Conditional Letter of Hire

[IrishJoe]

Okay, I am in quite a bit of shock right now....


I don't post here much, but I am a frequent visitor to this site, (daily). Let me give a little background on myself. I applied for the CHP spring of last year, took the QAP in May, and completely bombed it, (scoring a 70). I know why, the fact that I couldn?t find the place didn?t help (and was late), nor that I was really prepared for the interview anyway. So?to make a long story short, since then I have done a LOT to get ready for the next QAP and a career with the CHP, (to name a few, I attended the last CHP seminar, been on two ride-alongs, got an internship with the local Police Department where I work now, and was planning on attending the QAP workshop next week, etc etc). I?ve been gearing up for the Valley Division QAP next week, (10th-11th), and feel much more prepared for it.

Here?s where the wrench comes in. Today, (5mnts ago), I just got a Conditional Letter of Hire from the CHP.

Any officers or hopefuls have any input? Did the CHP lower its standards, (ie 70 and above for the QAP), did I get this by mistake, (though my name and address is on it).

I understand probably the only ones that can answer this as in depth as I need are the officers with the Valley Division recruiting, (and they don?t seem to be answering their phone right now).

Not sure what to say?.

[snowdog]

I sent you a pm. Hope it answers your questions.

[Gonzo]

I have the same concern as Mr. Irish Joe. I have taken the QAP 4 times, my last one was in December 2006.
I received my commitment to hire today. I gladly accept it this opportunity, but is there something I should know?

[bcjack]

congrats gonzo...Treat this opportunity with the respect and pride it deserves. One day at a time and you will be on the roads before you know it...Officer Gonzo...sounds kind of scarry:biggrin:

[CHP 11-99]

Just gather your stuff together for background investigation and enjoy the roller coaster ride. Good luck!!

[IrishJoe]

I have the same concern as Mr. Irish Joe. I have taken the QAP 4 times, my last one was in December 2006.
I received my commitment to hire today. I gladly accept it this opportunity, but is there something I should know?

Congrats to you!

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one feeling left in the dark....

Right now the elation at the letter is settling as given way to the "what if". :confused:

[IrishJoe]

oh and BTW...how many Academy classes are there a year?

[CHPWings]

I am in the same boat as you guys, is this a serious offer or is it an if we get "desperate" (I don?t mean the wording in this way but im finding it hard to find the right words at 2am) we will move you along in the process offer of hire.

From the previous posts it does not sound that way but I am elated to find this letter in my mail with the 70 QAP score I received. I was just getting ready to restart the process. Can someone fill me in? Thank You

[Rmaroon01]

I am in the same boat as you guys, is this a serious offer or is it an if we get "desperate" (I don?t mean the wording in this way but im finding it hard to find the right words at 2am) we will move you along in the process offer of hire.

From the previous posts it does not sound that way but I am elated to find this letter in my mail with the 70 QAP score I received. I was just getting ready to restart the process. Can someone fill me in? Thank You

If you got a CLOH, then you got your CLOH. It is a serious thing...According to my conversations with a recruiter...the CHP loses one officer a day to retirement, lateral-out, medical, and other causes...Also, if you read the boards, you'll have seen that someone posted an article saying that the CA government this past year also authorized hundreds of new sworn positions in the budget...(READ OFFICERS)....At the exam that I was at last weekend, they had said, "if you get a 70 or better on your QAP, you will move on to the BI".

Take this seriously, just because they need to fill of these positions does not mean that they are going to lower their standards. They still want the best applicants to fill their classes.

[beaver]

If you got a CLOH, then you got your CLOH. It is a serious thing...According to my conversations with a recruiter...the CHP loses one officer a day to retirement, lateral-out, medical, and other causes...Also, if you read the boards, you'll have seen that someone posted an article saying that the CA government this past year also authorized hundreds of new sworn positions in the budget...(READ OFFICERS)....At the exam that I was at last weekend, they had said, "if you get a 70 or better on your QAP, you will move on to the BI".

Take this seriously, just because they need to fill of these positions does not mean that they are going to lower their standards. They still want the best applicants to fill their classes.

One a day! That seems a bit high. Wow, 70 is pretty low!

[HWY Ranger2B]

congrats gonzo...Treat this opportunity with the respect and pride it deserves. One day at a time and you will be on the roads before you know it...Officer Gonzo...sounds kind of scarry:biggrin:
I agree with this post, if you got the CLOH, Great! The CHP will sift through their applicants in the BI, I am sure. From what I have read, the CLOH is just a letter that basically says, "Yeah, we would like to consider you."

I am not trying to throw a damper on things, just trying to stay realistic and keep things in perspective. I went through 5 total interviews when I got hired at a bank. At any point along the way, I could have been eliminated, getting a 70 on your QAP doesn't mean CHP have lowered their standards, it may just mean, they are doing more sifting in BI process. Just a guess.

[STRIDER1]

If you got a CLOH, then you got your CLOH. It is a serious thing...According to my conversations with a recruiter...the CHP loses one officer a day to retirement, lateral-out, medical, and other causes...Also, if you read the boards, you'll have seen that someone posted an article saying that the CA government this past year also authorized hundreds of new sworn positions in the budget...(READ OFFICERS)....At the exam that I was at last weekend, they had said, "if you get a 70 or better on your QAP, you will move on to the BI".

Take this seriously, just because they need to fill of these positions does not mean that they are going to lower their standards. They still want the best applicants to fill their classes.

One a day! That seems a bit high. Wow, 70 is pretty low!

:shock: Whoa! That is pretty low. Anyone think this will slow down the BI's due to more applicants in the process? Anyhow, I know I will not make April as I'm still waiting for my BI to call so I'm shooting for June. Good luck to everyone!

[dw]

The COE letters going out to those who scored 70 and above are serious. No one is obligated to respond, but if you receive a letter and would like to continue in the process you are welcome to.

[aggienut]

If you got a CLOH, then you got your CLOH. It is a serious thing...According to my conversations with a recruiter...the CHP loses one officer a day to retirement, lateral-out, medical, and other causes...Also, if you read the boards, you'll have seen that someone posted an article saying that the CA government this past year also authorized hundreds of new sworn positions in the budget...(READ OFFICERS)....At the exam that I was at last weekend, they had said, "if you get a 70 or better on your QAP, you will move on to the BI".

Take this seriously, just because they need to fill of these positions does not mean that they are going to lower their standards. They still want the best applicants to fill their classes.

One a day! That seems a bit high. Wow, 70 is pretty low!

:shock: Whoa! That is pretty low. Anyone think this will slow down the BI's due to more applicants in the process? Anyhow, I know I will not make April as I'm still waiting for my BI to call so I'm shooting for June. Good luck to everyone!


Good question...there are not that many qualified applicants though. Of 1000 who applied in Valley, only half passed the written (and Valley had the highest passing pct.) and if you apply the 30-50 pct. rule to the remaining 500 (PAT and Psych Written), that does not leave many for the QAP in each division. BUT, BIU has been a little slow so be forwarned: I heard of an instance where cadets were told on a Friday to report to academy on Monday vs. 30 days in advance.

[CHPWings]

Thank you DW and AGGIENUT those were both very helpful answers. I know a 70 on the QAP is fairly low... but I got the call from my BI today! I feel like im in the home stretch here. I took the written in october and everything else up to QAP was all done by the end of november and now the ball is rolling nicely.

[K-Lo]

Congrats to all of you who have received the letters. Now the fun really begins. I think somebody refered to it as a roller coaster ride. Well said.

Things to remember

1) Most importantly be HONEST - anything less will DQ you

2) Be thorough - When you fill out your PHS, make sure you follow all instructions to the letter. Throughout my background, my invesigator gave me 3 opportunities to review and revise my PHS. I left the same fields incomplete each time (and yes I proof read each time). At my final background interview right before telling me I made it, he gave me a well-deserved tounge lashing for not following directions. Made me squirm a bit.

3) Did I mention RUN, RUN, RUN...... oh yeah and RUN!!

[Jimbo]

I went through the process 3 times in 2003 and consistently scored a 90. I was never offered a CLOH since they were only looking at 95's. I was so fed up I joined another department.


Every department is hurting for officers right now.


I doesn't matter what score you get, if they offer you a CLOH, jump on it.

[SweetTaterPie]

During my hiring process, and with the CHP significantly less desperate to fill positions, I received an academy spot with an incomplete BI. The word was given directly to me, in person, from my BI investigator: should something negative come up during his completion of my BI, I would instantly be yoinked out of the Academy and sent packing. Obviously, since I'm still employed with CHP, 18+ years later, nothing did come up. While my story isn't a direct correlation to the subject of this thread, it may help illustrate that the CHP has its own reasons for rejection and/or acceptance of cadet candidates. Criteria used to select or DQ an individual frequently extend far beyond the test and interview performance. This is also applicable to actual Academy training time, too. Just like a college degree does not guarantee a smart and proficient officer, neither does a poor score on a pre-employment test or interview predict a worthless officer, a bad bet. Take the opportunity offered and make sure you don't blow the gift. The number of new hires happening right now is not normal. It's definitely a buyers market!