Why did you want to join the Met as a Communications Officer?
I felt like I was at a crossroads and was stuck at a job that I was not passionate about and barely paid the bills. A friend recommended the job to me, but it never crossed my mind that I would be able to work for the police without special qualifications. I was so excited when I realised I didn’t need to have a degree! I thought it would be a really interesting role and something that I could take ownership of. It was quite a long process to get the role, but it was 100% worth it in the end!
What training did you do to become a Communications Officer?
I did two weeks in a group classroom setting, with a teacher. That involved classroom style learning, including watching videos, working on the computer, having discussions and role play scenarios. You do mock calls and get given feedback constantly. It was hard, but I felt supported.
We then had two weeks in a team setting, where you work in the centre with a coach. I had the same coach throughout my training, but you also get the opportunity to work with different people throughout the training to see how they do things. After four weeks you get signed off or if you need more training, you can stay with your coach. When you’re signed off you get assigned a buddy, who always sat next to me or near me. I asked about a 1000 questions until I felt comfortable to be more independent and even to this day I’m still learning as there’s always a new question that a member of the public asks you.
What life experiences or skills do you think someone could bring to role?
As a person you need to have integrity and a willingness to learn. You need to be open minded and can’t expect to come in the role and it be super easy. Most of the skills can be taught, but you need to have some form of communication skills. This role will make you more assertive and make your confidence grow.
Resilience and keeping calm under pressure are good skills to have, but you’ll also gain this through training and practice. No one should feel intimated about joining, because a lot of the skills can be taught. Roles like bar work, retail, hospitality, are a good starting point as you gain many transferrable skills because you are interacting with a lot of different people.
What does a typical day look like?
I start my day by logging into the system and checking my emails, as we get updates about things we need to be aware of, certain callers or situations that have happened whilst we haven’t been in the office. I then make sure I’ve got a cup of coffee and start answering calls. I generally take between four and eight emergency and non-emergency calls an hour. They typically take between five and fifteen minutes depending on the severity. 101 calls can be more lengthy, as you’re giving advice and information. If I’ve had a bad call then I’ll take a minute or so to take in what has happened and process it and get some support from one of my colleagues. I’ll sometimes go for a walk to the park on a break with my colleague.
At the end of the day I feel really lucky that I’m in a role where I don’t have to take my work home. I just go home and relax. That’s a luxury I’ve never really had with any other job, but you do take home the emotional side of things. You have to find ways to manage it and make sure you have a healthy lifestyle otherwise it can get the better of you when you’re tired.
What was it like taking your first call?
It was so scary, but it was exciting! It definitely gives you butterflies the first few calls you take, as you have all the tools you need and have done all the training, but you still have that sense of doubt. That feeling does go away after a while and now it is like second nature. You just go into this mode of needing to help someone at their most vulnerable moment. You can’t always relate to what someone is going through, but you can just listen and offer help. Sometimes all someone needs is to speak to someone. It’s a really good feeling when you’ve helped someone. In the moment you think I’m so glad that I’m the call handler who was there to take your call today.
What do you love about being a Communications Officer in the Met?
Knowing I’ve helped someone. It can be a thankless role sometimes, but most people are really grateful to hear your voice on the line. Someone has woken up thinking they’re going to be going about their day, but then this terrible thing has happened to them. Just knowing I’ve been a small part of making a difference is a really rewarding feeling.
I love the variety and there’s always new opportunities to branch out into and learn new skills. You never have the feeling of being trapped or bored working for the Met.
