Criminology, completely useless?

BIGeastBEAST
Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:34:22 +0000

If you want to work for CIA type agencies, CJ/Criminology isn’t what you want to take.

At least that’s how it works here in the US, our friends to the north may be different.

I’m speaking as a pretty good source, because I do crime/homeland security analysis so I know the internal workings pretty well.

I think the best route would be the military, that is were most of the intelligence agencies recruit from. Go in as an officer, and try to get into military intelligence. That’s your best route, but that’s no promise. Those positions are few and selective, so you need to find a back up plan.

In the states, the DEA, Secret Service, ICE, ATF, and FBI all heavily recruit from state and local police departments (FBI a bit less, but still significant). I’m not familiar with Canadien law enforcement agencies, but I’m sure they do the same. I do know that is basically unheard of for a college grad to immediately jump into those agencies unless they have some seriously needed skills, like they can speak some obscure language.

Also, if you don’t like rotating shifts, nights weekends and holidays - CIA type agencies aren’t for you either. Not only could you be working night shifts, but you could be working them in some foreign country you’d rather not be in. Or in the case of law enforcement agency like the DEA/ATF you will be required to work long surveillances at anytime of the day. So keep that in mind.

Criminal Justice isn’t a death blow to your dreams, but you certainly haven’t set yourself up the best. Most intelligence agencies are looking for some area of expertise, whether it be language, combat, prior intelligence (military), special operations, analytical, advanced computer skills, accounting, and hard sciences.

If that is the career you want, you need to go join the military or a police department, because right now it doesn’t seem like you have anything else to offer them.