Running Head: CRIMINAL JUSTICE

How Criminal Justice Suits You

Career Development

Jassiris Nunez, Maria Vasquez, Kevin OMara

Professor Cutler

December 2, 2017

How Criminal Justice Suits You

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College is an opportunity that many people would love to have, but can't afford. It's

important to know what major you want before coming into school. It will save you lots of time,

you will finish school faster, and set you on the right path. Time management can make or break

a person. If a student is unaware of what they want to pursue then they will get too comfortable

saying I dont know and put it off. But if they plan out their options and use time wisely they

will be right on track. No one likes being stalled or held back so its best to go into college

knowing what you want to do. Choosing a major can be very difficult but you have to loose

yourself into something to find your true passion. Whether its volunteering at a hospital or

visiting your parents while at work. Find something that interests you and research about it.

Once you find your calling your major will be chosen. Its important to go with your gut

feeling and not based on your parent's vision of who they want you to be. Your lifelong goal is to

wake up every morning happy to go to work. Studies have shown that 70% of people dont enjoy

their job. It could be because they never found their passion or let others decide for them. It

shouldnt matter to you what a person thinks about your career path. Yes, anything in the

entertainment field is very difficult but not impossible. You can get discovered in a

supermarket aisle. It all comes down to connections. If you know someone in law enforcement,

they can give you an insight on some opportunities. Furthermore, if later in your path in life you

find out that your calling was not what you expected, it does not stop there. Your major may take

you to various places (Gallo, C 2011)

Criminal Justice is broken up into 3 different branches. First, there is law enforcement.

They can be seen as the front lines of the criminal justice system. They are police officers, FBIs

etc. Then, there is the courts which is where the suspect is assessed at trial. Those are lawyers,

and judges. Lastly, there is corrections which is the enforced punishment. People apart of this
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branch are prison officers, parole officers and others. Criminal Justice isn't just one single thing

their are multiple fields you can go into. It's a field that is constantly changing and constantly on

your feet (Courtright, K. E., Mackey, D. A., & Packard, S. H. (2005).

When speaking to professor OCallahan in our interview, he spoke about the Criminal

Justice Program at Saint Peters University and what it is about. During the interview, he spoke

about why an incoming student should choose to become a criminal justice major. He said in the

interview that the main reason you should become a Criminal Justice Major is that you are

interested in the field. He went on to say that if you like the work that you do in the field, you

will enjoy being a criminal justice major. During the interview he said that there are many

different internship opportunities that are available through the criminal justice program. These

internships are geared towards what you are studying, and what you would like to become in the

future. The experiences in the internships at Saint Peters University differ with each person. A

person who is very interested in having an internship in law enforcement will contact the police

department where they live and then begin an internship with the local police department. These

internships would count as 3 credits towards your degree in criminal justice. While participating

in the internship you need to spend eighty hours working.

There are many different careers in the field of criminal justice. Not everyone who is a

criminal justice major becomes a police officer. Many people who are criminal justice majors

end up having careers in the broad range of careers in criminal justice. Those who pursue a

criminal justice major could have a career in the F.B.I, or at your local court. The salaries of

these jobs vary greatly, with there being some high paying jobs and some low paying careers. If

you were to pursue a career in criminal justice, you could also become a private investigator, a
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lawyer, and may other things. A degree in criminal justice opens the door to career options in the

fields of law enforcement, the courts, corrections, or even law practice.

Success in Criminal Justice

Surely, one student is not the only one suffering the struggles of choosing a major.

Various groups of thereof do, the ones who go for criminal justice are building together a

community of justice reinforcers. They are working as whole for a better community in security

terms.

If you are interested in enhancing the enforcement of the rights of the citizens, then

Criminal Justice is the major you should go for. Its main concentration lays on the ensurement of

societys safety and to increase its productivity by reducing crime rates. This means not only to

eradicate criminal offenders but also to turn them in better citizens. Even if this sounds

impossible, the will to try is in there.

Since justice reinforcers develop a safer community for citizens, a rate of improvement

will be established. A consequence will be the positive growth of individuals in the different

areas that a society is conformed of. Since health care to education. The better the environment

that surround people, the better they will work on it. It is a cycle that Criminal Justice has

objected to keep.

As portrayed in some TV shows, being successful in a Criminal Justice career does not

prevent you from having empathetic emotions. In fact, individuals who possess high emotional

empathy, tend to be altruistic in their behavior toward others and volunteer to help others, rate

positive social traits as important, and score higher on measures of moral judgment (Courtright,

Mackey and Packard, 2005).

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The student should be able to stand strong in difficult times. The resilient student blooms

in the middle of tough, complex situations and makes wise decisions in the process. However, it

is obvious that at this point in our lives, this trait is not fully developed, so do not feel like you

cant choose this major even if you like it just because you think you are not resilient enough.

The individual who looks forward pursuing a career in Criminal Justice may be aware of

the importance of a situation and its details. Again, for most of us, this trait is not fully present in

ourselves, but we can work on that. As a side note, the student should not only be conscious, but

a maker also. They may be able to execute the process the right way, according to their

conscientiousness. Lastly, but not least, they must be willing to face new challenges everyday.

Not only be willing but they may be expecting them, not the exact situation, but the sense of it. A

career in Criminal Justice implies multiple possible new challenges each day. These traits are

somewhat universal but the way we feel their presence in our own selves vary on each person.

Conclusion

Although we would like to encourage every freshmen to share the same interest that we

have in Criminal Justice, inclinations vary in each individual. Only certain people meet both the

passion, the mindset and the traits that will make their way easier to pursue a career related to

Criminal Justice. You must be resilient, conscientious and mainly open, which means a growth

mindset. An individual's mindset may not be fully growth but as described, there are certain

areas where its sense has to be strongly present.

References

Gallo, C. (2014, February 28). 70% Of Your Employees Hate Their Jobs. Retrieved December

03, 2017.
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Courtright, K. E., Mackey, D. A., & Packard, S. H. (2005). Empathy among college students and

criminal justice majors: Identifying predispositional traits and the role of education. Journal of

Criminal Justice Education,16(1), 125-144.

(Kevin OCallahan, Personal Communication, December 2, 2017)