Launching Your Career: Entry-Level Criminal Justice Jobs
For students graduating with a degree in criminal justice, the job market offers a diverse range of opportunities. Landing that first job can be both exciting and daunting. This article explores various entry-level criminal justice jobs, provides tips for securing a position, and highlights the importance of education and experience in this field.
Best Entry-Level Criminal Justice Jobs
The field of criminal justice encompasses a multitude of roles. Here's a look at some of the most common and promising entry-level positions:
- Border Patrol Agent: Responsible for securing the nation's borders and preventing the illegal entry of people and goods.
- Customs Enforcement Officer: Enforces customs laws and regulations, inspecting goods and vehicles entering or leaving the country.
- Immigration Enforcement Officer: Enforces immigration laws, apprehending and processing individuals who have violated these laws.
- Transportation Security Specialist (TSA Officer): Ensures the safety and security of travelers and transportation systems.
- Capitol Police Officer: Protects the U.S. Capitol Building, its grounds, and the people who work and visit there.
- Correctional Officer (Prison Guard): Supervises and maintains order among inmates in correctional facilities.
- Paralegal: Assists lawyers with legal research, document preparation, and case management. Often considered the backbone of various organizations ranging from courthouse or corporate settings to busy law offices, paralegals perform a wide range of duties including research, document management and organization, witness preparation and even accompanying counsel during trials.
- Parole Officer: Supervises individuals who have been released from prison on parole, ensuring they comply with the terms of their release.
- Private Detective: Investigates crimes and gathers information for clients, often working on cases involving fraud, theft, or missing persons.
- Fish and Game Warden: Enforces wildlife laws and regulations, protecting natural resources and ensuring public safety in outdoor recreational areas.
- Crime Lab Analyst: Analyzes evidence collected from crime scenes, using scientific techniques to identify suspects and provide crucial information for investigations. As a crime lab analyst, you’ll help solve crimes by using toxicology, DNA and trace evidence, blood and hair samples, weapons involved in the crime, fingerprints and other evidence collected at the crime scene.
- DEA Agent: Investigates drug trafficking and enforces drug laws, working to disrupt the flow of illegal narcotics. Your primary mission as a DEA agent is to interrupt the flow of drug trafficking; duties often include surveillance, undercover work and potentially dangerous situations.
- Secret Service Agent: Protects the President, Vice President, and other high-ranking government officials, as well as investigating financial crimes.
- Child Protective Services: Investigates reports of child abuse and neglect, working to ensure the safety and well-being of children.
- Police Officer: Enforces laws, investigates crimes, and protects the public.
- Computer Forensics Investigator: Recovers and analyzes digital evidence from computers and other electronic devices, assisting in criminal investigations and civil litigation. Tracking or recovering electronic evidence that criminals may have tried to conceal or destroy will require advanced computer science forensic skills as well as a bachelor’s degree. Digital forensics technicians are needed by governments, accounting firms, law firms, banks, software development companies and more.
- Marshal: Provides security for federal courts, transports prisoners, and apprehends fugitives. Your duties as a federal marshal may include transporting prisoners, conducting fugitive manhunts, providing security to judges and jurors and participating in tactical operations, asset forfeiture and witness security.
- Arbitrator/Mediator: Helps parties resolve disputes outside of court, facilitating communication and negotiation to reach a mutually agreeable solution.
- Information Security Analyst: Protects computer systems and networks from cyber threats, implementing security measures and responding to security breaches. Upper-level information security officers protect an organization’s IT programs from internal and external threats, for example ensuring systems are secure from the threat of viruses, spyware, malware, bots, etc.
The Importance of Education and Experience
While some entry-level criminal justice jobs may not require a bachelor's degree, many of the most desirable positions do. A bachelor's degree in criminal justice provides a deep understanding of criminal justice theory and processes, as well as practical skills sought after by a range of employers. Furthermore, many agencies and organizations hiring for these jobs also put a premium on “criminal justice or law enforcement experience” - something that many top criminal justice bachelor’s degree programs offer in the form of real-world field placement opportunities as part of your education. Additional insight into how focused undergraduate education connects to career opportunities in criminal justice, law enforcement and related fields can be found by utilizing ordinary online investigative (aka, search engine) skills. In addition, you’ll also want to weigh the benefits of on-campus vs. online options for earning your criminal justice bachelor’s degree.
For example, defending the country from terrorism and enforcing federal laws will require you to have a four-year degree followed by rigorous training. Agents are responsible for investigating bank robberies, terrorism, cybercrime, public corruption, espionage, organized crime, drug trafficking and much more. Recent data from Glassdoor.com lists the median pay at $127,000. Professionals in this field need a bachelor’s degree plus specialized training in emergency management to aid in the response to and recovery from both natural and man-made disasters. A bachelor’s degree is not required for all police officer jobs, but many departments give preference to candidates with a degree or with criminal justice education and training.
Tips for Getting an Entry-Level Criminal Justice Job
Securing an entry-level job in criminal justice requires more than just a degree. Here are some tips to help you stand out from the competition:
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- Get Out Into Society: Networking and building connections within the criminal justice community can open doors to opportunities.
- Get an Education: A degree in criminal justice or a related field is often a prerequisite for many positions.
- Military Experience Helps: Military service can provide valuable skills and experience that are highly regarded in the criminal justice field.
- Prepare Physically and Mentally: Many criminal justice jobs require physical fitness and the ability to handle stressful situations.
Real-World Insights: Internships at the FBI
Internships can provide invaluable experience and insights into the realities of working in criminal justice. Several former FBI interns shared their experiences, highlighting the benefits and unexpected aspects of their time with the Bureau.
Grace discovered that her internship was far more engaging than she anticipated: "When I heard I got the job, my sister actually started making jokes that I was going to be the coffee girl. You know you’re going to get doughnuts and you’re going to get coffee. And I walked in going, OK, I’ll scan some papers and I’ll do some small tasks. That is the absolute opposite of what I’ve actually done. I’m getting to help on real cases, I’m doing real investigative work in conjunction with the special agents, the task force officers, the professional staff. And it’s been such an amazing opportunity to see the results of my efforts."
Joshua found that his internship directly applied to his studies: "So, I’ve been working white-collar for this internship and it really applies to what I’ve been doing at school studying business. I’ve been working with bank statements, working with forensic accountants, and doing a lot of things actually that apply to my major and I’ve really been able to use what I learned at school and apply it here." This experience even changed his career perspective, opening his mind to opportunities within the Bureau that aligned with his biology degree: "This experience has totally changed my perspective of what I saw my future as, I was dead set pre-med going into school and now that I’ve seen that there are other careers out there other than what I initially thought I wanted to do, especially those something that can fit with my biology degree within the Bureau, my mind is totally open to those other options so I can take the skills I’ve developed here, the methodical research skills and I can apply them to my education and then I can turn right back around and apply those educational skills that I’ve developed in school and put them towards working for the Bureau."
Laura, working with the Computer Analysis Response Team (CART), gained experience in digital forensics across various types of investigations: "I actually more specifically on the cyber squad usually work with our CART team, which is our Computer Analysis Response Team. And they’re our digital forensic examiners for the office. So anytime there is a computer or tablet or phone involved in an investigation, CART goes out on the search warrants and seizes it and then they are trained in processing the evidence so that the case agents can review it and we can maintain a good chain of custody on it. And something that I think is really interesting about them is they work on all different types of investigations. So, I’ve worked gang investigations, I’ve worked violent crimes against children, I’ve worked counter terrorism."
Ashley highlighted the strong sense of community within the FBI: "My dad’s actually an FBI agent and he’s been an FBI agent my whole life. So I thought that I knew what the Bureau was, and I had a pretty good idea more than most of the interns. But what I did not expect was just how much of a family it feels like. Everyone is super welcoming and it’s not like any other workplace I’ve ever been in where you come in for your shift and then when you’re done, you’re done. It’s like the relationships in the Bureau are truly something to be marveled."
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Myisha emphasized the valuable learning experience and demystification of the FBI: "The people here are amazing, you see them out in the field and you’re kind of like they are so strict and they are kind of intimidating, but once you get to know them they are actually really nice people. Because of the internship, I’ve learned so much. The FBI is kind of like this huge entity that is so mysterious, but no one really knows what goes on behind closed doors."
Laura found fulfillment in seeing cases through from beginning to end: "I think the most fulfilling experience I’ve had is watching cases go from the very beginning to the very end. I had a couple search warrants that I was able to go on my first summer here that this summer I’ve been able to go to the sentencings and see the cases all the way through."
Grace enthusiastically recommends the FBI internship: "The FBI has truly become my summer home and every single summer I love coming back here. You know I never come to work, like, oh man, I have to go to somewhere to work all summer. I get excited to come back and I miss the people here when I’m away. So, if someone is looking at the FBI internship and is unsure, I say go for it."
Laura encourages anyone interested to apply, regardless of their major: "I would tell anyone who is interested in applying to this internship to just go ahead and apply regardless of what you think you want to do. I think no matter what you think your future career goal is, the FBI has a place for you if you want one. And that’s definitely something I learned coming in as a STEM major, not related to criminal justice at all."
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