“People Skills” Are an Asset to Careers in Criminal Justice
While modern-day careers in criminal justice require a higher level of training and education than in years past, such “people skills” as organization and communication - which can be acquired through Phi Theta Kappa participation - are assets also.
Christine Monnier, professor of sociology and coordinator for criminal justice and sociology at College of DuPage in Illinois, said that employment opportunities in criminal justice fields have significantly expanded in the last 25 years. Greater opportunities and increased responsibilities have resulted in the need for more formal training, she explained.
“People entering the criminal justice field today are expected to have a college degree,” she said. “The jobs have become more professional.”
New opportunities in criminal justice include such areas as victims’ advocates and cyber crime, Monnier said. The field is not only expanding in the number of possible careers, but has also become more diverse, she explained. “There are many more job opportunities in criminal justice positions now for women and for minorities.”
Careers in criminal justice are not only found in larger cities, Monnier said. “In rural areas, possible jobs for criminal justice majors would be in the forestry industry, as national park rangers and sheriff’s deputies.”
In general, criminal justice jobs within the public sector are the most sought-after, as they customarily have higher pay scales and better benefits. Persons interested in these positions are advised to complete bachelors’ degrees. “Private sector jobs such as security guards do not necessarily require a degree,” Monnier said. “But the best jobs will always be in some type of local, state or federal government, such as in the huge Homeland Security Agency.”
College of DuPage’s Criminal Justice Program offers a certificate, an occupational degree and a transfer degree.
Someone interested in criminal justice should have organizational and communication skills in addition to formal education, said Monnier, a native of France who has taught at College of DuPage for eight years. “You need to be able to deal with people and with diverse populations. A second language is always helpful - but you need good English skills, and some knowledge of technical writing.”
Descriptions of criminal justice careers are available on the Criminal Justice USA website. CareerOverview’s Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement website contains career description and some salary information based on Bureau of Labor statistics for 2002.
December 6th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
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