Who are we looking for?
Your suitability will depend largely on the particular role in which you’re interested. However, we can give some general guidance as to what’s required, as well as some basic eligibility criteria.
What qualifications do you need?
Qualifications are no longer a requirement for all posts. The exception will be where there’s a specific qualification attached to the role. For example, a fingerprint examiner would need to be a fingerprint expert and a member of the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners.
Instead, all posts advertised externally should list the competencies or skills required to undertake the role. You’ll then need to show in your application how you meet those requirements.
Skills and personal qualities
Again, these will vary depending on the role. But it’s fair to say that good communication and teamworking skills will always be welcomed, together with resilience, customer focus and respect for race and diversity.
Age restrictions
Candidates must be at least 16 years old, except where the role involves shift work, where the minimum age will be 18.
Nationality and residency
If you’re from outside the UK, it’s essential that you have the right to enter/leave or to remain and work in the UK. Due to changes in legislation, members of European Economic Area (EEA) are required to have EU settled status by the 30 June 2021 or pre-settled status to remain and work in the UK.
The timescales for leave to remain are as follows:
Admin roles: Candidates must have 1.5 years left to run on their visa/pre-settled status at the point of application.
Police staff in Communication Officer and other specialist roles requiring extensive training, including Dedicated Detention Officers: Candidates must have 2.5 years left to run on their visa/pre-settled status at the point of application.
Character
All employees of the Met, whether they wear a uniform or not, are in a position of responsibility and trust. As such, they should be law-abiding people with proven integrity. If you’ve been convicted of a criminal offence, your suitability will be subject to careful consideration.
Applicants with previous Met service
Please note that individuals with previous Met service who left the Met as a result of a corporate Early Departure Scheme where compensation was awarded, such as redundancy, are not eligible to submit an application to rejoin the Met in any police staff role for a period of five years from their date of leaving the organisation. Any applications received that do not comply with this will be automatically rejected.