Police Cadet - San Jose Police - Part-Time Unbenefited

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of San José is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 408-535-1285, 711 (TTY) , or via email at CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov .

About the Department

The San José Police Department is dedicated to providing public safety through community partnerships and 21 st Century Policing practices, ensuring equity for all. The Department is committed to treating all of San Jose’s diverse community members with dignity, fairness, and respect, while protecting their rights and providing equal protection under the law.

Position Duties

The San Jose Police Department is currently seeking to fill 5 part-time unbenefited Police Cadets vacancies in the Bureau of Field Operations - Police Recruiting Unit.

Salary range for this classification is $19.64 - $23.91 hourly.

Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience. In addition to the starting salary.

The Police Cadet position is a trainee level classification and is designed for career development into the law enforcement field. Incumbents will learn diverse tasks, policies, procedures, and standards within the Police Department.

Under immediate supervision assists police personnel in performing various non-hazardous tasks and clerical responsibilities in the Police Department.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Provides clerical support to department personnel
• Assists sworn personnel with non-hazardous fieldwork tasks
• Participates in community outreach events
• Attends trainings
• Performs related work as required

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience
Completion of high school or equivalent (General Educational Development [GED] Certificate or California Proficiency Certificate) OR currently enrolled in the last year of high school. Upon completion of high school or equivalent, must maintain full-time status in an accredited college or university AND maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5.

Acceptable Substitutions: None

Background: Submit to a personal background investigation as required by the Police Department.

Required Licensing (such as driver’s license, certifications, etc.)

• Must be at least 17.5 years of age at the time of application and between 18 and 23 years of age at time of appointment. As a condition of employment, Police Cadet Interns are required to test for the position of Police Officer Recruit upon reaching 24 years of age.

Desired Qualifications: Completion of a Police Activities League (PAL) or Police Explorer program is desirable.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.

Job Expertise: Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.

Communication Skills: Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

Computer Skills: Experienced with common business computer applications including but not limited to: MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Excel.

Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills: Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Continuous Improvement: Actively identifies new areas for learning and regularly creates and takes advantage of learning opportunities.

Customer Service: Demonstrates the ability to anticipate customers' needs and deliver services effectively and efficiently using professional demeanor.

Reliability: Completes quality work assignments in a timely and efficient manner; fulfills responsibilities and maintains confidentiality as appropriate.

Initiative: Exhibits resourceful behaviors toward meeting job objectives; anticipates problems, is proactive, and avoids difficulties by planning ahead; displays willingness to assume extra responsibility and challenges; pursues continuing education opportunities that promotes job performance.

Selection Process:

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered, or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

What do you understand about the responsibilities and expectations of a cadet, and how have your experiences prepared you for this role?

Tell us about a time you worked as part of a team to achieve a goal. What role did you play, and how did you contribute to the team’s success?

Can you give an example of a situation where you took the initiative to lead a group or project? What was the outcome?

Describe a time when you had to explain something complex to someone unfamiliar with the topic. How did you ensure they understood?

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, please contact Gary Anderson at Gary.Anderson@sanjoseca.gov.
If you have questions about the selection or hiring processes, please contact Alexandria Rodriguez at Alexandria.rodriguez@sanjoseca.gov.

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

Part-time positions(less than 40 hours per week) are required to participate in the City’s PTC 457 Deferred Compensation Plan per Federal regulations. Employees are required to contribute 3.75% of gross earning and the City contributes a matching amount of 3.75%. The funds contributed by the City are 100% vested upon initial deferral and will be held in in a stability of principal investment. This plan is in lieu of social security and does not include any healthcare benefits or contributions.

Part-time employees may elect to contribute additional retirement savings through the City’s Voluntary 457 Deferred Compensation Plan. Additional Information on both plans can be found on the City’s website.

Closing Date/Time: 6/16/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

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• City of San Jose

• 408-535-1285

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