|
|
| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Law & Legal |
What types of jobs will I be able to get with a Bachelors in Criminal Justice? |
I'm currently in school working on a 4 yr. degree in Criminal Justice. I don't really want to be a police officer, I want to get into investigations. But I don't know if I have to be a police officer first, or work in the jail first or what. All I know is, my goal is to be an investigator. Does anyone know how to become an investigator? What all kinds of jobs can one get with a BA in Criminal Justice? You indicate that you wish to enter the field of investigations, however, you are not specific enough. What types of investigations do you wish to conduct. If you want to be an investigator with police powers, you must work for a law enforcement agency....however, the investigator title is usually reserved for those who have risen through the ranks. You could find a position with many different state agencies that employ investigators, however, you would likely start as an Investigator Trainee as, I don't believe, you have any experience. Examples would be with the state Workers' Compensation Board, State Board of Medical Licensing, State Dept. of Probation or Parole, and many others. The pay at first is absolutely horrible, however, after elevation to a bonafide investigator it does get better and then it really gets better when you make Senior Investigator or equivalent. If you wish to get some real experience that will be invaluable, you could sign on with a private firm. The only problem is that you have to go through the right of passage.....surveillance, and a lot of it. And I am not talking sitting in the front seat of your car with the windows down. I am talking about arriving at 5:00 AM and making it look like the vehicle you are in is vacant yet you are in the back with a video camera waiting for your subject to come out. Surveillance is neat the first 2 times you do it. Thereafter it is a pain in the neck, you sleep little, you sweat profusely in the summer and freeze in the winter. No bathroom breaks while in the back of the van, bring food, water (lots of it), NO SMOKING, no ipod....you just focus on the location(s) where the subject may exit from, ready to videotape him or her. Then, without this individual (generally referred to as the "subject", "claimant", "plaintiff") noticing you, you must discreetly follow him or her to their destination and, if possible film them there. You must note the route that the subject took from one location to another, note any stop-offs for coffee (and tape him/her exiting vehicle and boarding vehicle). Surveillance really sucks, however, few private firms will even consider you unless you are willing to start at the very bottom...and surveillance is it. A Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice is akin to a Bachelors Degree in Liberal Arts. You don't have any skills whatsoever relative to fieldwork. If you went further for a Master's in Criminal Justice you would see that the program evolves around research vis-a-vis fixing something that is broken within the system, ultimately to reduce crime or a particular type of crime. It is a completely different ball of wax than a Bachelor's in C.J.. I have a M.A. in Criminal Justice with a specialization in Criminal Law and Procedure from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in NYC. Research, Research, Research....that was the name of the game. What policies, if any, can be implimented to reduce crime?? Research methods that must be employed to make sure your results are generalizable to the entire "population" as a whole. Like I said, a totally different ball of wax. After grad school I worked for a PI firm for 7 years, eventually becoming the Investigator extrodinaire. I then had an opportunity to take a position with a large state agency that required at least a Bachelor's Degree AND four years investigative experience (in addition to scoring very, very, high on the civil service test). Until I was injured, this was the job that I was going to have for 25 years, retiring at 55. Investigatively, there is nothing I cannot do. The stories I could tell you.....you would crack up. Anyway, if you need more info please send me a message. You can be a bartender! I have a degree in Criminal Justice and around here (New England) it is very hard to find a job in that field. (I work for a bank, but not in an investigation capacity.) You could be a private investigator, but I think that field is hard to break into. You could work in corrections, get a masters in social work, be a security guard. To be a criminal investigator you will usually need to start out at the bottom of the ladder and work your way up; every police detective starts out as a patrol person. Also check out the website below for federal jobs, some of which only require a degree. http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/ L.A.P.D or any Police Dept,would welcome a B.A or B.S. go for it! |
| Tags |
| Corporations Other - Careers & Employment Technology Marketing & Sales Law & Legal Health Care Government & Non-Profit Food Service Financial Services Administrative and Office Support |
Finance Categories--Copyright/IP Policy--Contact Webmaster |