<p>Lonestardad, Idmom has something there - now, I could be wrong, but I believe that FBI staff and the like must continually pass firearms proficiency, even when mid-career and positioned in office jobs vs. field work.</p>
<p>But accounting, or perhaps even a technology minor might work very well in the security professions in private industry. Corporate security, including fields in risk management etc. today seems to speak more to education and skills in financial and technology security. Example, just a few months ago Disney hired the #2 person, an accountant, from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Unit to be Global Chief of Security. Generally, the top security officer of a corporation sits in the C-suite with everyone else (the CFO, CIO, CMO, etc.) and reports directly to the chairman, ceo, and/or board of directors. Also, it’s not so much about physical security as technology and privacy security, and intake screening of business partners and clients, especially if the company has operations outside the U.S. I am not sure though where the career starting point is…it might be in risk management, or compliance.</p>
<p>Typically, today’s corporate security divisions may be concerned with matters such as social engineering, cybercrime, identity theft, supply chain security, political risk. reputational risk, etc. </p>
<p>You can get a sense of the types of companies by looking through the DHS daily open source report; mostly the careers are in the key resource sectors under homeland security presidential directive 7 (energy, momuments and icons = commercial real estate, transportation, banking, etc.).</p>
<p>We faced a similar challenge with our daughter, so here are are some suggestions that worked for us. My mantra is “Life wasn’t meant to be a struggle”, so if what you’re doing isn’t working, try something completely different. </p>
<p>Have your son enroll in a certificate program at a local community college. Take something that he’'s always wanted to try or something that he considers fun, BUT that has a specific goal, i.e, a 15-week certificate program in X or an 8-course certificate program in Y. This, combined with a college degree often opens up new doors. Suggest this to your son “Here’s a list of courses at the CC - do any of these certificate programs interest you?” You might be surprised at his answer and his interests. (I know this has worked very well for my daughter, who cannot work a “traditional” job that requires abstract math skills. Her certificate program has provided her with an alternate/complimentary career path along with her 4-year college degree.)</p>
<p>Second, have him do volunteer work. This not only exposes him to different career paths but also introduces him to influential people. For example, working at an animal shelter would introduce him to law enforcement officials who deal with neglected animals; working at a soup kitchen or a clothing barn introduces him to people who are less fortunate and also the people who organize and manage these terrific places; volunteering at a local political office provides great connections as well as great career references.</p>
<p>Gosh! More very helpful ideas! Thanks, everyone. By the way, one of the aspects of the CC forums I really enjoy is that if some ideas don’t apply to one’s own situation specifically, you can be sure there are readers of the thread that the idea is a perfect 10 for themselves.</p>
<p>For some reason, this thread has always stuck in my memory, and if the OP is still around, I’d be curious to know how things have turned out thus far!</p>
<p>To the OP, I think you should realize how well your son is doing- he is so far ahead of the game by graduating next year, being independent, mature enough to take care of himself</p>
<p>Many “normally wired” people his age aren’t doing nearly as well, and will have fewer prospects</p>
<p>So I think it will all be fine, and he will find his job- using the skills he obviously has, which are more than many people his age, some of those more “socially adept” individuals can’t function nearly as well</p>
<p>In his case, does he like doing research? maybe that side of the justice system would be something for him- or data entry, someone has to put all that fun criminal stuff into the system in an orderly and usefull fashion</p>
<p>not every job is glamerous, but many are needed and real work</p>
<p>Again, while your son is “differently wired” obviously, you and he have both done a good job in make him a responsible young adult who has much more on the ball than many of his peers</p>
<p>Wolfpiper - Thank you so much for asking! My son graduated from college last month with a 3.1 GPA and started work as a retail manager trainee at a Fortune 100 organization. My wife and I are very proud of his achievements. During the celebratory weekend in his college town with his grandparents and younger brother sharing in the moment, my now-graduated son said he does things to impress me as his dad. I choked up and still do.
His job is in commuting distance from our home so he has decided to live at home for a year, save up some money, and then get an apartment (and a dog). He said one of the reasons he has decided to come home is that I can coach him about job and career related things as they may occur. </p>
<p>Of course, there have been twists and turns in the road over the last year and he has significant personal challenges now and in the future. But my differently wired son has definitely exhibited greater maturity and he is motivated to do well on his new job. </p>
<p>citygirlsmom - I appreciate your thoughtful reply as well.</p>
<p>My differently wired son is another example of “it takes a village” to raise one’s offspring to adulthood and the college confidential community has been part of that village for me.</p>
<p>Wow! I’m impressed by your son’s maturity (deciding to live at home to save up money but having a plan for later independence is a very smart move in some cases, imo) and employment position; my sincerest congratulations and best wishes to all of you. Thanks for replying!</p>
<p>You’ve had some great suggestions already. I would also suggest exploring aspects of the criminal justice field that are “back office” jobs, not requiring a lot of social interaction or putting oneself in danger. What about the criminal justice system appeals to your son? Would he need to be on the beat for a while to get a more sedentary job at the police station or in the district court? What specifically attracts him?</p>
<p>You may know that more and more grads take a year off after graduation while thinking through their next move, whether it is getting a job, travelling for a couple of years, or going on to grad school. So don’t be too hard on your son. He is not alone!</p>
<p>I’ve scanned this whole thread with interest, so if I’m repeating this point please forgive:
in addition to all the first-job approaches recommended, perhaps your S is succeeding because the situation of being in higher education works for him. Is he interested in a one-year Masters degree program? Offhand, I remember reading at Fordham University about some unusual academic approaches for study of the criminal justice system.
If he likes being a student, maybe he should do it for another year, in a new city (which would mean more growth, but independence) in a one-year masters program.
Following that, he could enter the workforce with more background than a B.A., and have more options for work choice, salary, and success.</p>
<p>lonestardad,
Just another opinion based on my own life.
I graduated with a BS in Business from a top business school (UNC/Kenan). Was very shy and intimidated in my senior year and didn’t go through with a lot of interviewing and such. Graduated and came home. For a while, my dad sort of made me feel like a total loser which I remember to this day. I immediately got a sucky job making lousy wages (secretarial stuff- picture “Working Girl”), but in a very high pressure business environment where I learned a lot about asserting myself. Saved every dime and at the same time went on an intensive job search in my area (which I wanted to live in to begin with).</p>
<p>The end of the story is, within 6 months I had saved a bucket of money, landed an extraordinary job at a tech company, and was able to buy my own car, pay my own deposits, buy my own furniture and set myself up to live on my own in an apartment with no help from parents.</p>
<p>My siblings, OTOH, had wonderful jobs right out of college, but my parents ended up putting down deposits, buying furnishings, basically spending thousands to set them up.</p>
<p>So coming home after college and working a while, gaining a little confidence, might not be a bad thing after all.</p>