Having difficulty find entry-level job positions as a college graduate with a degree in Criminal Justice.

16 Comments

1. Sabrina CortesMay 5,2022 at 1:41AM UTC

   I'm a professional Resume Writer, and I'd list your degree at the top of your resume with relevant coursework. Then, list academic awards and create a career achievements section to highlight your measurable accomplishments. You might also want to focus on the new skills that you learned in school, as well as your transferable skills. Finally, finish your resume with your professional experience for the last ten years.

   So, your resume sections should look like this -

   Personal Contact Information

   Summary

   Skills

   Education

   Career Achievements (these should be measurable and show initiative).

   Professional Experience

   I hope this helps, and best of luck to you!

   If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.

2. AnonymousMay 5,2022 at 2:46AM UTC

   This sounds like a good idea! I had revised my resume several months ago, but I don't mind revising it again. The only thing I would have problems with is the professional experience. I don't have any except for education. Thank you for commenting!

3. Sabrina CortesMay 5,2022 at 11:36AM UTC

   I received a notification that there was a reply, but I'm not even seeing the reply that I left the other day here. Not sure what's happening. I tried refreshing my page - maybe I'll log off and back in again (even though I just logged in - lol) Hopefully it'll help.

4. MaryMay 5,2022 at 4:02PM UTC

   I'm not seeing my previous post either and that's weird! However, I did send you an email regarding the free resume review last night.

5. Sabrina CortesMay 5,2022 at 6:13PM UTC

   Yep, I emailed you back. :)

6. AnonymousMay 5,2022 at 1:41AM UTC

   One thing that is noticeable is you have not identified what your career goal is criminal justice covers many areas. So what is your specific interest? It is hard to identify a path to start without that being identified. So if unsure, start listing what peaked your interest during your education.

   Do you want to be an attorney? If so, start preparing for the LSATs. While you are waiting to get into lawschool, aim to work at a lawfirm that is aligned with the specific type of law you want to practice and start building the networks to get there.

   Compliance jobs are constantly in high demand and often times better pay than paralegals. So if you are looking to support yourself through lawschool, try looking for compliance jobs. Try compliance jobs at major insurance companies and at lawfirms that do not require an immediate law degree to be a compliance analyst.

   I would start there but do the self work to identify what do you want long term and reverse engineer to figure out the steps to get there.

7. AnonymousMay 5,2022 at 2:43AM UTC

   Since criminal justice covers so many areas, I always switch around what career I want to be in. Currently, I'm thinking of becoming a paralegal. In my state, I don't think it's required for me to have a paralegal certificate or an Associates in Paralegal Studies. Thank you for commenting!

8. AnonymousMay 5,2022 at 8:40PM UTC

   If you want something more financially stable with legal work, try compliance analyst. So many companies hire compliance analysts, insurance, law firms, corporate companies. Not all require law degrees.

9. AnonymousMay 5,2022 at 2:08AM UTC

   It's important to reflect transferrable services on your resume and do a lot of networking to build relationships with folks in the industry so it is easier when applying for jobs to be considered.

10. AnonymousMay 5,2022 at 2:46AM UTC

    Thank you!

11. AnonymousMay 5,2022 at 2:54AM UTC

    I was a CJ major and I ended up in social work. I ended up getting a Masters In social work. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with CJ and just landed in social work.

12. AnonymousMay 5,2022 at 3:42AM UTC

    I have employment history, but since getting my degree, I'm only wanting to work in the area of study that I got my degree in. However, it'll be more difficult since I don't have experience in the criminal justice field.

    I've never done any projects, internships, or volunteer work unfortunately.

    I will definitely email you for the resume review. Thank you!

13. AnonymousMay 5,2022 at 6:39PM UTC

    I don't believe you would go through school and think that you'd pop out with a degree and people would hire you just for that.
    So, what did you do while you were in college? Did you have a job related to your major or aspects of it? Those skills would be great things to highlight on your resume. I'm guessing you have more experience than you think.

14. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 12:48PM UTC

    Does the school you graduated from have alumni services? They can be great resources for job searches and networking. Also, look at your local county government. They usually have workforce offices that can help with everything from resume writing, interview practices and (most importantly) business contacts.

15. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 7:15PM UTC

    I’m starting a job as a entry level security officer. One of my interviewers was a criminal justice major. In orientation I had to read about pathways to upper management positions and it was really interesting. I can see how having this particular degree could propel you further in this field if it’s something you want....

    Years ago I was an English major and didn’t do much with that. I am in a personal training certificate program and figured working in security could compliment that.

    Just a thought to look into for leadership roles

16. LorraineMay 6,2022 at 8:13PM UTC

    My daughter finished college recently. She wanted to be a youth counselor and she had experience working summer jobs at church youth camps. She couldn't find a position in her field and therefore applied at a law firm to be a receptionist. She needed a job. She was great at research work and they noticed her strength and are now training her to be a paralegal. She is now applying to law school. All roads lead to exciting things. Apply at law firms. You will make connections that will be worthwhile. You may even find a mentor. Give it time. You will get there.