Customer Reviews

Guide to Careers in Federal Law Enforcement : Profiles of 225 High-Powered Positions & Sure-Fire Tactics for Getting Hired

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This is absolutely the best book on finding and landing careers in federal law enforcement. I have been a federal law enforcement officer for almost twenty years, and I didn't know that most of the positions profiled in this book were out there. The author also does a masterful job at explaining how to succeed in the application process, including the terminology to use on application forms and how to handle personal interviews. This is a tremendous resource for job applicants and veteran law enforcement officers alike.

After several attempts to land a career in the federal system, I bought "Guide to Careers in Federal Law Enforcement" and used it through the search and application processes. I followed Ackerman's step-by-step advice, and I soon got hired as a federal agent with an agency I didn't know existed before reading the book! I wish I had gotten a copy before learning the hard way that getting through the federal application process and standing out from the crowd are difficult tasks - unless you're armed with reliable information and expert guidance. "Guide to Careers in Federal Law Enforcement" was worth every penny!

Recently I was fortunate enough to obtain one of the first copies of the new Guide to Federal Law Enforcement Careers by Thomas Ackerman. I was amazed by the many lesser-known law enforcement careers listed. The book goes well beyond the normal FBI, INS listings to reveal a wealth of other positions such as the USDA Special Agents and FEMA Investigators.

I was also surprised that there were so many security-related positions available within the federal system. These positions are actually good paying professional positions as security managers, analysts and other career oriented jobs.

During my past 20 years in law enforcement I have found that you need to have an edge to be hired over other applicants. It is critical that your package looks attractive and that it helps the hiring agency visualize you as a member of their organization.

Ackerman's chapters such as "Standing Out From The Crowd" give you that edge with advice on home to fill out and submit documents in the proper federal format. The book shows you how to craft your letters and documents to minimize a lack of experience and to maximize the specific personal strengths and qualities that federal agencies are seeking.

If I had this book 20 years ago I could have saved myself a great deal of wasted effort combing the want ads and knocking on the wrong doors. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone seeking employment as a federal enforcement officer, investigator, or security professional. I plan to keep it on my bookshelf for students who are really serious about getting a law enforcement job in the federal system.

As a college student who will graduate in the next two months, I found Thomas Ackerman's Guide to Careers in Federal Law Enforcement to be the most complete and accurate source on the subject.

At a recent university career fair, I and a number of agents representing the FBI, DEA, and IRS revued his book together and foud it to be an invaluable resource for the serious applicant.

This book is not only the most up-to-date book available on the subject, it is also the most comprehensive reference ever compliled for federal law enforcement job-seekers. Those looking for an edge on the competition will learn not only about more than 200 careers in a variety of disciplines, but also how to stand out from the crowd during federal job application processes. The chapter on training programs is also very informative. Anyone who is serious about getting into the feds should pick up a copy of this book before picking up a job application.

If you're looking for a book that gives you some general information on different types of law enforcement careers, then this one is a good one. But if you're looking for a book that discusses exactly what to be prepared for in the important parts of the hiring process, then don't get this book.

Part of the title of this book is "Surefire Tactics for Getting Hired", and as such, I expected a lot of information on how to successfully handle the "make or break" component of the hiring process - the personal interview. The personal interview is definitely the most important part of the hiring process, as this is where the hiring agency actually gets to find out whether or not you're law enforcement material. However, this book provides basically no useful information on law enforcement interviews.

The book gives general advice on law enforcement interviews as if they were the same thing as any business interview (asking questions, paying attention, talking about your strengths and skills, etc.). However, I have had several law enforement interviews with various agencies, and none of them were anything even remotely similar to a business interview. In fact, in each case, almost the entire interview consisted of questions about how you would handle different situations on the job if you encountered them (hostile subjects, witnessing co-worker theft, emergency situations, etc.), and virtually no standard business interview questions ("what are your skills?", "what are your weaknesses?", "what makes you better than the next guy?", etc.). Yet, even though each law enforcement interview I have had has focused almost exclusively on these "what would you do if ..." types of questions, this book provides absolutely no information on handling such questions.

I can tell from the author's credentials that he has been involved with several different types of law enforcement careers, but with the information about interviews in this book, one would seriously question if the author has ever even had a law enforcement interview. Seeing as the interview is the most important part of the hiring process, this book certainly does not provide you with "Surefire Tactics for Getting Hired".

As a former Federal Investigator I found the Guide to Federal Law Enforcement Careers to be right on target. It covers many of the things that are looked at by government agencies during the typical hiring process.

What most people don't realize is that seldom do you "interview yourself" into a position in federal law enforcement. People with 2 years of Jr. College and zero experience don't usually impress agencies no matter how spiffy their answers are. In fact, most of the decisions are made on the basis of previous employment and accomplishments. The appplication is critical to negotiating the maze and getting to the decision makers.

Those with visions of rapid fire, 'what would you do' stress questions must be referring to local law enforcement. Today's' federal agencies would like to hire future executive types.

One of the best parts of this book is the job listings. By applying for a low profile position you statistically improve your chance of being the one selected.

If you're looking for the 'secret trick answers' to key questions look at some of the other books on the web. But if you're serious about a career, check out the Guide to Federal Law Enforcement Careers. It will get you pointed in the right direction.

As a criminal justice student who is about to graduate, this book has been the guiding light on my path to federal law enforcement. I've read the reviews posted up to now and agree with each one that values this book. My experience in the application process for federal law enforcement has been frustrating so far. Anyone who has gone through even the beginning phases of it will tell you that it is time consuming and complex. Accurate answers to your questions are very difficult to get. I've had many questions so far as to what each agency is looking for, what do they want to see on my application, HOW CAN I GET THIS JOB??? Unless you are asking these questions to the right person, you will get very general information. Since when does general information give anyone an advantage? Thomas Ackerman answers these questions in much more detail than anyone else I've talked to.

I've just recently read Guide to Careers in Federal Law Enforcement. Since I've just started using the advise given I'm unable to proclaim that I've been hired to an agency because of this book. What I can say, though, is that this book has given me more confidence in my ability to get a federal law enforcement job. This confidence comes from the knowledge and pointers that Ackerman provides. He has dedicated an entire chapter to standing out from the crowd as well as two pages consisting of words that federal agencies look for in an application. Not only that, but he shows the reader the real options available out there. I've been studying criminal justice for years and have heard of only a fraction of the agencies that exist. I sent three applications out in the past week to three agencies I had never heard of, but whose agents are involved in the same situations and enforce the same types of laws as the better known agencies. Most of these agencies have web sites which are provided. Web sites for federal law enforcement job openings are given also. I've told my classmates about this book, and they were extremely grateful. I suggest it to anyone interested in federal law enforcement.

I am amazed at the amount of information in this book. Everything you could possibly need to know to find a job in federal law enforcement is presented in a logical and organized format. You could spend months or even years of research to locate the agencies and information about them, but this book puts it all together in one package that is current and reliable. The information in this book will make anyone more knowledgable and competitive.

This book is a great place to start your hunt for a career in the Fed. It is full of little known job titles and leads for finding out more about the agency and position. It tells you about the duties and minimum hiring requirements of each position. What's more, the book tells you how to market yourself to employers and how to stand out among a competitive crowd. If you are serious about a career in Federal Law Enforcement, this book is a must have.

This book helped me land my first job to get a "foot in the door". One year later I was selected for my dream position as a Special Agent thanks to the self marketing tips.