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cntryboy1289 · March 8, 2006, 07:44 PM

I would suggest getting in touch with a job placing company like Monster.com and see if they can put you in touch with a department with a pay scale that you wouldn't mind working for. Keep in mind if the Dept pays well, the cost of living most likely will be higher for the city or town you would need to live in. You might take your degree and consider trying to go into the military or working for the gov't in a different capacity. MP's in the military need folks with the same training as your degree and they might be able to cross train you in their armory as well which might be right up your alley so to speak. I know if I was starting over and had a degree, a future with the military would be where I would look at first. That might not be something that interests you, but a degree will usually start you off in an officer training program which is a little better than starting off as a patrolman for a local police dept. The gov't has other positions that you might be able to move into as well working with your degree. Several departments such as the Marshalls and Post Office need LE folks and would be an excellent job for you.

I can tell you from working as a fireman for two different towns that pay scales usually vary with the cost of living. The town I began working for was a small community of 30,000 and paid only a few thousand more than the small town of 7800 that I was working for when I retired. The smaller town cost a lot less to live in due to real estate costs being a lot less. The first town I worked for had a military base which drove up the cost of real estate due to pilots having a little larger living expense than the average working joe. Little things such as this play into figuring out where you might want to work and live.

The thing is simply this, don't limit yourself to a patrolman job unless that is simply what you want to do. You spent the time to get a degree, spend some more time and find that perfect job for you. The gunsmithing can be picked up and carried with you with any job and can be a hobby or a side job that you love as well.

March 8, 2006, 07:44 PM	#20
cntryboy1289 Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2004 Location: Ms Posts: 1,160	Monster.com I would suggest getting in touch with a job placing company like Monster.com and see if they can put you in touch with a department with a pay scale that you wouldn't mind working for. Keep in mind if the Dept pays well, the cost of living most likely will be higher for the city or town you would need to live in. You might take your degree and consider trying to go into the military or working for the gov't in a different capacity. MP's in the military need folks with the same training as your degree and they might be able to cross train you in their armory as well which might be right up your alley so to speak. I know if I was starting over and had a degree, a future with the military would be where I would look at first. That might not be something that interests you, but a degree will usually start you off in an officer training program which is a little better than starting off as a patrolman for a local police dept. The gov't has other positions that you might be able to move into as well working with your degree. Several departments such as the Marshalls and Post Office need LE folks and would be an excellent job for you. I can tell you from working as a fireman for two different towns that pay scales usually vary with the cost of living. The town I began working for was a small community of 30,000 and paid only a few thousand more than the small town of 7800 that I was working for when I retired. The smaller town cost a lot less to live in due to real estate costs being a lot less. The first town I worked for had a military base which drove up the cost of real estate due to pilots having a little larger living expense than the average working joe. Little things such as this play into figuring out where you might want to work and live. The thing is simply this, don't limit yourself to a patrolman job unless that is simply what you want to do. You spent the time to get a degree, spend some more time and find that perfect job for you. The gunsmithing can be picked up and carried with you with any job and can be a hobby or a side job that you love as well.