Eligibility requirements for protective services officers

Victoria Police has no tolerance for illicit or illegal drug use. This includes in both work and personal life.

We conduct extensive background checks on all applicants during the selection process.

You will be subject to random drug testing during the recruitment process.

Code of conduct and prior behaviour

All Victoria Police employees follow a code of conduct.

You need to align with the code of conduct. The application process involves a thorough assessment to identify any:

• prior misconduct
• corruption
• or any form of improper conduct.

The expectation is that you understand and avoid misconduct. You must immediately report it should you become aware of it in others.

This helps keep Victoria Police an ethical organisation.

Prior offences and Voluntary Disclosure Form (VDF)

We will assess your previous history.

Failure to declare information may mean we cancel your application.

Check the prior history guidelines to assess if a prior offence will affect your application to Victoria Police.

Check the prior history guidelines

If you have any of the following, we recommend that you submit a Voluntary Disclosure Form before you submit an application:

• prior convictions
• cautions
• diversions
• good behaviour bonds, or
• excessive driving offences.

This will help you find out whether your prior history could disqualify you from being considered for the role.

You must disclose all offences in your application. This includes those that you committed as a juvenile.

Learn how to submit a Voluntary Disclosure Form on our Prior History Guidelines page.

You are eligible to apply if you are 18 years of age and over.

There are no education requirements to apply for Victoria Police.

There are no specific pre-requisite subject requirements. You also do not need an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).

The Victoria Police Regulations 2014 stipulate that you must be an Australian Citizen or hold Australian permanent residency to join Victoria Police.

New Zealand citizens may apply, however, will need to be residing in Australia and hold a special category visa prior to commencing employment with Victoria Police.

When applying, you need to provide proof of citizenship (Australian or New Zealand) or permanent residency.

New Zealand citizens not residing in Australia at time of application will need to provide proof of special category visa prior to induction.

Protective services officers need to maintain a healthy level of cardio fitness and physical strength to meet the physical requirements of the job.

As part of the recruitment process, you will be required to undertake a fitness test.

Once employed with Victoria Police, you will be required to undertake regular fitness testing.

We recommend regular exercise to maintain your fitness for the application process and once employed.

The POLICE FIT app is a free tool to help prepare you for the fitness test, and improve your chances of passing.

You must have a current First Aid certificate.

Before induction, you must have a Level 1 First Aid Certificate with CPR. The course code is:

• Level 1 HLTAID010, or
• Level 2 HLTAID011.

This certificate must be valid at the time of training and for a further 12 months after the completion of training.

Regular renewal of the CPR component of the First Aid Certificate will be required.

You will need to pay for all costs associated with getting your First Aid Certification.

You must meet the minimum medical requirements to safely and effectively perform the role of a protective services officer.

As part of your application, you will undertake a medical evaluation.

This will include:

• a self-assessment
• an examination by a GP
• a review of your hearing by an audiologist or audiometrist
• and your vision by an ophthalmologist or optometrist.

You may also need to provide specialist reports depending on your medical history.

If you have any concerns about your eligibility due to a medical condition, please consult our Medical guidelines.

Protective services officers need to communicate clearly, effectively and professionally, and negotiate confidently.

A fundamental skill of a protective services officer is the ability to communicate well.

Our members must both give and receive verbal information in sometimes stressful situations.

Sometimes the process identifies applicants with possible issues in this area. These applicants will then take part in an assessment of their verbal communication skills in the context of operational suitability and safety.

Verbal and written communication skills are assessed at various stages of the process.

You may be deemed to not meet this requirement. In this case, you will be advised to seek exposure to as many situations as possible which will develop your communication skills to a level that will help you succeed in any future PSO applications.

During the selection process you will be asked to declare associations.

An inappropriate association is a link to a person or organisation with ties to unlawful activity. This association may be suspected of, or known to take part in, or have a history of, this activity.

Associations reflect on community perceptions of integrity and your ability to use authority with integrity.

They may also put you in a position where they attempt to ask you to forgo your duty or compromise you as an employee of Victoria Police.

It is important that Victoria Police are aware of any association or potential conflict of interest. This is because they may compromise you or reflect negatively on the organisation as a whole.

These associations could be:

• family
• friends
• members of recreational clubs
• or other people you associate with.

During the application you must declare any such associations.

In some cases a management plan may be put in place, in others the association should be terminated.

If you fail to disclose associate information, your application may not proceed. It may also result in a termination of employment later on.

PSO work is unique. There are demands in the role that you won't find in most other jobs.

To make sure we get the right people, we will assess your work history and the way you perform in a professional setting.

We expect PSO applicants to have a proven:

• willingness to work
• work ethic
• initiative.

The assessment of work history is conducted throughout the recruitment process.

Applying after a period of full-time parenting

If you are returning to work after a period of full-time parenting, recent work experience in a customer-facing role can help your application.

This can help demonstrate the ability to manage work at the same time as your parenting responsibilities.

If you have been away from the workforce for a short period of family or parental leave, your prior work experience will be assessed.

Applying straight after high school

Not every 18-year-old will be ready to apply, but those who make great officers are gathering life experience while they are in high school.

There are no prerequisite subjects you need to complete in school. However, subjects that develop communication skills, language skills and fitness are useful.

The following suggestions will help develop the life experience we expect to see in our applicants.

1. Part-time work experience in a customer service environment. This provides exposure to people from all walks of life and develops communication, teamwork and conflict resolution skills. This might include working in a hospitality or retail job.
2. Volunteer experience. This develops community mindedness and communication skills. This may include working at a local club or community centre.
3. Sporting club experience. This develops teamwork, communication and leadership skills, and a healthy level of fitness.
4. Overseas travel. This gives you exposure to other cultures, religions, languages, and fosters independence and assertiveness.

If you are intending on applying when you turn 18, we strongly recommend finding full-time work while going through the recruitment process.