"For us as recruiters, it's not so much about the age of the person. It's about their skills and the whether or not they have the inherent capabilities of policing," she said.

"We have a lot fantastic young people that apply. We're not going to put anybody in the academy or induct anybody that doesn't meet the criteria regardless of how old they are because we don't want to set anybody up to fail."

This Sunday, ambitious candidates from all over the state will converge on the Victoria Police Academy in Glen Waverley to attend its recruiting information day.

The event caters to people over 17 years old and 5000 visitors are expected to talk to regular officers and members from the dog squad, critical incident response team and the mounted branch.

Besides tours and fitness demonstrations, there will be a chance to watch officers in action. Acting Senior Sergeant Kelly will be one of the recruiters present and says the force is looking for people who want a diverse career.

"We're looking for people that don't just want to do your standard Monday to Friday job, that are interested in engaging with the community," she said.

Acting Senior Sergeant Kelly says good candidates will have excellent communication skills, teamwork, patience and a desire to help people. But the application process is not for the faint of heart, involving an entrance exam, a fitness test and a good character test.

Applicants must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, have a driver's licence and a Victorian Certificate of Education if they are under 21.

Acting Senior Sergeant Kelly encouraged anyone considering a career in blue to come along to the career day. "It's going to be a fantastic day and there's going to be plenty of people from across a wide spectrum of areas that people normally wouldn't have access to."

The recruiting information day is on at at 10am Sunday at the Victoria Police Academy, Viewmount Road, Glen Waverley. Registration is essential. Parking is not available, but buses will ferry people between the academy and the Monash University campus or the Glen Waverley railway station.

Details: policecareer.vic.gov.au/police/ap ply/events.