Advice!

RedmondHR

Hey everyone,

I'm new here and am just looking for advice. I want to join the Gardaí, I'm 21 and in my last year of NUIM. I know there is no dates or talks about the next recruitment drive so unfortunately I know there will be a wait involved for me.
I am thinking of doing a masters in Criminology in Cork or UCD as a stepping stone to the towards my goal, would this be useful at all to me? I know that it is choosing on aptitude rather academic background.
I am going to join the reserves in the Summer. Would I need to be able to drive for this?
For people who are waiting to join are you currently working full time or part time?

Honestly I always wanted to join the gardaí and planned on doing it once I finished college, but that has gone arse ways up! So currently having a 'What the F**k am I going to do with my life moment' !

Any other advice would be brilliant!

Xios

The masters is un-necessary for you to get into the Gardaí. It will most certainly help once you're in, but it won't benefit you much during the application process.

You do not need to be able to drive to join the Garda reserve, but you will need to be able to get around and get to your stations.

My advice for you would be, to join the Garda reserve, it'll give you a flavour for the job you're getting yourself into.
Do the masters if you want to, but be sure you want to invest the time and money into the masters before you jump right into it. As i said the masters won't do much to get you into the gardai, but it will help your career once you're in.

Learn to drive. Even if you never intend to own a car, being able to drive is a valuable life skill and I consider it to be a vital skill to know in modern society.

It may be a few years between now and the next garda recruitment campaign. I suggest you spend this time working on your core competencies outlined in the garda campaign.
• Resilience
• Serving the Public
• Problem Solving
• Interpersonal skills
• Personal Effectiveness
• Commitment to the role

It's up to you to decide where you need to work on these, but I think the most straight forward ways of developing these skills is through community work, sports teams/clubs/groups and lots of social interaction with a wide variety of people.

carzony

Xios wrote: »

The masters is un-necessary for you to get into the Gardaí. It will most certainly help once you're in, but it won't benefit you much during the application process.

You do not need to be able to drive to join the Garda reserve, but you will need to be able to get around and get to your stations.

My advice for you would be, to join the Garda reserve, it'll give you a flavour for the job you're getting yourself into.
Do the masters if you want to, but be sure you want to invest the time and money into the masters before you jump right into it. As i said the masters won't do much to get you into the gardai, but it will help your career once you're in.

Learn to drive. Even if you never intend to own a car, being able to drive is a valuable life skill and I consider it to be a vital skill to know in modern society.

It may be a few years between now and the next garda recruitment campaign. I suggest you spend this time working on your core competencies outlined in the garda campaign.
• Resilience
• Serving the Public
• Problem Solving
• Interpersonal skills
• Personal Effectiveness
• Commitment to the role

It's up to you to decide where you need to work on these, but I think the most straight forward ways of developing these skills is through community work, sports teams/clubs/groups and lots of social interaction with a wide variety of people.

A masters may not help but it'd show you have an interest in the subject at least? Better yet why not do a course in legal studies or something like that?

If you look at the most recent recruits most of them had some kind of a degree.

StevieF3

Once you have the aptitudes passed a masters would be a help in your interview. It's not necessary but it would definitely help your cause. Plus, if you do get into the guards it would be a big help in attempting to progress through the ranks

Xios

carzony wrote: »

A masters may not help but it'd show you have an interest in the subject at least? Better yet why not do a course in legal studies or something like that?

If you look at the most recent recruits most of them had some kind of a degree.

Having gone through the process and getting closer to the call to go down to templemore. I can safely say that having the masters won't make much of a difference in the recruitment campaign. Do not invest in the Masters because you think it will improve your chances to become a Garda. You can invest in the masters if you want to pursue that career regardless of becoming a Gard.

As I said, doing a masters is a big investment of time and money. If you finish the masters, and don't choose to be a Garda, then what? You've used up your valuable time and money going down a path you're not pursuing.

Remember, you're being recruited into the Gards to be a Garda on the street and in stations, that's where they're focusing the recruitment for. So interpersonal skills, self discipline, conflict resolution and time management are traits they're looking for.

If you're adamant about doing the masters, I would suggest doing something that will substantially help your chances of promotion within the Gardaí. Skills that higher ranking Gardai need would be in line with Project Management, Strategic planning or Human Resource Management.

RedmondHR

Hey,

Cheers for the replies all the information is great! Hopefully I will see yous in the future down there! Going to join the Order of Malta and some other community groups once I finish, I work in a bookmakers so think I have some of the other stuff covered there But by all means throw more tips this way!
Thanks again!

Xios

RedmondHR wrote: »

Hey,

Cheers for the replies all the information is great! Hopefully I will see yous in the future down there! Going to join the Order of Malta and some other community groups once I finish, I work in a bookmakers so think I have some of the other stuff covered there But by all means throw more tips this way!
Thanks again!

I'd Recommend the Civil Defence (I'm not biased, I swear!)
We work alongside the Gardai on occasion in searches, community events and emergancies (floods), I'm in Search and Rescue, But everyone seems to like the AFS (Auxiliary Fire Service) cause ya know, fire trucks are cool. We also have Casualty which train people up to EMT level and you get lots of hands on experience with first aid at sporting events. Was at that 'Run for your Life' zombie 5k run/obstacle course, fierce amount of injuries there that day.

imagine88

RedmondHR wrote: »

Hey,

Cheers for the replies all the information is great! Hopefully I will see yous in the future down there! Going to join the Order of Malta and some other community groups once I finish, I work in a bookmakers so think I have some of the other stuff covered there But by all means throw more tips this way!
Thanks again!

My advice is experience everything you can and want while you can. See the world if you want, travel, work in a job that you want to do even if it is just to say in a few years 'yea I did that'. I had no experience in working with civil defence, order of malta etc and im in. They were so interested in the experience I had gained working out of Ireland, dealing with different nationalities, cultures etc in my interview. I've never been in the reserve either. You'll work long enough in your life so live it when you're young! Enjoy it! I did a masters and went working with it abroad for a while. I wouldnt change what I did at all. But I would tell you not to get a part time job in your local shop and sit about waiting on recruitment. That shows no initiative, go or self motivation!! I'd advise you to do the masters, you're not going to be at a loss from it and it will help you gain experience in the six competencies.

carzony

Xios wrote: »

Having gone through the process and getting closer to the call to go down to templemore. I can safely say that having the masters won't make much of a difference in the recruitment campaign. Do not invest in the Masters because you think it will improve your chances to become a Garda. You can invest in the masters if you want to pursue that career regardless of becoming a Gard.

As I said, doing a masters is a big investment of time and money. If you finish the masters, and don't choose to be a Garda, then what? You've used up your valuable time and money going down a path you're not pursuing.

Remember, you're being recruited into the Gards to be a Garda on the street and in stations, that's where they're focusing the recruitment for. So interpersonal skills, self discipline, conflict resolution and time management are traits they're looking for.

If you're adamant about doing the masters, I would suggest doing something that will substantially help your chances of promotion within the Gardaí. Skills that higher ranking Gardai need would be in line with Project Management, Strategic planning or Human Resource Management.

well the top 100 people who are in Templemore now a lot of them seem to have degrees in a related subject like law, criminology, social studies ect.. Seemed to have helped them in fairness..

I'm not saying you'll get in 100% with a degree but, As I said, If your interested in a subject like criminology then just do it.

'xios' could I ask if you were in the reserves? or did you use civil defence as your community relations? pm me if you don't want to answer on forum..

Xios

carzony wrote: »

well the top 100 people who are in Templemore now a lot of them seem to have degrees in a related subject like law, criminology, social studies ect.. Seemed to have helped them in fairness..

I'm not saying you'll get in 100% with a degree but, As I said, If your interested in a subject like criminology then just do it.

'xios' could I ask if you were in the reserves? or did you use civil defence as your community relations? pm me if you don't want to answer on forum..

Redmond already has the degree, that's what my advice is based on. I'm just finishing up my Degree in Business Studies, which has little relevance to the Garda Role.

I did use my experience in Civil Defence, but I also do volunteer work with Mentally challenged adults. In addition to all that I have a lot of short terms of work experience over the years a variety of different jobs, like summer jobs, retail, marketing, poker dealer etc. that all stood to me. Most specifically my retail experience dealing with members of the public who would disagree with me.

Also the fact that I've been studying part-time while working full time the last 2 years probably helped my position. It comes across to them that i'm determined and hard-working.

Edit:/ The reason I'm not in Templemore with the first hundred had to do with PAS and their tests, I ranked 602 in Stage 2, just missing out on the first batch. I could be among the others from the first 600 waiting on vetting, but alas i'm only getting round to the fitness test next week.