Choosing a career in criminal justice can mean an exciting and fulfilling career, giving you the opportunity to hold a number of important jobs that contribute to a safer society. Before enrolling in a criminal justice degree program, it’s smart to fully understand what that decision could mean for your future.
Here are five keys you should know before committing to pursuing your criminal justice degree:
1. THERE ARE MANY JOBS AVAILABLE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE FIELD
Upon hearing you want to go into the criminal justice field, many people automatically assume that means you want to become a police officer. While you could choose to pursue a job working for the state or local police or in a private security role, earning a criminal justice degree can qualify you for many other job openings. Some of those jobs include working in the corrections system as a prison warden, corrections officer or parole officer. Other people with criminal justice training choose to work in investigative roles as crime scene investigators or lab analysts.
2. SALARY AND EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK ARE GENERALLY FAVORABLE
Working in the criminal justice field can mean a long and financially rewarding career. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for police officers and detectives in the U.S. in 2017 was $62,960 per year. The 10-year job outlook through 2026 is forecast to grow at a rate of 7 percent, which should provide a measure of comfort for anyone entering a criminal justice degree program.
3. UNDERSTAND HOW VARIOUS JUDICIAL SYSTEM ROLES WORK TOGETHER
In some fields, there is not very much interplay or coordination between different jobs. That is to say, each type of job in the field functions independently. That’s not the case in the criminal justice field. In fact, when you work in criminal justice, your role is just one part of the larger picture. You will need to have a broad understanding of the way the justice system works and how your chosen career fits into the system as a whole.
4. SKILLS NEEDED TO SUCCEED GO BEYOND KNOWLEDGE OF THE LAW
Learning about the justice system and the framework of laws in the U.S. can help you be more successful in a criminal justice career, but you’ll need to hone some additional skills.
Look for a college that offers traditional criminal justice degree programing and that also helps students refine their problem-solving, research, writing and college study skills. Your criminal justice degree program should also include an introduction to working with statistics and investigation procedures.
5. YOU NEED WORK EXPERIENCE TO CLIMB THE RANKS
You may have a career goal to run the police department in a major metropolitan area or to become a prison warden. Your criminal justice degree can help you get there, but don’t expect to be hired into a senior-level position immediately. Regardless of what type of job you pursue, plan on starting in an entry-level opening and working your way up the ranks as you gain more experience.
Those who work in the criminal justice field play key roles in their communities and our society as a whole. If you are considering pursuing your criminal justice degree, explore what Generations College’s associate degree program in criminal justice has to offer.
Simply contact us online or call (312) 922-1884 to learn more and to take the first step toward your future.