Good reasons to pursue a career in criminal justice

Starting or changing a career is an exciting time, with endless possibilities for the direction of your professional life. If you are considering a career in criminal justice, there are many reasons why this versatile and challenging field is a good option.

A variety of opportunities

Many people consider a career in criminal justice in order to work in law enforcement or as a federal agent, and while there are indeed opportunities for this, there are also many more possibilities. In Maryland alone, a criminal justice degree can open up employment in social work, research, security and forensics. Other opportunities might arise in the court and prison systems in roles such as recording proceedings or working with offenders. Cybercrime is a fast-growing sector and this also requires criminal justice graduates.

Job Stability

While it is unfortunate that crime never goes away, this does at least mean that a career in criminal justice offers long-term job stability. With many criminal justice jobs in the public sector, these roles are also less likely to be effected by the fluctuations of the economy. Many positions in the criminal justice sector offer excellent benefits in terms of health insurance, sick leave and vacations, as well as the possibility of early retirement on a generous package after 20 years.

Giving back to the community

People in Maryland, like other communities across the country, are helped every day by those working in criminal justice. Working in law enforcement helps make the community safer, while when crimes are committed, those in criminal justice help catch the perpetrators and bring them to trial. Throughout the trial and punishment system, it is often people who work in criminal justice, from the paralegals to those working with offenders, who help ensure fairness and reduce the reoffending rate. Elsewhere in the community, those who work with victims or in social work help some of the most vulnerable in society. This opportunity to help others draws many into criminal justice careers.

Challenging work

For many careers in criminal justice, you will need to respond quickly to changing situations. Often, these positons are intellectually stimulating, with the need for good problem-solving skills. If you like the sound of work where no two days are the same, this is a good reason to pursue a criminal justice career.

Getting started

If criminal justice piques your interest, you will first need to see if you have the right educational qualifications to get started. If not, Maryland has several schools with good programs where you can earn your criminal justice degree.

The disadvantage of this is that it may mean giving up existing work commitments to study. An alternative is to get a criminal justice degree online. Central Christian College of Kansas is one place where you can work towards your degree one course at a time, studying at a time and pace that is convenient to you. This flexibility makes it possible to gain the qualifications you need while continuing to meet existing commitments.

Whatever route you take to start out in criminal justice, you can be certain that you are pursuing a worthwhile and exciting career full of opportunities.

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