Criminal Justice Career - Term Paper Example

Criminal Justice Career If you’re up to some kind of real-life action as your vocation, then a criminal justice career is what you should have. Working in the criminal justice path is like being part of a crime investigation series on TV, although this time, the risks are real, and, of course, the perils of the trade are, obviously, a notch higher. While the media images portrayed on TV and in the movies are usually good-looking men or gorgeous women in trench coats, with stern looks and a long queue of questions on hand, this glamorized representation is far from the actual reality faced by real criminal justice career practitioners from day to day. Apart from the requisite attention to details, a patient and meticulous interest and consideration of facts and evidences is also mandatory for this type of career. Objectivity, analysis, critical thinking and quick decision-making are also basic in this kind of job. To pursue a Criminal Justice Career, one should have a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, Criminology, Sociology, Psychology, Law Enforcement, Human Services, Political Science or a background in the Judicial Process. A background in other fields like Social Work, Liberal Arts and Sciences is also possible, especially to those aiming for employment in specialized investigatory sectors. There are numerous ways of getting into a Criminal Justice Career and the opportunities of landing a job are also as abundant. One need not look that far to be able to embark into an exciting criminal justice career. Depending on the type of job you are eyeing, sufficient and appropriate training is readily available for the job applicant. Online courses are now available for almost all courses, and the trainings for specific job requirements can now be easily accessed by anyone. Some of the skills that a student who has completed his Criminal Justice course is expected to know are the following: a broad understanding of criminal law and the US Criminal Justice system, critical thinking skills, interviewing skills, a high level of ethical and moral values, and decision-making skills ("What Skills Will I Learn as a Criminal Justice Major?" ELearners.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010). A background in management and supervision as well as a broad knowledge on the nature of crimes and the legal structure will also be useful for someone who decides to pursue this profession. A functional skill which would definitely be an asset to a student of criminal justice is having training in martial arts, weapons and foreign languages. Knowledge of martial arts and weapons training will unquestionably equip the student with the confidence to face his potential attackers and will help him make intelligent decisions on how to handle any situation. With the steadily increasing number of criminals and their devious schemes included, skills such as these will give the individual the upper hand in whatever may be the circumstances he encounters. Likewise, expertise in foreign languages is obviously a plus point which will enable the student to be able to deal with different nationalities on a macro-level. No specific talent or experience is required to pursue a criminal justice career. An inherent curiosity pertaining to crime, being adventurous and ready for challenge are some of the positive traits which will come in handy. Investigators are also very inquisitive, very nosy sometimes to the extent of being intrusive and offensive, but since this is the nature of the job, this is the way it has to be done. The most common career pursued by a graduate of BS Criminal Justice is that of being a law enforcer or a policeman. Other conventional jobs that can be engaged in are being a detective, investigator, crime analyst, CIA/FBI agent, SWAT team member, Prisons Guard and Security Officer. More often than not, these careers are practiced by members of the male generation, although there are a handful of women who are able to stick it out and make a good career out of this. Other related careers which can also be taken up are the following: clerk of court, crime scene investigator, customs agent, criminologist, intelligence officer, personnel in the court prosecutor’s office, probation officer, fraud investigator, and the like. The list can be endless since advancement in technology can lead to the changing of job descriptions and the associated skills and training each individual has. The good thing about this is that Criminal Justice graduates do not have to worry because the possibility of unemployment in this kind of career is close to nil. Furthermore, anyone seeking a productive career in this field of endeavor should constantly seek ways to improve on the skills he has at the moment since competition can be quite tough. In the Private Sector, detectives’ rates stay more or less near $20K annually; paralegal, $22 to $47.5K; banking and financial security, $35 to $65K; criminal lawyer, $40 to $80K ("Starting Salaries in Criminal Justice: How Much Can you Make?" CriminalJusticeMajors.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010.) Careers in the law enforcement sector show similarly competitive salary rates. In 2008, Police Officers rates were around $51 to $79K; special agents from $48 to over $60K; criminologists from $42 to $54K; forensic science technician from $52 to $80K; and FBI supervisory from $89 to $104K ("Criminal Justice Salaries" AllCriminalJusticeSchools.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010). Taking these rates into consideration, it is certainly no wonder that the Criminal Justice course is gaining more patronage, especially since the unemployment rate continues to go up and the courses which have been obtaining headway before are now candidates for extinction and are no longer as employable. So what are the possible benefits of engaging in this type of employment? First of all, since Criminal Justice is a very diverse field ("Benefits of a Criminal Justice Career" Ezine@rticles.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010), as mentioned earlier, looking for a career in this area is not really that difficult. It is as varied as one can think of, which is clearly evident in the wide-ranging types of jobs aforementioned. Due to the broad scope of coverage of studies to which Criminal Justice is related – like Science, Social Sciences, Communication and Law – a Criminal Justice career can be very challenging. Somehow, this stimulates the learner to aspire for more and to strive to perform better, which redounds to more knowledge, more skills and more opportunities for advancement. Another benefit worth mentioning is that this career has the ability to change one’s standard of living ("Benefits of a Criminal Justice Career" Ezine@rticles.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010). Job opportunities for career graduates in this field are usually offered at much higher rates compared to their contemporaries who graduated from other fields. Perhaps this may be due to the sensitivity of the information usually handled in these job descriptions, and as such may be considered as more high-risk. Furthermore, despite the innate challenge in these types of jobs, the dangers and risks involved can discourage possible applicants from pushing forward. Lastly, the graduate of a Criminal Justice Career will usually end up running their own business ("Benefits of a Criminal Justice Career" Ezine@rticles.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010). This is quite interesting since aside from having a higher pay rate compared to others, there’s even the possibility that one can establish his own business through this career. The usual businesses established are private detective agencies or security agencies. Furthermore, this degree is even used by some as a stepping stone for more advanced studies leading to a career in law, forensics and other fields. In retrospect, and looking at all these career possibilities, indeed, a career in Criminal Justice will essentially pave the way for a more secure future of anyone who makes an attempt and dives into this field. Despite the seeming constant stream of activity in a Criminal Justice career, it is said that it can easily be depressing and sad because seeing so much violence each day is bound to have an effect on someone’s mental state ("Investigation and Careers: Criminal Justice Job" Factexpert.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010). This may account for the lesser number of the female race who engage in this career for a living. After all, there is nothing as depressing as seeing blood or bruised and mangled bodies as part of one’s everyday existence. A typical day in the life of a Criminal Justice student would be an extremely challenging and exciting one. It would be very busy because there’s a lot of work to be done and a broad scope of topics to cover and learn. At times, it may even be stressful because of the demanding academic requirements that have to be turned in. For a typical day of the career person in the Criminal Justice field, let us take the job of an FBI agent as an example. An FBI does a variety of things – sometimes he may do passive types of jobs like background and research, agent visits, doing paperwork, following-up on leads, or attend meetings. On other days it may be action-filled like he may have the chance to make arrests, interview criminals/witnesses or tear apart a criminal’s home to look for evidence. Apart from these activities, FBI agents are required to stay fit and improve/maintain their firing skills. In the final analysis, there really is no typical day in an FBI agent’s line of work. ("A Day in the Life of a NBI Agent" Criminal-Justice-Careers.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010). FBI agents’ work is similar to doctors who are on call. They work on an “as needed” basis. There is no definite number of hours since they do not follow the 9 to 5 routine. The pay is definitely good but the risk-factors are higher. The aptitude necessary to pursue a Criminal Justice Career is – essentially – a genuine interest in the field of crime prevention. The prospective candidate should be willing to perform work which may be potentially dangerous or fatal. He should also be alert, knowledgeable of the news, a go-getter, and is open to criticism. A calm attitude amidst pressure, maturity, a legitimate concern for people, good health and superior inter-personal skills will also contribute a lot to the positive attributes which the individual should have. In conclusion, pursuing a career in Criminal Justice can be very rewarding. It is very challenging and diverse, and it can even stimulate learning to a great extent. A career in Criminal Justice can prove to be financially gratifying due to the higher rate of compensation that is offered to those who complete the course. There is a great advantage in graduating from a Criminal Justice career due to the various opportunities for employment available. And as varied as the employment opportunities are, the possible options for changing career direction are just as varied. The candidate may opt to go to the field of Law, like the Prosecution Courts, or the field of Sciences, like Psychology. Or he may go to the field of Forensics, or the FBI, or the CIA. With the steadily increasing crime rates all around us, the need for more candidates to a Criminal Justice career is absolutely indispensable. A lot of schools have responded to this need by coming up with more courses of this kind, and launching online Criminal Justice courses over the internet. The question is, will this generation heed the call? This we still have to find out. . Works Cited  "What Skills Will I Learn as a Criminal Justice Major?" ELearners.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. < http://www.elearners.com/guide/criminal-justice-skills.asp> "Starting Salaries in Criminal Justice: How Much Can you Make?" CriminalJusticeMajors.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. < http://www.criminaljusticemajors.com/starting-salaries-for-criminal-justice-grads> "Criminal Justice Salaries" AllCriminalJusticeSchools.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. < http://www.allcriminaljusticeschools.com/criminal-justice-resources/criminaljustice-salaries > "Benefits of a Criminal Justice Career" Ezine@rticles.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. < http://ezinearticles.com/?Benefits-of-a-Criminal-Justice-Degree&id=3786765 > "Investigation and Careers: Criminal Justice Job" Factexpert.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. < http://criminaljustice.factexpert.com/584-criminal-investigation-job.php> "A Day in the Life of a NBI Agent" Criminal-Justice-Careers.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. Read More