever: Letting Go of Bad Habits, Guilt, and Anxiety Around Food by Melissa Hartwig

--Resisting Happiness by Matthew Kelly

--The Evil That Men Do by R. Lance Hill

--I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

--In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

--Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

Malbec red wood; Woodford bourbon (https://www.woodfordreserve.com/), & gin & tonic

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