Build a Better Criminal Justice or Criminology Resume

Build a Better Criminal Justice or Criminology Resume Build a Better Criminal Justice or Criminology Resume Theres a pervasive myth out there suggesting that if you earn a college degree, youll be guaranteed a job in the field of your choice after graduation. Many times, experts are asked something along the lines of Ive got my bachelors in criminal justice; why cant I get hired? It might be because the criminal justice  résumé you provided just doesnt dazzle potential employers. Build a Better Résumé for Criminal Justice Careers The thing is, any good job is going to take some work on your part. A degree alone isnt going to cut the mustard. Youve got to build a résumé that demonstrates youre exactly the person that your prospective employer is looking for.  By build a résumé, it is not enough simply to learn  how to write a résumé - theres plenty of advice out there for that - but rather putting together the body of work that shows youve been preparing for a particular job. This means starting as early as possible to get the education and the experience youll need for the career you want. So how do you build a better criminal justice résumé? First off, decide what you want to do. The education and experience that you gain should be tied to your career goals. If you want to be a crime analyst, youll need to gear your education toward research, analytics, and statistics. Fine Tune Your Education for Jobs in Criminal Justice If you want to become a forensic firearms expert, you want to have an education that incorporates physics, chemistry, and biology, as well as knowledge of the criminal justice system. Youll also want to be able to demonstrate that you have some experience with firearms, perhaps through hunting and recreation or, better yet, police training. That said, police training has a value that cant be overstated. While there are plenty of great non-law enforcement criminal justice and criminology careers out there, a certificate from a police academy, along with some past work as a police officer, can go a long way toward demonstrating unique skills and experience you wont find anywhere else. Get Experience in Criminal Justice If youre constantly being told you lack experience, then somehow, some way, youre going to need to get that experience, right? You may need to consider going back to school to take some classes specific to the field youre trying to break into, or spend time volunteering in a laboratory environment - even if its not a forensics lab - to start learning the ropes. Once youve got the experience and education that employers in your field are looking for, then its time to put it together in a résumé. Here, too, its important to tune your criminal justice résumé to the job youre looking for. It should communicate to your potential employer - quickly, clearly and concisely - that you are exactly who theyre looking for. Patience is a Virtue When Looking for Criminal  Justice  Jobs Patience, too, is a virtue. Many criminal justice and criminology careers require background checks and involve lengthy hiring processes. It can take months or longer to get hired - or to even hear back from an employer. Just because you dont have an answer today doesnt mean all is lost.  Keep your chin up and keep applying for jobs, all the while working to bolster your experience through volunteering, internships and continuing education. Persistence and Learning Will Help Your Job Hunt Every job application is an opportunity to learn. If you get a rejection, take it as a way to learn more about what you can do to improve for the future. Theres nothing wrong with asking an employer to tell you how you can better your chances of getting hired. Its often easier said than done, but the fact is that persistence is crucial if you know the job you want and are determined to get it.