**Content warning** Sensitive Topics. This competency includes a section that discusses suicide in the context of my work with the RCMP.
Applied Knowledge and Skills
Applied knowledge has never been just a concept for me – it’s the way I move through the world. Whether I’m troubleshooting a legal issue or restoring a Jeep from the ground up, I don’t stop at understanding something – I put it to work. I take what I learn and apply it in real-world settings where results matter, where people are impacted, and where I often have to think and act quickly under pressure. Across every area of my life, I’ve built a foundation of learning-by-doing, and I’ve developed the ability to adapt, improve, and deliver when it counts.
Applied knowledge has been at the center of almost everything I do, whether I’m rebuilding a car, running a business, guiding new staff, or redesigning a city form to make it clearer for the public. I don’t just learn things – I apply them, and I constantly look for ways to make what I’ve learned work better in the real world.
Working in a civilian role with the RCMP, I developed specialized skills in two vastly different but equally demanding areas: firearms verification and critical incident response. As a Firearms Verification Officer, I completed multiple formal courses which included Firearms Identification for Public Agents, Offence Related Property Fundamentals (Levels 1, 2, and 3), and Real-Time Identification – Generic Workflow. But my learning truly solidified through hands-on experience. I regularly had to identify firearms with scratched-off serial numbers, assess modifications for legality, spot safety issues, and use national databases to verify whether seized firearms could be returned. Some firearms were fully automatic or otherwise prohibited, meaning they couldn’t go back to the original owners, which was something that understandably upset many people. I was often the one tasked with explaining the situation to firearm owners, walking them through legal outcomes in a way that was clear, calm, and respectful, even when emotions were high. My role supported both officers and the public, requiring not just technical accuracy, but confidence, patience, and a steady presence.
**Start of Content warning** Sensitive Topics. This competency includes a section that discusses suicide in the context of my work with the RCMP.
I was also trained in Crisis Intervention and De-escalation, Critical Incident Stress Management, and Critical Incident Peer Counselling – skills I initially used to support staff and officers informally. Over time, that trust in my approach led to me being pulled into more intense and complex situations. I was specifically brought into the Major Crimes unit to help during a particularly brutal homicide investigation—not because it was my job, but because I was already known as the critical incident peer counsellor. My role was for records management, transcription, and to support the investigators themselves, many of whom were struggling emotionally. These were colleagues I had worked alongside, and in that environment, people didn’t always feel comfortable asking for help. I quietly made myself available, checking in, listening, and guiding them toward formal supports when needed. One particularly difficult moment involved a responding officer after the spouse of one of our RCMP officers died by suicide. They were close friends, and I was one of the first people she spoke to when she returned to the office. Those conversations were never easy, but I learned how to stay grounded when others could not. I didn’t need to fix things. I just needed to be present, steady, and compassionate.
**End of Content warning** Sensitive Topics. This competency includes a section that discusses suicide in the context of my work with the RCMP.
I’ve also carried these skills into municipal government, especially when supporting coworkers during difficult customer interactions or policy changes. The calm, clear communication I learned through crisis response has helped me de-escalate tense situations at the front counter, guide residents through confusing processes, and support colleagues privately when morale dips. The same grounding I relied on in high-pressure environments has proven just as valuable in everyday interactions where empathy and clarity matter most.
What I’ve really taken away from these roles is that applied knowledge isn’t just about knowing what to do on paper. It’s about how you show up when things are messy, emotional, or unclear. I’ve learned how to stay steady when others are overwhelmed, and that skill has become second nature. I carry it with me into every tough situation, whether it’s at work, n my community, or just being there for someone when they need it.
Outside of my professional life, I’ve spent years applying technical knowledge through hands-on projects that pushed me to plan, problem-solve, and follow through with precision. Early on, I used to buy and sell cars from the auction for profit, which meant assessing repair potential, budgeting parts and labour, and understanding resale value. I wasn’t just fixing vehicles – I was making calculated decisions about which ones were worth the investment. That evolved into more intensive projects where I’ve rebuilt entire vehicles from the frame up — doing everything from engine and brake work to rust removal, body repair, and repainting. These projects weren’t quick weekend jobs. They required hours of research, planning, and persistence. I used repair manuals, online forums, and trial-and-error learning to figure things out as I went. One Jeep project involved rebuilding the entire brake system, replacing the starter, fuel pump, alternator, side window, complete interior, and finishing it off with a custom camouflage paint job. Every part of it demanded attention to detail and real-time decision-making. If something didn’t line up or failed during testing, I had to stop, reassess, and find a new solution. It taught me patience, sequencing, and how to stay calm when plans fall apart.
That same mindset has carried over into my home projects. I’ve taken on creative builds like designing and constructing a hidden door, building an in-floor wine cellar, and planning layout modifications to accommodate an addition on my property. I used software like AutoCAD and SketchUp to plan everything out in advance — measuring spaces, modeling floorplans, and testing functionality in 3D before I ever lifted a tool. Learning the software on my own took time, but it allowed me to visualize complex designs, catch errors early, and make informed choices about layout and materials. These weren’t just aesthetic choices — they required an understanding of structural flow, spatial planning, and how the end user (in this case, me and my family) would interact with the space.
Each project has helped me grow more confident in applied thinking. It’s one thing to learn a skill, it’s another to use it under real conditions where the consequences of a mistake are immediate and sometimes expensive. These experiences have sharpened how I approach tasks in my professional life too. I now plan out work projects in layers, thinking about dependencies, tolerances, and what success looks like for the people involved. Whether it’s a permit package or a city workflow, the thinking I’ve developed through hands-on projects gives me an edge in problem-solving and execution. I’ve also learned how to adapt on the fly, because things rarely go exactly to plan. Knowing how to recover, reframe, and move forward without losing momentum is one of the most valuable skills I’ve developed — and it came from applying knowledge, not just reading about it.
Applied knowledge is more than just a skillset – it’s a mindset I’ve carried across every role, project, and challenge I’ve taken on. I’ve learned how to think critically, plan strategically, and stay grounded when things go sideways. From emergency response and firearm verification to floorplan modeling and vehicle restoration, I’ve taken knowledge off the page and turned it into results. That’s what applied learning means to me: not just knowing something, but having the experience and confidence to put it into action when it really matters.
Evidence supporting Applied Knowledge and Skills
8.1 Photos and descriptions of DIY
8.2 Before and after photo of vehicle restoration work