Summary of "НЕ СУЙСЯ РАБОТАТЬ В ПОЛИЦИЮ"

Overview

This is a personal testimony from a former police officer who served about four years (joined in 2021). The speaker warns against joining the police, describing the service as a state paramilitary duty with serious personal, professional, and financial downsides despite some institutional benefits (for example, early retirement).

“Joining changes your status to a civil servant with de facto 24/7 obligations — think carefully before applying.”

Key problems and concerns

Status and working conditions
- Police service is treated like a state paramilitary duty (Ministry of Internal Affairs). Signing on changes your status to a civil servant with de facto round‑the‑clock obligations.
- There is no normal, fixed schedule. You can be required to work or be contacted anywhere — at home, on vacation, in public places — and duties may be demanded even while on sick leave.
- Management culture often uses punitive approaches (“stick” systems), poor leadership, excessive overtime, and expectations to effectively live at work (e.g., sofas in offices for investigators).
Burnout and family impact
- Constant availability, overtime, night duty, and emotional strain create a high risk of burnout.
- The strain takes a heavy toll on personal life and family relationships.
Pay versus responsibility
- Very low pay relative to the responsibility and hardship of the job. Example figures given by the speaker:
  - Intern salary: ~14,000 rubles
  - After appointment: ~19,500 rubles
  - After ~4 years (including indexation): ~30,000 rubles
- Comparisons show some civilian roles pay as much or more (e.g., bus conductor ~45,000 rubles with 2/2 shifts; cleaning roles may earn similar or higher).
Hiring and entry barriers
- Long, difficult hiring process with many medical checks including a military medical commission; can take 3–6+ months.
Personnel drain and survival strategies
- Many leave because pay and conditions are unacceptable. Even some higher‑level service members (example: an FSB employee) take additional jobs (e.g., delivery work) to make ends meet.
Questionable long‑term payoff
- Although early retirement exists as an institutional benefit, the speaker argues that service years often waste one’s best productive years, leave you physically and mentally depleted, and produce skills that are not easily monetizable in civilian life.

Practical advice / takeaways

Think carefully before applying: assess whether you and your family can accept effectively 24/7 obligations and the lifestyle trade‑offs.
Compare real salary against civilian alternatives — check job listings (e.g., HeadHunter) and local wages before committing.
Factor in the long hiring process and medical examinations when planning a career change.
Be aware that early retirement may not compensate for the health, family, and career costs of service.
If your primary motivation is security or authority, weigh whether those non‑monetary advantages justify the personal costs.

Notable organizations, examples, and speaker

Organizations mentioned: Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), Federal Security Service (FSB), job platform HeadHunter.
Examples used:
- Cleaning worker and bus conductor salary comparisons (bus conductor cited at ~45,000 rubles on a 2/2 shift).
- Anecdote of an FSB employee doing delivery work to supplement income.
Speaker: a former police officer who served about four years (joined in 2021), speaking from personal experience and issuing a warning to potential applicants.