Peep123

Hiya
Not sure what i'm doin with this site but glad i've found it.
My partner and i both applied for WAPOL. Found out they were recruiting only 9 hrs before closing time. Partners application got through. He's an AFO and I'm shift. Both have 5 years in and both in Cambs.

Have you done any digging yet to see what's required?
Have any of you had responses to your application forms?

Peep

StPete

Hello one and all,

Just got the reply!!! Me and my partner are through the paper sift
For your info I have 8 years service in mostly CID/Specialised roles and my wife to be (Oct 15) is a PC with 3 years.

Don't know how many applied but i know of 6 in my force although 2 of them just put the forms in "for a laugh". Good attitude

Anyways, it would appear that there are dates 10,11 and 21 October 2005. It would appear that the date allocation is alphabetical. Get yourselves down to Waterstones for some of those aptitude test books!!! Looking at the sample Q's I will definitely need it.

So, rumour control! Should we be successful we will not be posted to the outback. I know our antipodean cousins may well be a little miffed about the Ashes but it would be foolish to post, ostensibly, city dwellers to such a harsh environment staright off the bat. This is the official line, also, as i understand it. Postings will according to relevant skill base and staff requirement, pretty much like here. However, if you aren't keen on seeing the bush the question has to be asked why apply to live in Oz?

At the induction day it will be a q and a session. Don't make the mistake as some SA applicants did and ask really bone questions and then complain about the answer. The old persons network response was if it's so good in blighty, stay there!

Also, as you are aware, the Oz culture is laid back by most standards and positively horizontal by that of the UK. Their Policing practices are somewhat different to ours and from what i have heard much more realistic. Other applicants spouting the virtues of PACE, RIPA, Human Rights and others have not been well received. We will be subscribing to a different way of life and working practice.

Anyway, speak to you soon and good luck. I am in contact with pals over there and here who are in this similar situation. Anything I hear will let you know. Sweet dreams of mortgage free living and warmer climes.

Peep123

I was told in my "sorry you didn't get in" reply that 800 people applied, 600 have got through the paper sift and there are 180 jobs.

I was also told to give Jeff a call and discuss with him other options. These were that I'm invited to the day in London and to do all the recruitment process. If my partner gets a job offer that same day I will be told if I have been successful as an Australian resident applicant and not as an International applicant, as this will be passed onto me as soon as my partner is successful.

We were offered the choice of dates for the courses next month and we have chosen to attend the 21st.

Good luck to all in getting the other 179 jobs.

hopefully meet some of you on the 21st.

Peep n Nige

Peep123

Well done in getting through the paper sift. Do you know what date your attending for the tests yet?

Peep n Nige

PICASSO

What a fantastic forum this is, so informative, Like hundreds before me I have also applied to WA Police, and have received my e mail, I am attending on the 20 october along with another GMP officer, at present we do not know how many there are. Sorry to hear about the ones that have not got through, bu im sure your time will come, also its just the start, can anyone help with the tests? i have checked the web site, and having 10 years service being a patrol sgt and custody sgt, when do we have to do the physical tests? any help in assisting me with how i can practice the proposed questions will be greatly accepted.

One lucky so far reader (missed the new zealand thought i had more time, but it closed for my application tooooo )

Peep123

Hi

We've ordered some aptitude and psychometric text books from play.com to help us with prep for the tests. As far as I'm aware the fitness test is in January. I see that your attending on the 20th Oct. We are on the 21st Oct and were not aware of there being a forth date.

StPete

Peep,

You said something about getting a job offer on the day. Did Jeff indicate that provisional offers would be made then if we were successful in the test?

Picasso,

The tests follow the General Aptitude Tests guide. From what i can see there is more emphasis on numerical reasoning and grammar which is good because the spatial recognition business is an absolute mare!!! If you pop into Smiths or Waterstones and ask for guide books on GAT they have a good range. We bought a couple and i'm slowly getting my head round it. The books explain it quite well.

Chat soon and good luck.

Peep123

Sorry if that last one was a bit confusing. When we spoke to Jeff he said that if my partner was offered a job i would have already done all the tests etc so they would already have looked into the suitability of me becoming a police officer as an Australian resident. I will be told this the day that Nigel gets told if he has a job. I will only be able to qualify if Nigel gets offered a place in the Western Australian police, thereby transferring residency to me, his partner. I don't believe this will be for quite a while down the process, after the tests, physical etc.

PICASSO

Thank you for the prompt reply regarding the tests, having done this all before its a little daunting to be doing all over again isnt it. Can confirm the date given is the 20 october, I take it at present there is only myself and a colleague attending then ? The Q & A session should be fun with so many people wanting to ask questions, no doubt you always get a few that ask the obvious.
has anyone been to Perth? we have been to sydney, brisbane, as far as noosa but not as far as cairns, but not to perth. write soon

Peep123

Picasso,

We havn't even been to Australia before. So any insight would be welcomed. You'll have to give us the goss after you get back from the Q&A session etc.

Peep

StPete

Peep,

I've never been but the other half used to live there and she says i'll love it for the lifestyle, the attitude and all the activites available. More working to live than living to work.

Our managers have the adorable idea of interviiewing officers who they know to be considering leaving. Various offers are then made to retain that member of staff. A senior officer is one of my referees and when i was asked if there was anything that would dissuade this application my response, in a realistic manner was:
If you can pay my mortgage, provide a 30% (relatively speaking) pay rise, scrap 60 % of bureacracy, provide all year round good weather, sort out the tax situation, the inordinate balance of criminals rights to citizens, provide private education for my children and suddenly change the ever increasingly rude attitude of the population I would stay.
The application is still proceeding. I realise that the grass is not always greener but the averag time of survival for British officers after retirement is 7 years. After 20 yrs service in Oz you can reasonably expect 6 months leave a year!!!!
I'm all for increasing quality of life and becoming a granddad rather than a bitter individual forced to eke out my pension in line with Mr Browns super budgets that our salries do not increase in line with.

Personally for us this has got to be the right move. Opportunity for what we want is there and not here in the UK.
Anyway, I'll get off my soap box now We might not get in :scared: But if we do I'm buying
See you soon

PICASSO

Hip Hip horray I could not of said it better myself, the morale in the police is at an all time low, the sickness is rediculous,Officers with lengths of service are leaving (the final staw might of been the nice professional letter we received from our Chief Constable!!!!! An unusual step to try and offer you opportunities, pity they didnt offer them at the time of joining. Never been Perth but NSW we loved, it is a totally different lifestyle, and not for everyone. if you can it would be worth visiting, Its extremely hot climate, but beautifull. The people were so friendly, the wildlife, we saw dolphins close by the beach, lots of pretty birds the house that you can buy for half the money is fantastic and your not living on top of each other, if you are a person wanting to walk to a local pub then its not for you, if you live outside the main cities, as they have RSL clubs wherein they have fruit machines, entertainment, restaurants, which we found a bit odd, not having the local place to eat and stagger home. but the restaurants are lovely, close earlier than ours and the nights draw in sooner. But what mornings to wake up to fantastic sunshine.
but they do have their storms, the hailstone were the size of bolders! it was a little scary and the flood posts were the size of houses,
We have a 6 year old boy so education is paramount, and i believe is fantastic,
Oh i forgot the area was soooooooooo clean, unlike manchester.
Chat Soon.

Peep123

Thanks for the quick response,

Souinds like everything we've always wished for.

Does anyone have any idea on what the pay is like? I have looked on the web site and it equates to £13000 or so starting rate and raises upto £18000 once trained. Is that about right or do we get anything for experiance?
I suppose questions like these will be answered next month but i'm really keen to get as much info as i can now.
Were both looking forward to seeing you in the pub and getting that first round in with you.

Take care

Peep

BOND007

Hi all, the Mrs and I are attending the 11th October date. I have ten years service uniform shift and the Mrs has fifteen years, we are hoping the expereince thing comes to use. Having spoken to friends recently who live in Perth, Police over there have said that the majority of the Officers they are recruiting are for the populated sites so as to turn the reputation with the general public around with us good ole bobbies.. Like the sound of most of you, We are in favour of the work to live idea, so look forward to seeing you all on the 11th...Fingers crossed to you all, and good luck...

Peep123

My Daughter and 2 sons are moving to OZ with us if we get through the recruitment drive. They are a girl aged 15, a boy aged 14 and the other is a baby, so this does not apply to him.
They are now both looking forward to the prospect of moving out there and have good positive attitides about the move. I think it would be very useful for them to be able to talk with other kids in this same situation. So if you have any kids with negative or positive views maybe it would be wise to include them in this site. I'm happy to let them talk. I'm sure they have concerns of their own that maybe seem very important to them but in comparision to everything else maybe not to us.
I know my daughter has one about spiders.

Their names are Philippa and Paul. Twisted Evil
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Peep n Nige