Criminal Justice Jobs: Career in Administrat
As with many criminal jobs, the potential options for a criminal justice administration career offer a great deal of variety and are very similar. Criminal justice has become a popular profession in which to work, partly due to the various television shows that showcase and dramatize the daily work of criminal justice professionals. Many other people are interested in criminal justice because they want to make a difference in the world, help solve crimes and prevent future tragedies. There are varying levels of criminal justice careers, with the lowest levels often getting paid an hourly salary around the $8-$10 range and the highest paid levels receiving quite competitive yearly salaries.
Facts about Criminal Justice Administration Career
The meaning of the word “administration” in a criminal justice administration career is slightly different from the way the word is usually understood. Administrative professionals in the criminal justice field do not merely sit behind some desk in an office somewhere, far removed from the action. Criminal justice administrative professionals continue to be involved in the daily investigative activities but carry more responsibility. Potential positions in a criminal justice administration career include security, military, corrections, parole, and police officers; detectives; highway patrolmen; social workers; police captains; and special agents. These positions are in military services, parole and probation offices, government agencies, and correctional institutions.
As with any specialized career, there are particular skills that are necessary for success. A criminal justice administration career requires a familiarity with the laws and the ability to study and interpret them because an accurate understanding of the law is clearly critical to the job. People choosing this career should have facility gathering data and conducting careful, detailed investigations. Little details can make a tremendous difference in this line of work, so a criminal justice professional needs to be focused and careful. Because much data is stored in computers that are also used to conduct analyses, computer skills are essential, as well as is the ability to make informed decisions based on collected data. As in many jobs, communication skills—a high verbal ability—are also crucial to successful performance.
Many criminal justice administration careers do not actually start in the administration level. Although education is the first step to obtaining this kind of job, experience gained through internships, volunteer work, and early job positions are the key to working up the criminal justice ladder and obtaining an administrative position. The responsibilities at this level of work can be quite challenging and demanding, but the benefits of the job are equally rewarding.