Sources and Resources used to Search Careers in Criminal Justice Field

Sources and Resources used to Search Careers in Criminal Justice Field

Careers in the field of criminal justice are found at local, county, state and federal levels as well as in the private sector. There are different sources and resources suitable while searching career opportunities in criminal justice field. Some of the sources and resources include personal contacts, libraries and career centers, organizations, and the internet. ACS, (n.d.) explains that personal contact is one of the best sources of gathering information about a career. However, the significant purpose of this source is the attainment of information. Although this source is important in career choice, I would vote it the least suitable as it only provides professional networks and not job opportunities. 

The other source is libraries and career centers. Local and school libraries provide valuable information on criminal justice field. Many books, DVDs, CDs, Websites, magazines, brochures, books and other sources are available on training, job searching, occupations and careers. According to Littrell, Lorenz, and Clasen (2000), the US Department of Labor contains some career guides that assist a person to learn about career and occupation opportunities. Some of the guides include Career Guide to Industries (www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgjobout.htm) and Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/oco).

The digital era has made the internet to be the most used career source for both employers and the employees. According to Net Industries (2017), the internet provides a variety of criminal justice websites. In criminal justice, various government sites provide career information. As explained by Littrell, Lorenz, and Clasen (2000), they include Occupational Information Network (ONET), the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration and Career Voyages. Other useful websites include American’s Job Bank, American Criminal Justice Association – Lambda Alpha Epsilon, American Police Beat Online – Job Opportunities, CopCareer, Citizens Crime Commission of New York City, Making the Difference – Law Enforcement and others. One advantage of using the internet over the other sources is that the employee can post his/her resume on the website for potential employers.

References

ACS. Connect with Professionals : Informational Interviews. Advising & Career Services (ACS). Retrieved from https://www.pdx.edu/careers/sites/www.pdx.edu.careers/files/Informational%20Interviews%20student%20handout_0.pdf

Littrell, J., Lorenz, ‎., & Clasen, A. (2000). Chapter 14: Researching Careers (pp. 288-293). Retrieved from http://www.maconk12.org/view/6336.pdf

Net Industries. (2017). Getting a Job-Sources of Career Opportunities. Retrieved from http://jobs.stateuniversity.com/pages/56/Getting-Job-SOURCES-CAREER-INFORMATION.html