Trade your desk for a Minnesota State Patrol car
April 10, 2017
That mouse. That paperwork. Those emails. That desk. Do they all just get to you sometimes? Do you dream of a dynamic career with fresh air that’s different every day and makes the world a better place?
Perhaps most importantly, do you have eight minutes?
That’s all it takes to watch “Make a Difference: Become a Minnesota State Trooper.” It follows several troopers as they go about their jobs patrolling roads, pulling over speeders, warning distracted drivers, and making DWI arrests. In short, it shows you what it might be like to join the state patrol. Oh, and they’ll tell you what the Minnesota State Patrol (MSP) Training Academy is like, too (spoiler alert: It’s tough but incredibly rewarding).
You probably know that a state trooper’s job is to enforce traffic laws, arrest offenders, and appear as witnesses in court when necessary. But did you know they also provide emergency assistance to the motoring public, whether that’s helping change a tire or providing first aid to an injured person? What about working with K-9 units and investigating crashes? Yep, they do that too.
When troopers talk about their job, they’re quick to say how rewarding it is to help the public. When you’re out in your squad car, says one, “You’re effecting change, you’re saving people’s lives, you’re serving the community.” Another trooper highlights “getting drunk drivers off the road, writing those seatbelt tickets. It’s a rewarding job in that respect, just to know you’re out here making a difference.”
So yes, you can clearly benefit the public in a job like this. But what may be less apparent when you think about a career with the Minnesota State Patrol is its benefit to you. For one thing, you’ll never be bored: “Every shift will be different from the last—that’s about the only guarantee.” And at the academy, you’ll gain skills and traits you’ll use every day out on the road by yourself, such as confidence, discipline, and organization.
Sgt. Azzahya Williams may sum it up best, though: “When people say ‘thank you for your service,’ for me that justifies everything that I’ve done to get here. It shows me that the community supports us, and that they know what we do day in and day out and that they’re thankful for it.”
Williams adds, “This job is so incredibly fulfilling. So if you’re bored and you’re tired of going to work and sitting at a desk all day, think about signing up and getting in a squad car and making a difference.”
Sounds like that beats constant emails and paperwork any day, doesn’t it?
