"I want to work as a correctional officer because I'm passionate about rehabilitating offenders. I feel they deserve another opportunity to turn their lives around, and I'm eager to put my skills and experience to good use. I'm always happy when I see offenders come out of correctional facilities as changed people."

"My duties often expose me to stressful situations. Whenever I feel stressed, I take breaks after asking permission from my supervisor. In my experience, adopting a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy meals, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep helps me manage stress and avoid burnout at work. I make sure I remain calm and view things objectively before responding to them."

"A correctional officer's job comes with unique challenges, and I believe every officer must be resilient and self-disciplined. Physical agility, strength and fitness are key requirements. I also believe correctional officers need to know how to identify unusual activities, patterns and behavioural cues. Most importantly, a correctional officer must be decisive, fair and dedicated."

"As a trained correctional officer, I'm familiar with de-escalation techniques for dealing with aggressive individuals. I'd first listen to the individual to understand why they were angry. Then, I'd acknowledge their feelings and state that I understood their concerns. Next, I'd present choices and their consequences that relate to the situation. I'm aware they may be more receptive to suggestions instead of orders. If the individual were still aggressive and behaving violently, I'd call for backup and keep the person from harming others."

"I graduated from secondary school three years ago. Seven months later, I completed a training course for correctional offices by the Correctional Service of Canada. I also have first aid and CPR training certifications. I believe my educational background and training make me a good fit for this role."

"I feel I'm a good team player. In my experience, working as part of a team helps to get the job done efficiently. Knowing my colleagues are supportive and ready to help also encourages me. From my research, your facility seems to have a supportive team, and I'd love to work with other correctional officers here."

"I'd patrol my assigned area during my downtime. If it spanned several hours, I'd read through your facility's handbook for correctional officers. I understand I need to stay alert during this period, so I'd make sure any activity I perform helps me focus."

"I feel the most challenging aspect of being a correctional officer is having to deal with aggressive individuals. At my previous job, fights broke out regularly, and I had to maintain my composure while performing my duties. I now understand that such challenges are part of my job as a correctional officer, and I'm happy to take them on."

"I'd grade myself eight out of 10. I'm skilled at analyzing situations, processing information, and taking appropriate actions. In my first position, individuals at work suddenly became quiet when I walked in. My instincts told me something was wrong, so I decided to search them. I found contraband items on incarcerated individuals and reported the situation to my correctional supervisor."

"If a colleague got into a fight with an offender, I'd quickly break it up and restrain the offender. If I could not stop the fight alone, I'd call for backup. I'd take my colleague to a private space to find out what happened. I'm good at acting decisively under pressure."

"If there were a crisis involving several individuals, I'd first call for support from my colleagues and try to calm them down. Then, we'd restrain the individuals and prevent them from harming one another. If there were a need for a facility shutdown to contain the situation, I'd promptly inform my supervisor to take the required action. I'd make sure I treat the individuals involved with respect and dignity as I try to defuse the situation."

"At my last job, I noticed a new individual became withdrawn when a group of other individuals passed. I decided to discuss the situation with her privately, and she explained that those individuals bullied her regularly. I took the issue to my supervisor, who separated the new people from those who were bullying her. She had no problem with them again and was released from the facility shortly after the situation."

"At my last job, my correctional supervisor asked me to prepare shift schedules for all officers and coordinate their work. That experience prepared me for this position because I understand my job duties here require me to assist new hires in learning about your facility's rules."

"On my first night shift as a correctional officer, I was grouped with another correctional officer to watch over incarcerated individuals. I accomplished all tasks assigned and correctly answered the questions officers on the next shift had for me. My supervisor said he was happy that I could handle the responsibilities of the job."

"As a correctional officer, maintaining order in institutions and other detention places is my primary responsibility. I make sure I scan visitors thoroughly before they meet incarcerated individuals. If I found contraband items with a visitor, I'd respectfully seize the items and take the visitor to a private room for questioning. I'd make sure I follow your facility's procedure on how to defuse such situations and notify my supervisor of the situation."