If you recently passed the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Inspector exam and are about to embark on PSNI’s upcoming Inspector process in February 2025, this blog and featured premium podcast are for you.
Firstly, congratulations on getting the exam under your belt!
“To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.” – Leonard Bernstein
Secondly, at this stage you may have some natural uncertainty and questions in advance of your approaching promotion interview and time is of the essence. So I thought I’d share some food for thought you will find helpful for your opportunity. Because knowing what’s coming will give you the best chances of success.
This content will support your effective preparation and assist you in maximising your potential. Despite the looming deadline, there’s a lot you can do between now and your interview to ensure you are the very best you can be on the day.
“As a leader, what do our force values mean to you? How have you demonstrated them?”
New PSNI Promotion Podcast Available
I have recorded a tailored premium podcast episode for you as a PSNI officer aspiring to Inspector rank. It will provoke your thinking and includes bespoke insights and guidance for you to consider, listen to and reflect upon for inclusion in your personal approach to your promotion opportunity.
I include a sample above, but you can access my podcast from your chosen app or from my site. To summarise a few of the tips I cover in this podcast…
- I share my thoughts and ideas on how I believe you can prepare NOW to improve your odds of success in this yearly “competition” as PSNI describe it.
- I talk about how you can best use the time you have before your interview effectively to make notes
- You’ll also find resources I share to facilitate a deeper appreciation of the CVF competency ‘We are Emotionally Aware’ and its leadership significance.
Emotional awareness is a particular interview topic you know you will be asked about and required to respond to, with seven minutes allowed to communicate your grasp of this competency. This includes I would suggest, supporting evidence of when you have personally demonstrated this particular behaviour attuned to the level of the rank you aspire to, and also the CVF level you are being assessed against.
Work Smart to Beat Uncertainty
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas Edison
I believe there is a lot of smart work you can do as a serious candidate in the next few weeks to set yourself apart from the competition. I discuss it more in this podcast, recorded especially for you.
A focused 7 minute conversation takes some prior thought and practice. You may want to rehearse for example using a model to stay on track! What if you had the ideal structure for an interview response? In this premium episode I share with you my original Rank Success ©ENAMEL response structure.
When subscribed, you’ll not just have access to force-specific content like this. I’ve published for you a treasure trove of podcast content to support your promotion ambitions and provide excellent longer-term leadership CPD more generally. Explaining the CVF, example answers, leadership book reviews, and horizon-scanning the policing environment for you are just some example subjects in well over 120 podcasts (and growing each month).
Subscriber support also means I can conduct important interviews with serving and former Chief Officers. They provide valuable, current and insightful tips on their own ‘expectations of leaders’; especially what they look for in candidates aspiring to Inspector and other ranks. Officers’ feedback to date on these has been astoundingly positive.
Whilst you may be experiencing some natural uncertainty, it’s action that breeds both confidence and courage. Effective preparation enables you to pick up insights into the promotion process and importantly, into yourself.
To help specifically with this, if you want to go further in terms of applying yourself, I also offer rank-specific downloadable digital toolkits to support you as an Inspector candidate to make best use of limited time. These tailored resources support you to be ready and confident to convert your leadership aspiration into substantive promotion success.
“Hi Steve, thanks to your guides and podcasts, I passed the Inspector board first time around! … I felt well prepared, well-versed and well-read. I needed the extra push, which you provided, because when CVF-based boards came in – I was lost! I couldn’t quite tell you how or what I did that got me over the line in either event, but I can say “ENAMEL” and your reading list “musts” were a huge help. I felt like I could attack each question. All the best.” – Lou
As Lou alludes to, there’s reading and PSNI-specific information which will help you on your way. For example, take a look at the below video link from Lee Freeman’s LinkedIn post. And here’s the HMIC inspection on how PSNI treats its workforce and people.
Listen in too for a decent saver code you can use off my complete the Inspector toolkit bundle for the ultimate preparation. I hope that is helpful for now and wish you the very best for the opportunity you have ahead. I look forward to hearing more success stories from PSNI officers realising their potential in the upcoming boards, as those who have gone before have used these tried and tested methods.
Kind regards, Steve
Seeking police promotion? Want a MASSIVE head start right now? Hit the ground running with your personal digital promotion toolkit, and/or my market-leading Police Promotion Masterclass. There’s nothing else like it to effectively prepare you for success in your leadership aspirations. You can also contact me to arrange more personal coaching support. Or try my podcast for your ongoing police leadership CPD covering a range of fascinating subjects.