The one thing that worries people the most when applying for a job in law enforcement is how their past history will negatively affect them during the hiring and interview process.

Most people know that they have some things in their past, like most of us do, that may potentially hurt their chances of being hired for a corrections officer position. So what can you do to lessen or mitigate any adverse consequences?

Here are some simple suggestions that should help in making the best of your interview.

Be Truthful

The most important thing that you can do in an interview in which you potentially have to divulge some negative or damaging information is that you always tell the truth. Now, at the same time, you can be truthful and answer all the questions asked but just be aware of how much information you do share.

Be Regretful

If you did some things in your teenage years that you aren’t necessarily proud of today and god forbid someone or someones was hurt or damaged, show how much you have matured in the time since your youthful indiscretions be owning up to what you may have done, briefly explaining the situation if asked to do so, and basically say that you understand you made a mistake and that you haven’t done anything like the incident in question since.

Have a Plan

In the case of financial problems, many people have financial problems that start out early in life and follow them well into adulthood. If this describes you and your situation, here is what you can do to address it.

Most people know that having a poor credit history can keep them from being selected from certain jobs, and usually, the problems all originated from one or a series of catalyzing events that placed them in a position of instability.

The main thing that an interviewer will be looking for is that you have taken action to correct the issue; either by establishing a budget, setting up a repayment plan and that you have received or are currently attending some form of debt counseling from a reputable organization recognized by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

Stop Bad Behavior

Whether it’s the occasional one too many to drink, smoking marijuana, backhanding your spouse or even the neighbor’s dog, if you were doing something wrong in the past and you know that it was wrong, make sure that you have completely ended whatever activity you were engaged in previously and start out on a new path of righteousness and success.

When you are being interviewed, make sure you are able to clearly articulate the fact that you understand what you did was wrong and it won’t happen again, and more importantly, it won’t in any way affect you becoming a corrections officer.

Finally, I’m sure that the personnel that are conducting the face-to-face interviews know that people make mistakes in their lives from time to time, end up on hard times, and make decisions that they now realize should not have been made. The thing that you can do now to ensure that you succeed, is to be totally upfront and honest during the review process. You never know, it may be the one thing during the interview process that makes a lasting impression on the HR staff.