Employment Options

[outdoorsman110]

Alright guys, I'm at the age where I should be sending out applications. I already know what I'm doing as a career, Law Enforcement. But right now I just need to get a steady income. I'm looking at Dick's Sporting Goods and Gander Mountain, nobody at dick's knows anything about bass fishing and I'd love to help customers with their selections. Gander Mountain has better pay, but also has wannabe bass fishermen that think they know it all. Any advice?

[Zoff]

For LEO... get your degree. 4 year if possible. 2 year definitely. If you get the 2 year, go to a Department that has career development programs so they will pay for your college. If you can get your 4 year... you can go to bigger/better agencies if you wish. I got my degree in criminal justice/psychology then choose to return to the town I grew up in for my LEO career.

[outdoorsman110]

For LEO... get your degree. 4 year if possible. 2 year definitely. If you get the 2 year, go to a Department that has career development programs so they will pay for your college. If you can get your 4 year... you can go to bigger/better agencies if you wish. I got my degree in criminal justice/psychology then choose to return to the town I grew up in for my LEO career.

I'm looking at VSP, and possibly transferring to FBI. I'm probably gonna go get my bachelors in Criminology and Psychology and continue on once I'm with the VSP.

[Zoff]

Sounds like you have the plan mapped out. Good on ya!

[outdoorsman110]

Sounds like you have the plan mapped out. Good on ya!

Yessir!

[BASSclary]

Work at gander mountain. If I had a car and didn't have lax i would. Plus you can give me a friends and family discount !

[tomustang]

If you say gander has the mentality of workers at the place you are looking to work for, then the conflicting conversations wouldn't boad to well for you there.

[Bassn Blvd]

Here's some friendly advice. The Feds won't hire without a 4 year degree. I would urge you to get something other than the basic criminology degree, they're a dime a dozen. Sure, the basic criminology degree will benefit you at the local level, but if you want an edge over other fed applicants, then pursue something other than just basic criminology. If you choose DEA then learn Spanish. If you're Spanish then learn English. If you can already speak both then learn a 3rd language.

Also, if you're serious about the feds, make sure you don't screw your credit up before applying.

[tomustang]

If you choose DEA then learn Spanish.

Learn french, so they would put you on the northern border instead

[Stasher1]

Here's some friendly advice. The Feds won't hire without a 4 year degree. I would urge you to get something other than the basic criminology degree, they're a dime a dozen. Sure, the basic criminology degree will benefit you at the local level, but if you want an edge over other fed applicants, then pursue something other than just basic criminology. If you choose DEA then learn Spanish. If you're Spanish then learn English. If you can already speak both then learn a 3rd language.

Also, if you're serious about the feds, make sure you don't screw your credit up before applying.

The FBI likes accountants.

[Zoff]

They are correct about the 4 year degree. Get something in Sociology, Accounting, Psychology... something that will be useful outside LE. I choose Local LE because I could choose where I lived and not where they wanted to send me. Keep in mind that, in a LE job, you will work the crappiest hours. I all but gave up hunting and fishing for nearly 15 years because I could never get the time. I am now Administrative so I do not work nights, weekends, or holidays and my hours are 8a - 4p. Helps to have a degree. lol

[outdoorsman110]

The FBI likes accountants.

I'm looking at detective work.

[outdoorsman110]

I'm already going through all the Spanish courses I can.

[outdoorsman110]

Then Arabic is next on my list.

[Stasher1]

I'm looking at detective work.

Much of what the FBI investigates is "white collar" crime, so knowledge of accounting is beneficial. I took a class entitled The Principles of Fraud Examination, and it was a real eye-opener. Definitely not as boring as you'd expect an accounting class to be.

I have a degree in Criminal Justice, and if I could do it all over again (or had started on this path when I was your age) I'd skip the Criminology. Sure, it's an interesting area of study, but local agancies typically don't care what your degree is in and the Federal LE agencies are generally looking for more well-rounded applicants.

As Bassn Blvd already stated, Criminology degrees are a dime a dozen, and pretty much useless outside of LE.

[Zoff]

Criminology IS useless outside LE? For the Street level officer, it is somewhat as well. It serves me well now... Was a Detective and now am the Grants Manager, Evidence Manager, and Crime Analyst for my Department.

[outdoorsman110]

Lots to consider. Thank you to everybody that replied.