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Hiring Process

Applying, testing, interviewing, and being selected to attend the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Justice Training Center academy as a Deputy Sheriff Cadet or a Sheriff’s Correctional Deputy Cadet is a long and rigorous journey. The selection process is time consuming and can take four to six months to complete. This process requires an extensive amount of time and resources to find the right people to become Deputy Sheriffs/Sheriff Correctional Deputies.

You have made the decision on becoming a Deputy Sheriff Cadet/Sheriff's Correctional Deputy Cadet. Your first step is to log into the Santa Clara County job portal at Job Opportunities - Employee Services Agency - County of Santa Clara (sccgov.org) and create a NEOGOV online account. Once you have created your account, you can apply for the Deputy Sheriff Cadet/Sheriff’s Correctional Deputy Cadet position. If you are currently employed as a Peace Officer with a law enforcement agency or Correctional Facility in California, you can apply to lateral into the Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy Sheriff lateral or Sheriff’s Correctional Deputy Lateral.

Applications are first reviewed to ensure the minimum requirements for the position are met. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements, the Human Resources department will send an email inviting the applicant to the written and agility test.

The written examination and agility test are held at the Justice Training Center academy campus located in Morgan Hill CA. Upon successful completion of the written and physical agility examinations, with a passing score, the applicants will undergo an intense hiring process including but not limited to: oral interviews, thorough background investigations, polygraph examinations, psychological evaluations, medical evaluations, and a hiring board interview.

If applicants are extended an offer of employment, they will attend a sponsored 27-week P.O.S.T. Basic Academy for Deputy Sheriff Cadets or a 16-week S.T.C. Adult Corrections Officer Core Academy for Sheriff’s Correctional Deputy Cadets. Both are hosted by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office at the Justice Training Center, in Morgan Hill.

	Application All applicants must complete and submit an Online Application. Once you have submitted your online application, you will receive an email with instructions on how to self-register for a Written and Agility Test.
	Written & Agility Test Deputy Sheriff The California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) mandates that peace officers be able to read and write at the levels necessary to perform the job of a peace officer. This is determined by use of a written examination. Only the entry-level cadet positions of Deputy Sheriff Cadet and Sheriff's Correctional Deputy Cadet require a written examination. Lateral positions for either do not require a written examination. The California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) requires the cadets to maintain a physical conditioning program during the academy. During the testing process, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office requires and applicant to complete and pass a physical agility course to ensure the candidate will be able to adequately participate in the POST mandated physical fitness program. Sheriff's Correctional Deputy We administer the S.T.C. Adult Corrections Officer (STCACO) Examination on approximately a monthly basis to the applicants who have applied for the Sheriff's Correctional Deputy Cadet position. You will be contacted with the date and time of the examination after your application is screened for the minimum requirements. There are many resources to help you prepare for the STCACO Examination. The BSCC S.T.C. website provides an Orientation Booklet for the STCACO Examination which can be found at the link below. PELLET-B Preparation Guide STCACO Examination Orientation Booklet
	Pre-background Interview This is the first step in the background process where the applicant first meets a Background investigator to determine if the applicant will successfully move forward to the Personal History Statement. The background Investigator uses the POST dimensions to determine if the applicant will progress to the next step.
	Personal History Statement and Background Investigation Completion and submittal of a Personal History Statement (PHS) is the next step of the Background Investigation. The PHS requires compilation of extensive biographical information, fingerprinting, and an interview with a background investigator. The background investigation will also include checks of employment, police, financial, education, and military records, and interviews with family members, neighbors, supervisors, co-workers, and friends. You will be evaluated on your past behavior and current disposition and the extent to which your behavior demonstrates positive traits that support your candidacy for a career in law enforcement. Please have all your required documents ready with copies, during this interview.
	Polygraph The Polygraph is conducted to confirm information obtained during the selection process.
	Psychological Evaluation The Psychological Evaluation consists of an oral interview and evaluation by a psychologist on factors related to successful performance in the difficult and stressful law enforcement career. The information evaluated includes the written psychological tests along with information obtained in the background investigation process.
	Medical Evaluation The Medical Evaluation is your last step before your final interview. The medical evaluation is a POST mandated test that requires all law enforcement applicants, lateral and new applicants, to undergo in order to determine suitability for a career in law enforcement.
	Final Interview The final interview will be conducted by a panel to assess your personal accomplishment, job motivation, interpersonal skills, continuous learning orientation, and communication skills. Only those candidates who pass this part of the process will receive a final offer of employment.

⬅ Salary & Benefits How to Prepare ➞