Before you apply for sergeant, ask yourself why you want the position.
Do you want to make things better? Do you want to lead? Are you mainly interested in the pay?
Be honest with yourself. Wanting to earn more is understandable, but the responsibility comes with the paycheck. You need to decide whether you want the work that comes with being a supervisor.
Understand who will depend on you
As an officer, you are responsible for performing your duties. As a sergeant, your responsibilities expand to other people’s work, development, and safety.
Officers will look to you when something happens. They will expect you to respond appropriately, make decisions, and help them handle situations they cannot resolve on their own.
You also have responsibilities for inmate safety. Your decisions can affect everyone involved in a situation.
In my experience, supervision has meant coming in early, leaving late, training officers, and making myself available when problems arise. The exact duties and schedule vary by agency and assignment, but you should understand those expectations before accepting the position.
Ask yourself whether you are prepared to be someone other people depend on.
Be ready for your relationships to change
One of the hardest transitions is going from someone’s coworker and friend to being their supervisor.
You may feel allegiance to that person. You know them, have worked beside them, and want to support them. But you now have a job that includes directing their work and holding them accountable.
A friend may expect an exception or ask for treatment you would not give another officer. Address that professionally and refuse the special treatment immediately.
The friendship cannot determine the standard.
You can continue to care about someone while making a decision they do not like. Before promoting, consider whether you are willing to have those conversations.
Look at how you perform now
When I consider whether an officer is ready to lead, I look at their everyday behavior.
Do they take responsibility? Do they perform their duties correctly? Do they demonstrate integrity and courage? Can they remain professional when a situation becomes difficult?
Those qualities need to show up before the promotion.
Rank does not automatically create good judgment or make someone dependable. It gives them greater responsibility, making weaknesses in those areas more consequential.
If you want to become a sergeant, begin by being an officer others can rely on.
Recognize when you need more time
Two warning signs stand out to me: routine duties are still difficult for you, and you have not established credibility with officers and inmates.
Everyone has things to learn. You do not need to know everything before applying. But if you regularly struggle with the basics, supervising other people adds responsibilities before you have a solid foundation.
Respect also matters. I am not talking about being popular. I mean earning credibility through how you work, how you treat people, and whether your actions are consistent.
A promotion may change your authority. It will not instantly create that credibility.
Needing more time does not mean you should abandon the goal. It tells you where to focus your development.
Build the foundation before pursuing the title
My first priority would be work ethic.
Be dependable. Perform your duties correctly. Take responsibility for your mistakes and follow through on what you are expected to do.
Next, establish yourself as a respected correctional officer through consistent, professional conduct. Show people they can trust your judgment and your word.
Then continue deepening your knowledge of policy and procedures. You must follow policy from the beginning of your career, but supervision requires a broader understanding because other officers will bring you questions.
Learn where to find answers and when to seek guidance. Being a supervisor does not mean knowing exactly what to do in every situation.
Know what you want to improve
My reason for pursuing leadership was to make things better for correctional officers.
I wanted them to know someone cared about them and was willing to work to improve their experience on the job.
I got to know my officers personally. I trained them in aspects of the work that I felt I had not been adequately prepared for. I wanted to give them guidance I would have benefited from earlier in my career.
That gave my leadership a purpose beyond the rank.
Consider what you want to contribute. What do officers need that you could help provide? What have you learned that would make someone else’s job more manageable?
You will not be able to change everything. But you should be able to explain why you want responsibility for other people.
Support your officers when they make mistakes
Having an officer’s back includes speaking up for them when the circumstances deserve consideration.
I have advocated for officers by explaining their decisions to administration and helping provide context around mistakes. A fair review needs to consider what happened and why the officer acted as they did.
That advocacy must remain honest. You cannot help someone develop by hiding facts or pretending nothing went wrong.
There is also a clear limit. Policy violations, security breaches, and violations of inmates’ rights require accountability and the appropriate response.
Supporting an officer and holding them accountable are both parts of supervision. You need to be willing to do both.
Decide whether you want the responsibility
The pay and the rank are visible. Much of the work is less visible: preparing officers, answering questions, addressing mistakes, making difficult decisions, and following up when someone needs help.
You may have to refuse a friend’s request. You may have to explain an officer’s decision to administration. You may also have to address conduct that cannot be excused.
Think about whether that is work you want to take on.
For me, the opportunity to care for officers, prepare them better, and improve their working lives gave that responsibility meaning.
Before you pursue the rank, understand who will depend on you—and why you want to lead them.
This article shares personal experience and general career guidance. Supervisory duties, schedules, promotion requirements, and accountability procedures vary by agency. Follow your agency’s current policies and requirements.