You
have likely stumbled on this article because you are wondering if a career in
law and justice is right for you. With so many different career paths to choose
from, how can you possibly be sure that you are making the right choice?
Sometimes, you have to trust your gut, but if this isn’t enough, consider the
factors mentioned below.
It’s
important to distinguish between fiction and non-fiction, and this couldn’t be
truer for a career in law and justice.
The
crime television series that you watch on Netflix might have sparked an
interest in this field, but the real life work of a lawyer, police officer, or
another professional working in this sector is nothing like what is portrayed
on TV. Even the media sensationalizes crime, and this is something that you
must learn how to analyze if you want to pursue this career path further.
Naturally,
there are countless other considerations to keep in mind, so continue
reading.
You watch a lot of crime television
shows
Do
you spend a lot of your time watching crime television shows? Whether it’s
Criminal Minds, Law & Order, True Detective, Sherlock, Breaking Bad or
another show, you are interested in the notion of criminality, law, and
justice.
However, you must always keep in mind that Hollywood
produces these shows for entertainment, and they are not
an accurate depiction of how real life cops operate, for instance.
Crime is never solved within an hour, and
investigations take a lot of time. Although it’s not as high paced as the
television shows portray, working in law and justice still has its rewarding
moments, particularly if the field interests you.
You use a lot of legal jargon in
everyday life
How
much legal jargon do you use throughout your everyday life? Even if you only do
it with your friends and family members, this could already be a sign that you
want to explore the topic of legality even further.
There
are hundreds of legal terms that you will need to
learn if you want to pursue a career in law and justice seriously. This
particularly applies to lawyers and judges that spend a vast majority of their
time in court.
Media versus reality
Crime
is also portrayed very differently in the
media to what the real-life facts are. If you are interested in law and
justice, this is something that you must be aware of.
For
instance, violent crime is not on the rise, unlike what many people believe to
be true. It has fallen in the past quarter of a century, and it has been on a
steady decline since the 1990s. However, the public’s perception is completely
different.
When
you start to hear crime stories in the news, people often believe that those
stand-alone scenarios are widespread. The data, however, says something
completely different.
It
is your job to be aware of what the public thinks about justice, how it is
executed, and what the reality of the situation is. Doing so will make you more
knowledgeable in your field, and it will accurately prepare you for a role in
law and justice.
Your skill sets and personal
interests
What
are your skill sets and personal interests, and how do they align with a career
path in criminal justice?
Criminal
justice requires an understanding of the law, but you will also need several
soft skills, whether you are a police officer, detective, paralegal, working in
forensics, or if you are employed in another similar role.
By
working in law enforcement, you must help uphold certain ethics in society, and
a few skill sets that you will need to build include:
1. You are analytical
You must analyze the world around you, and that consists of
the cases that you will be tasked with at work.
Depending on what your role is, you should be familiar with
the law, but you must learn how to apply it correctly. Alternatively, if you
choose to work in public policy, your analytical skills will also come in very
handy.
If you are a person that thinks critically and enjoys
problem-solving, then a career in law and justice will be much easier for you.
2. Want to help others
No matter what type of job you are looking for in this
particular field, you will be working with other people. In particular, do you enjoy
and want to help others? If you are looking for a more solitary line of work,
then law and justice are not necessarily for you.
3. Communication skills
Expanding on the previous skill set, you will also need to
work on your communication skills, considering that you will be required to
talk to people regularly.
The good news is that this is a skill you can learn and
advance even before you are hired in your job of choice.
While you are attending school, for instance, or
volunteering, and even during your part-time work while at college, you will be
interacting with people, and you will have the possibility to hone this
skill.
4. Research
Research will be particularly useful depending on
what role you want to obtain in law and justice.
While a police officer will not require such
rigorous research skills, a criminal justice expert and lawyer will have to be
highly proficient at this.
Your research skills must include being able to
assess data, create charts, and other graphs that you can share with your team.
5. You enjoy challenging yourself
Would you want to work at a job where you have the
possibility to challenge yourself and learn new things daily? Law and justice
is such an industry.
6. Never a dull day
If a career in justice sounds appealing to you, then
you can guarantee that it will never be a dull day at work.
Of course, keep in mind that crime is never solved
as quickly as it is in television shows, but that doesn’t mean that your daily
tasks will not require you to think critically and problem solve. In fact, you
will need every other skillset that has been mentioned so far.
Take a look at the job market
Take
a look at the job market in the city where you live. What types of openings are
available? Different jobs in law and justice all have different prerequisites,
but you must always also look to be hired where there are opportunities present.
Alternatively, if you are willing to relocate, you could instead live in
another city where there are more job openings in the field that you are
interested in.
The
different types of jobs that you could consider includes:
- Policymakers
- Criminologist
- Police officer
- Lawyer
- College professor
- Dispatchers
- Correctional officer
- Paralegal
- Forensics
There are other roles within this field, but it’s crucial that you always keep in mind the following two factors when looking to get hired:
1. Job stability
What is your job stability like if you are hired as a
police officer versus a paralegal? It’s important that you always pursue the
role that you are more interested in, but your likelihood to get hired, as well
as the type of salary that you will obtain, are incredibly important to
consider for your quality of life.
Therefore, remember to do some prior research within the
city that you live, in order to find out what opportunities exist in the first
place.
2. Good health and retirement benefits
Some people may even choose to pursue law
enforcement due to the career benefits that it offers.
For starters, law enforcement personnel,
particularly those that work at the federal level in society, receive good
pension and retirement packages.
Everyone gets older with time whether you want to or
not, and thinking about your future is thus a necessity. Why wouldn’t you want
to be employed in a job where you know that you will be financially secure even
when you are over 60?
Getting educated in the field of
your choosing
Once
you have settled on what job you want to pursue further in law and justice, you
will need to get the necessary education. You need to grow your expertise in
your field, and be able to perform your job very well.
If
you don’t, you will not get hired in the first place. Therefore, you should
start by considering what your options are for your:
1. Undergraduate degree
Your undergraduate degree is always your first priority
towards pursuing your career. Once you graduate high school, you can start
applying to different colleges; you just need to make sure that they offer a
program that you are interested in.
Moreover, do you want to attend a college locally or in
another city or country? You should always look at what your options are for
finding the best academic institution for a particular subject.
On the topic of law and justice, you could take a look at criminology programs in
Canada you could enroll into, for instance. Studying criminology will prepare
you for a degree in law enforcement, public safety, or, of course, simply
obtaining a job as a criminologist.
One other factor to consider could be finding an academic
institution where you are able to get your degree online, such that you can
complete your coursework in a way that personally benefits you.
2. Standardized tests
Depending on the job, once again, you will be
required to study for and complete specific standardized tests before you can
continue with your education.
One such example could be studying for and passing the LSAT, otherwise known as the
Law School Admission Test.
Alternatively, if you want to pursue your master’s
or even a Ph.D., you might still require a standardized test depending on where
you want to pursue it and what the requirements are for that academic
institution.
3. Training
The last component to consider when it comes to
education is getting the necessary training.
If you want to become a police officer, for instance, you will
need to attend the police academy, which will also require you to undergo a
certain amount of physical training.
There are still other career paths that may require
training in the form of internships and practicums, which you can complete
while you are attending College.
Don’t get a criminal record
Working
in law and justice, you have to be a legally abiding citizen, and that is why
it’s crucial that you don’t get a criminal record!
Even
if you were not working in this field, there are many companies that conduct employee background checks, and it’s vital that
you come out with a clean record. If you don’t, this will also impact the
likelihood that you will get hired.
Getting hired
When
it comes to getting hired, it’s always worthwhile to attend industry relevant
events and to learn how to network. The chances are that your academic
institution will offer you the possibility to participate in these types of
events in the first place.
Moreover,
even if you don’t get hired at your dream job right off the bat, remember that
you can build up your experience with time.
Progressing in your career
Simply
because you start working shouldn’t mean that your career progression has come
to a halt.
Instead,
you might even realize along the way that you want to become a judge after
you’ve worked as a lawyer, or you may wish to progress from a police officer to
a private investigator. The point is that you should continue soaking up as
much new information as possible while you work, and keep your eyes and ears
open for new opportunities, as they arise.
Above
all, remember that there’s nothing more important than considering whether or
not this particular career path aligns with your personality. Does the thought
of waking up in the morning to work as a lawyer, police officer, detective, or
another role excite you?
You
are always far more likely to excel in anything that you do if it personally
interests you. After reading this article, you should be one step closer to
realizing whether or not a career in law and justice is right for you and your
lifestyle.
