Oral Board Opening and Closing statement,

[Futurecollector]

Hello all, Can someone explain what should/ should not be included in an Oral Board Opening and Closing statement? I have searched high and low as well as asked LEO friends to no avail.

Thanks in advance.

[CalCop]

Hello all, Can someone explain what should/ should not be included in an Oral Board Opening and Closing statement? I have searched high and low as well as asked LEO friends to no avail.

Thanks in advance.

It is not a speech. Introduce yourself to each panel member, shake hands, make eye contact, smile, sit down. Answer the questions. At the end, they will ask if you have anything to add. Sell yourself.

[TASK, LLC]

Opening and closing statements are not required.

As previously stated from CalCop, introduce yourself and be polite.

Your opening statement may be more in the form of an introduction. Many applicants do not use an opening statement as their statement may overlap into the actual interview.

As for a closing statement, that is for any additional information that has not come up in the interview which would be directly relevant to your qualifications or assets to the agency. Any specialized skills or work history that is directly related to the job can be brought up then. If there is something that is significant to your qualifications, briefly bring it up again to remind the panel. Do not beat the proverbial dead horse though.

I would recommend that instead of a laundry list of qualifications, you also state the significance of the activity. Were you a volunteer at a club which did neighborhood cleanup? Great. Did that teach you the significance of community involvement in reducing the incidence and fear of crime? Did you learn how to use city resources to empower citizens in working with the police to lower crime in their neighborhoods?

Good luck to you.

[Roddd]

Task hit the nail on the head. Explain why everything matters. You're gonna feel like you're bragging, but that's the point.

[eltee]

Imagine you are trying to make a good impression on the parents of the woman of your dreams whom you wish to marry, and you are meeting them for the first time. I've sat on many oral boards and was a BI and BI supervisor. As a dad, I found myself wondering, "...would I want my daughter to marry this guy?" Be courteous, cordial, and smile. Relax, boards can smell fear. :-)

Study up and learn a little about the agency, the location and population they serve including the style of policing they prefer.

When the board members introduce themselves, try to remember their names (inc. titles) so that you can refer to them by name when responding.

As for closing, IF you think something important needed a SHORT followup or you misspoke, make a brief, succinct comment then move on. Final sentences should include a thank you for the opportunity and something to the effect, "If you have any further questions or if I can offer more information I am always available."

Best of luck.

[cowboykenny]

Get the book "Oral interview Dynamics" they have it at Gall's.

[JMO8541]

My experience has been that the opening statement is usually hidden in another question, eg "what have you done to prepare yourself for this position" or "tell us about yourself". The purpose of the question is to give you 2-3 minutes to highlight who you are.

The closing usually is cued by "do you have anything else to add.". This is your 1.5-2 minutes to tell the board why you want the job/position an reiterate why they should pick you.

Neither are required, but IMO, you won't be competitive without them.

[JMO8541]

Just thought of something to support my point. For the most part, candidates answer most of the questions in a similar fashion, so in the end, you all blur together into a nameless face. The opening and closing is where you separate yourself from the masses. Others may disagree, but the oral is a dog and pony show. You can ***** gold, but if you don't show me, how am I supposed to know? You gotta tell me.