Thread: Hard drugs?

I have a question that doesn't make sense to me that maybe someone here can answer. My friend did coke 3 times when he was 18 and smoked marijuana occasionally when he was young. He has had 2 law enforcement jobs already. I did mushrooms once when I was 18 and also smoked marijuana socially when i was in college. I have made it to the end of the hiring process about 3 times and never hired. What gives?

A lot could give here, but your post leaves out some information that makes it hard to answer. First, have you applied to the same agencies as your friend? Drug policies may vary quite a bit. Maybe more importantly, have you been told it was a drug issue that led to you not being selected or is that your assumption? Be a bad assumption to make if the difference really is that your friend did better preparation for his oral interviews and that is the real difference. From what you did post, it also appears that your friend may have used drugs up until 18, while you were using marijuana into your early 20's. No idea how old you are, but often a key factor in drug use is the amount of time from last use. The hard part for you in all this is that while agencies may accept some level of minor drug use, they don't have to. The number of available LE jobs is shrinking overall and in tough economic times more applicants come into the process. Agencies will always go to well qualified candidates with the least or no issues. One advantage your friend has is that he did get in to one position so that he had a record of performance in applying to another.

It is almost impossible to answer your type of question. While we all understand your frustration, the variables are too many to factor. Any guesses we make would be simply that, guessing. My advice to you is the same I give members of my team when evaluations, promotions, etc. come around. Don't worry about anybody else but you. Otherwise the process can drive you nuts. Focus on making yourself the best candidate you can and most importantly, be HONEST. It can be very tempting to "fudge" on an application or to leave out a detail or two. I strongly recommend you don't. If it is discovered during the hiring process, it is almost always an automatic DQ with no appeal. It can even be a permanent bar with some agencies. If you are hired, and THEN it is discovered, the penalties are often even worse.

In closing: Welcome to the forums. Take time to read the rules, especially on "crystal ball" questions. The search function is your friend.