Applying to CHP in Your Early 20s: Looking for Advice
Hi everyone,
I'm planning to apply to CHP next year after I'm fully recovered from surgery, so I'll most likely be 22 when I submit my application.
By then I'll have earned a BS in Computer Science, around five years of full-time professional software engineering experience (I started my career when I was 17½ with a local startup), and currently work as a Software Engineer for a California state department. I have good references, a clean criminal record, no drug, alcohol, or marijuana history, good credit, and one corrected traffic citation (rolling stop/tint) from late 2024.
For those of you who applied in your early 20s, what was your experience like? Did your age seem to matter at all? Based on my background, is there anything you'd recommend I focus on over the next year, or anything you wish you had done differently before applying?
I've also seen that CHP recently completed its goal of hiring 1,000 new officers. For those who have applied within the last year or two, have you noticed the hiring process becoming more competitive?
Thanks in advance for the advice!