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Criminal Justice Careers Tips
Criminal Justice Careers For The Government
One of your options in pursuing a degree in criminal justice is to work for the government. The options within this context are:
Local government -- generally requires a minimum of an associates degree
State government -- generally requires minimum of bachelors degree
Federal government -- generally requires a minimum of an online criminal justice masters degree
While these indicated government branches and degree levels are quite typical, there is no fixed degree or job experience that is set in stone for a particular career, nor is a degree a guarantee that you will instantly find the job you are seeking. Search jobs, apply for internships, call and ask to schedule an informational interview as your near graduation from your criminal justice program. Some other suggestions include interviewing local police officers at the station in order to get your name and your interest out there right away. If you take these early steps, you will experience more confidence, less stress and more overall success when you start your government job search upon graduation.
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Education Connection Tip: Criminal Justice Careers: Federal Government
Education Connection Tip: If you are interested in working for the federal government you will need to obtain a minimum of a bachelors degree (and you will be far more marketable if you obtain a traditional or online criminal justice graduate degree). While you can be considered as an employee for the Federal Bureau of Investigation with a bachelors degree, the chances of success will most likely increase if you obtain your masters. It should also be noted that once you obtain a job for the federal government (or any branch of the government, for that matter), you will have to undergo additional training and education prior to your start date.
Working for the federal government is a unique opportunity, as it can offer placements abroad, increased room for advancement, and plenty of remarkable educational and experiential opportunities. Additionally, the federal government tends to treat employees with a high degree of professionalism, as well as care.
Some other job possibilities in federal government include an Immigration and Naturalization Service agent, Customs Agent, Criminologists (as a researcher or policy adviser for a federal agency), or Drug Enforcement Administration agent. Since your career options are broader in terms of the federal government, it is important to really hone your education, experience and skills set to match your long-term career interests. For example, if you are certain you want to work abroad it will be essential that you learn a foreign language (or two) so that you will be more marketable when it comes time for employment. A few other federal government opportunities to consider are working for the Secret Service (which requires a bachelors degree, usually in criminal justice, and outstanding physical health) and working as a U.S. Marshall (this way you would be working for the judicial branch of the government and be responsible for arresting a high number of federal fugitives).
It should also be noted that federal agencies, such as the FBI, do not only hire people with criminal justice degrees. The FBI, for example, is currently looking for agents with expertise in finance, computer technology, and foreign languages. So if you are certain that you want to work for the FBI, search their website/job opportunities regularly to determine which areas of specialty you should consider prior to obtaining your degree.
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Criminal Justice Resume
One important thing to consider when preparing your resume for a career in criminal justice is to specify what your area(s) of specialty are. You can emphasize this in your objective, your educational section and, most importantly in your experience section. It is likely that human resource or management personnel will only quickly glance at your resume prior to determining if they want to read further, so it is crucial that you enter key words relative to the specific job you are seeking. For example, put the word "forensics" or "forensic science" or "medical examination" in italics or bold if you are interested in this line of work.
There is no one sure fire formula for completing a resume in the criminal justice field, as each job description and potential employer will be unique. Tailor your resume and cover letter, as needed, for each specific job application. This task may seem tedious at first, but it will ensure you a higher standard of communication and a better representation of yourself and your skill set.
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Education Connection Tip: Is A Criminal Justice Career For You?
Education Connection Tip: Prior to selecting your online criminal justice degree college, you should attempt to determine the specific areas in the field that interest you. Conduct interviews, online research, visit agencies, and apply for internships that will give you an idea of what's it like to work in your intended field of interest. Online sites also offer specific job descriptions, salary ranges, educational requirements and individual skills necessary for various areas of specialty.
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Criminal Justice Careers: Local Government
If you are seeking a criminal justice career with the local government, you will most likely require a minimum of an associates degree in the field (that is, if you haven't already obtained on-the-job training). Some of the local level criminal justice employment opportunities to consider include a local level corrections officer, a park police officer, a county police officer, a juvenile justice officer, or working for the sheriff's department. Take the following into consideration as you research career opportunities in law enforcement/criminal justice:
Visit local government facilities and interview people in the field. This will give you an accurate depiction of what it is like to work in these areas, to get a feel for these environments and to inquire what level of education is required for both entry level and promotional opportunities.
Research the jobs that interest you. Find job descriptions, average salary, and get contact information to conduct interviews with people in the field.
Go to the library and check out books related to this type of employment and see if the specific areas and duties assigned are of interest to you.
Sit in on a couple of classes (per professors approval) prior to starting your criminal justice degree) to get a "feel" for what to expect.
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Education Connection Tip: Other Criminal Justice Careers
Paralegal-Even though people used to become paralegals without a formal education in the field, increased competition has led to a necessity for higher education. It is highly recommended that you obtain a legal assistance degree from an online associates or bachelors program in criminal justice, or a university based department.
Private Security-Educational needs in the area of private security will vary dependent upon which level of security you are interested in and prior experience. Some people enter private security jobs with no education, while others attend legal studies programs (under the umbrella of criminal justice).
Crime Scene Investigation-This focus can vary in terms of educational and experiential expectations. It is necessary to be aware of state laws relative to forensics, as well as be physically comfortable maneuvering oneself in a variety of possibly hazardous settings (a lot of crimes occur in less than Utopian environments)!
Private Investigator-One can be a private investigator in a variety of job settings. For example, some private investigators work as independent practitioners, others work for investigative agencies and others get in to the field of corporate investigations.
Financial investigation is also an option (if you are interested in this area of expertise, you will also have to become a certified public accountant (CPA).
While this list does not include every possible career opportunity in the field of criminal justice, it does provide an overview of different types of careers to consider. If you are interested in any of these job options, it is suggested that you research your area of interest and try to visit the related agency or office nearest you so that you get a better understanding of what the actual career would be like.
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Criminal Justice Careers: State Level Government
If you are interesting in seeking a state-level position in the criminal justice field, you should consider obtaining at least a bachelors degree in the field. While you may be able to obtain employment with less education, your chances of career growth will be more limited in the long run. And even if you do work for an agency that is willing to pay for further education, having to go back to school and earn an additional degree later may take time away from enhancing your career.
State level careers in criminal justice can range from work as a forensic scientist to a probation/parole officer, to a mediator/dispute resolution counselor. It is important to identify your areas of interest prior to obtaining your degree. For example, if you are interested in forensic science, but you are interested in the more specific area of psychological profiling, you may have to get a joint degree (with a second focus in social science or psychology) to increase your job options upon graduation.
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Education Connection Tip: Criminal Justice Teaching Jobs
Education Connection Tip: With a degree in criminal justice your teaching options could range from the high school level to the doctorate level, depending upon your education and experiences. If you are interested in teaching at either a community college or a university, the minimum degree requirement will be an online criminal justice graduate degree. If you are interested in a tenure track position, however, you will not only need a PhD in the field, but also experience both working and conducting/publishing research in the field.
Criminal Justice teaching jobs will most likely be more specialized than just the title "criminal justice teacher." For example, if you obtain a law degree with relevant experience you could be considered for a criminal justice teaching job on a university level. If teaching is something that interests you, it is strongly recommended that you get internships, jobs and research opportunities as soon as you can. The more experience along with your degree the better!
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Further Investigation Regarding Your Career in Criminal Justice
Prior to obtaining your degree in criminal justice it's important to really understand the realm of possibilities available to you in criminal justice. Criminal justice is a very broad topic and even within each specified area of interest there are numerous career options.
Take forensic science, for example. Forensic Science is one area of specialty within the field/or degree area of criminal justice that offers numerous job possibilities including:
medical examiner
crime lab analyst
forensic psychologist/social worker
forensic engineer
crime scene examiner
Each of these sub-specialties within the criminal justice specialty of forensic science requires a different level of education and a different skill set. For example, you would have to obtain a masters or a PhD in Forensic Science to work as a medical examiner. Psychological profiling can also fall under this category, but will most likely require additional clinical knowledge, education and experience working with criminals in a clinical context.
For this reason, it's important to try and pre-determine your area of specialty, do research on the sub-specialties within that speciality, look at possible career options and then decide which program best suits your needs.
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Criminal Justice Salaries
As you may have already gathered, the field of criminal justice offers such a broad range of job opportunities that it is impossible to make a blanket statement about what an average salary for a criminal justice professional would be. Basic research suggests that salaries can range from the high $20,000 (for some local level jobs) to the $100,000 (for some federal government positions and/or specialties, such as medical examining).
For information on different salary ranges, research salaries online, at the library, and talk to professionals in the field. Make sure you note in your research whether you are inquiring about the starting level salary or the ceiling level salary for that area of expertise. An additional suggestion is to consider not only salary, but also potential benefits (like educational stipends, retirement, health insurance, career growth, etc.).
