A tremendous amount of consideration goes into searching for a job. Even after hours of research, you have certainly had times where you felt a cloud of mystery suppressed your forward professional progress. Captain Gene Lim is the new captain over recruiting, and he wants to share some information that he feels can help anyone interested in a job with CMPD.
Your “why” is important.
When entering the law enforcement profession, your “why” is the most important consideration. Each person’s “why” is different, and Capt. Lim has two: the opportunity to learn from those with different experiences and mentoring others with his own experiences for a viable career at the CMPD.
Growing up as an Asian-American kid in the South, Capt. Lim did not feel there were many people his age with whom he could relate. He recognized the law enforcement profession was filled with people from all walks of life, and he wanted to be part of an environment that would value his differences and background. Through his career, he has found the CMPD has given him an opportunity to learn from so many others whose experiences are different from his own.
This bleeds over into why he’s working to recruit the best officers for the best police agency. Before his promotion to the rank of Captain, he was fortunate enough to recruit many current officers who are now thriving and bettering the CMPD every day. Capt. Lim says his ability to find, mentor and hire the next generation of officers fulfills him most, and being able to return to recruiting has allowed him to chase the feeling of helping good people become members of CMPD in the most critical time in the profession.
Remember this during the application process.
Capt. Lim doesn’t look for perfect people to hire. They don’t exist! He looks for applicants with two qualities. First, he looks for those who are completely transparent about their histories. Second, he looks for attitudes that embody a mentality of excellence and passions for crime management, community collaboration, professional accountability and employee wellness. It takes a police force ripe with all walks of life (background, culture, beliefs, etc.) to successfully police the Charlotte community.
You should choose CMPD, obviously.
Being a police officer is a noble profession that gives you a unique opportunity to help people who are oftentimes having the worst day of their lives. Policing at CMPD not only involves helping resolve the problems, but also doing so in a way that leaves a positive impression during each interaction. The “thank-you” our officers receive from those they serve is enough to motivate them, but here are a few other reasons:
CMPD serves the 15th largest city in the nation, and with its size comes a tremendous amount of opportunity. You will be paid during our in-house training academy. Once certified and familiar with policing, you can choose from more than 45 specialized units to continue progressing your career, and there are also opportunities for promotion. Plus, Charlotte, which is a world-class city, will be your new community and offers a diverse range of people, cultures, food and activities.
The bottom line.
Joining the CMPD offers tremendous opportunities for you to make YOUR mark while helping us maintain our standing as the most professional, progressive, and trend-setting police agency in the country!
