Criminal Justice CareersCriminal justice field fundamentally involves enforcement of the law in the society. With the study of criminal justice, students are prepared to pursue a wide variety of career opportunities such as detectives, correction officers, police officers, private investigators, sheriff’s guard and security guards among many others. When it comes to long-term goals, the opportunities from one area to the other depending with the advancement in education, specialization, certification, and promotion. Law enforcement significantly involves interaction with the civilians in the society. Thus personnel in the criminal justice field can work federal, state and local levels. In this paper, detectives, police officers, correction officers, private investigators and security guards jobs are elaborated into a profound extent with regards to their qualification requirements, pay grade, hiring process steps and duties according to their levels in the society.

To start with is the career of a detective which can be classified as a local, state, federal level opportunity, but in this case, let us consider the ones working as a state agency. Detectives can also be termed as the investigators whom their job involves investigating criminal offenses to come up with effective decisions according to the law. They also have the mandate of warning individuals who are breaking the law in accordance. The qualifications of a detective include at least a diploma in high school, but in some departments, one must have a college degree. Physical education and foreign language are added advantages. The average salary of detectives in the United States of America is $79,030 annually. The hiring process involves application, writing entry exam, physical ability test, background check-up, oral exam, polygraph test, psychological test and the medical exam.

The police officer work can be categorized as one of the job opportunities at the federal level. Police officers can also be regarded as the law enforcement officers, and their role is mainly to protect the nation’s people and property. The average payment of a police officer is $85,000 per year in the United States. The qualifications of the career include a bachelor degree in criminal justice or any other relevant field. The capability more than one language and also experience in law enforcement are added advantages. The hiring process involves application, writing entry exam, physical ability test, background check-up, oral exam, polygraph test, psychological test and the medical exam.

Correction officer is among the most significant officials at the local government whose work is maintaining order in the detention facilities. To qualify, one has to attain a high school diploma at least. The hiring steps include having relevant education qualification, pass the entrance exam, gain experience and advancing in the field. The average pay of correction officers is around twenty-nine thousand dollars annually. The information of the security guard is similar to that of the correction officers when it comes to qualifications, hiring process and salary. They both work at the local level, but the duties of a security guard include permitting entry, securing premises as well as carrying out inspection and surveillance. The private officer is offered duties depending on the employer’s taste regarding qualifications, and also responsibilities differ according to work given.