Criminal Justice Job OptionsCriminal Justice covers a number of different careers and career options. In general, criminal justice covers any job relating to any branch of crime, victim assistance, or the general safety of the public. Jobs in criminal justice range from police work to legal work to victim counseling. This is a very stressful, yet highly rewarding career option that leaves many chances to grow and develop new career skills. To get a job in criminal justice, it is best to attend an accredited college that offers a major in criminal justice. A few jobs do not require the college degree but on the job training will be rigorous and extremely demanding. Jobs that you will qualify for after completing this college program include:
Because there are so many jobs within the field of criminal justice, it is a good idea to have a career goal in mind. If you dream of becoming a federal judge, you need to go into law school and start out as a lawyer. If you want to be a homicide detective, often you will start out as a uniformed police officer and work your way up, receiving additional training along the way. Arson Investigators start out as firefighters, either salaried or volunteer. When classes are offered in fire investigation, sign up. These courses are the only way to work up the ladder to becoming an arson investigator. Talk to your captain or fire marshal about your interest in a career in arson investigation so that he or she can help point you in the right direction. Courses that you will need to take including vehicle fires, latent investigations, fire scene investigation, photograph, arson fatality investigations, and more. Government jobs require you to have completed a course in criminal justice. Jobs such as an ATF agent, IRS agent, CIA agent, FBI agent, INS agent, etc. require you to take a four year college program in which you learn all about law enforcement. After this, you must complete additional "boot camp" like training programs that highly tone your skills so that they fit with the different government program's needs. Crime Lab Technicians take special college classes that teach them how to use lab equipment and read the evidence. Since the advent of the CSI shows, these courses fill up quickly and there are not that many jobs available. Only the best receive jobs in a crime lab, so be prepared to have a back up career goal. Police officers, deputies, sheriffs, and the likes require you to attend a police academy. There are several regulations that you must meet if you are interested in this career branch. First, you cannot have a criminal background, so expect to pass a strict background check. You also must pass a thorough medical exam, fitness test, psychological exam, and a test proving you have basic reading, writing, math, and comprehension skills. Not everyone is accepted into police academies, so be prepared to attempt enrollment numerous times if you are not in prime shape. Legal assistants, judges, and lawyers have all completed law school. Law school is critical to anyone wishing to get into a career in law. Once you have completed this program, you can defend or prosecute criminals, handle legal contracts, and more. Those who wish to counsel victims of a crime need a degree in criminal justice with a strong leaning in psychology and social work. Careers in this line can range from counseling a grieving loved one following a brutal murder or handing the grief following a major catastrophe such as a bombing or building collapse. Some forms of counseling such as a rape counselor or 911 emergency phone operator do not require a college degree, but they do require months of training both in a classroom and on the job. Finally, a securities investigator has training in accounting and undercover investigations. A securities investigator works in corporations or businesses to track illegal money activities such as embezzling or stock fraud. Often a securities investigator has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and in accounting. It takes years to receive both of these degrees, so plan on many years of college if this is your career goal. Plan your college wisely. You should have a basic idea of the line of criminal justice that appeals to you from the start. Tailor your college courses to fit into these goals. Once you have landed a job, you can hone your skills by taking additional courses and attending career seminars. View a list of schools offering criminal justice programs in the US and Canada. |