Criminal Justice Related Occupations | More Information on Occupations | Things to do NOW to Maximize Career Opportunities | How to Focus Your Career Choice | Communicating Your Value to Potential Employers | Criminal Justice Career Websites

These are some of the job titles related to these particular emphases: there are more.

To begin to focus your career choice, within your emphasis area(s)

1. Mark those jobs that interest you with a "+" sign,
2. Mark those that you don't know much about with a "?" and
3. Draw a line through those jobs that you are familiar with and know you have no interest in.
4. Now find out more about the jobs with a "?" beside them. If you want some suggestions for doing research, contact Career Services.
5. Then narrow the list of "+" and "?" jobs down to four or five and begin to consider how you can develop the skills to enter those occupations.

Things Students Can (and should) Do NOW to Get a Job in the Field of Criminal Justice LATER:

• Get involved with campus activities to find out what kind of things you like to do. Examples
  • work alone- with a group-or a combination; lead- or follow;
  • plan activities for people-or be more spontaneous;
  • help people solve problems by intervening in advance/educating- or help people solve problems by remediation with group or individual therapy or programming;
  • research and analyze information and develop solution ideas- or apply solutions to concrete situations.
• Think about which broad area within the field of Criminal Justice you want to enter (law enforcement, legal services, criminal investigation, administration, research, etc.) and research the career path* for each occupation of interest.
• Work as a paraprofessional in campus offices such as admissions, orientation, housing (resident assistant).
• Plan to do at least one internship as a way to get focused experience in your field. Two internships are preferable.
• Volunteer your services to a non-profit organization in whose cause you believe. You will get experience, and networking contacts, and the pleasure of accomplishing something important

* career path = what jobs are the entry level point for the occupation, i.e., how do I get my foot in the door?, how do people commonly advance in that occupation?

To locate further information about any of the following occupations

• Duties
• Education and Training Needed
• How Hard or Easy it Will Be To Find a Job
• Compensation

go to the Occupational Outlook Handbook online: http://www.bls.gov/oco/

You may access the site anywhere you can access the web. There are 2 computers you can use in Career Services for any career-related task, including occupational research. Search by looking for the job title in the alphabetical index, or typing in the occupational name in the search box, or looking in the field/industry list on the right side of the screen.

Skills and Abilities of Criminal Justice Students:

As a student of Criminal Justice, you have developed general and technical skills which are applicable to a wide variety of occupational paths. The skills listed here can be used in a variety of careers. These are also the skills to emphasize in your resume and interviews.

General Skills

• Knowledge of legal structure
• Understanding the nature of crimes
• Understanding societies’ reaction to crimes
• Broad understanding of criminal law and the criminal justice system
• Consideration of gender and race
• Written and Presentation skills
• Quantitative skills
• Ethics and moral values
• Strong background in humanities, social science, & natural science
• Computer literacy
• Ability to identify and analyze social problems and develop solutions

Problem Solving Skills

• Ability to maintain composure in stressful situations
• Decision-making
• Patience
• Ability to analyze interviews and interrogations
• Critical thinking

Research Skills

• Demonstrates common sense, determination, and observation skills
• Research strategies
• Collects, investigates, and comprehends pertinent material
• Skills in research and scientific methodology

Communication Skills

• Ability to interact with people of different backgrounds in various situations
• Interviewing and Interrogation skills
• Understanding theories and practices of Criminal Justice administration
• Supervision and management skills

Criminal Justice Major Websites:

There are too many sources of information on the web to name them all. Here are just a few.

Careerlink http://www.careerlink.org Omaha area job listing site. Search by category, or employer.

USA Jobs http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov Search for jobs in the federal government

Saludos.com – Law Enforcement occupation information: http://www.saludos.com/cguide/lguide.html#top

National Archive of Criminal Justice Data http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACJD/links.html an extensive collections of links to national and international Criminal Justice websites

US Department of Justice http://www.usdoj.gov

FBI Employment site: http://www.fbijobs.com information about employment opportunities with the FBI, also offers the opportunity to begin the application process

Central Intelligence Agency http://www.cia.gov

United States Secret Service http://www.treas.gov/usss/index.shtml

IRS Criminal Investigative Services http://www.treas.gov/irs/ci/recruit

US Park Police http://www.nps.gov/uspp/findex.htm click on the list to the left for the type of information you want

Police Employment.com http://www.policeemployment.com federal, state, and local law enforcement jobs

Lawenforcementjob.com http://www.lawenforcementjob.com law enforcement job listings

Criminaljusticejobs.com http://www.criminaljusticejobs.com a collection of a variety of criminal justice websites, some free, some involving a fee for some of their services

Compiled by:
Ann L. Nelson, M.S.
Director of Career Services
anelson@dana.edu
For more information or personal help, visit the Career Services Office:
Monday-Friday:
8 a.m.-noon, 1-5 p.m.
Other hours available by appointment
E.C. Hunt Campus Center
(Located next to the Bookstore)
Phone: (402) 426-7258
Fax: (402) 426-7922
Campus Box 1225
Email: career@dana.edu
or telephone for an appointment