Discussions

Hello.  
I am a student currently in Brandon University and I am considering Crime and Community (pretty much criminology) as a major and Political Science as a minor, and also working towards a Justice Certificate. I have a strong passion for the law field (ever since I was young!) and was wondering if anyone would have some suggestions/advice to what field I should go into, please tell me how it worked out for you if you pursued this major and what you did with it.  
 
I wanted to become a Police Officer, but felt like it would be too harsh for me (seeing the underbelly of society that is) though I know it can be rewarding.  
Also thought about becoming a lawyer, but I'm still not sure. I would love something in between, nothing too exciting/dangerous, but just enough excitement to keep me on my toes.  
I know I could talk to the career counsellor but I would love to hear what my fellow Brandonites have to say about it!

Join the military as a Military Police Comissioned Officer. Your education would pay off and be an asset and you would be responsible for several staff below you. Its a good job where youd be able to exercise your judgement and intelligence without the harshness

I was also thinking border security but I dont want to be placed somewhere I dont want to go. I wouldn't mind going to Winnipeg for work, or big cities like that but nothing smaller than Brandon. It's hard finding a career without constantly being moved around. I want a solid career where I can live in a city and call it my home. That's why I was thinking of a lawyer but I'm not sure if I can go through the intensity of law school haha

I don't plan on being told what to do, I love the field of law and the education I'll be receiving will hopefully put me in the right direction.  
And I haven't gotten much information about being a probation/parole but Im not sure if I'll like it. I know the certificate I'm working towards gives me an automatic raise if I do go for a probation officer. Doesn't hurt to look into it!

Why not teach? Be a high school law teacher or a college law professor?  
 
You get the joy of being in the field / area of tour choosing, freedom to kind of do your own thing, no hardness, and you can stay local?

I was thinking professor or criminologist too  
And Ten, I was asking for people's advice, not to choose my life decision. So I'm allowed to pick and choose.  
I'd like to thank all who actually posted their advice, I really do appreciate it

Desiree_B said "I was thinking professor or criminologist too   And Ten, I was asking for people's advice, not to choose my life decision. So I'm allowed to pick and choose.   I'd like to thank all who actually posted their advice, I really do appreciate it "

you know ten is not wrong in his observation, and it is something to consider.  
 
picking a field that interests you but has to negatives that limit your flexibility within the field means if you dont get your ideal position, or find out your ideal position isnt what you thought it would be you will end up either working in those areas you find undesirable or not working in the field at all, maybe even looking at retraining, so when going to school and picking a career it is a really good idea to pick something that has at least a few directions you could see yourself taking, while all education is good, it comes at a price and you dont want to be stuck doing something you dont love because you paid so much to do it and have the resulting debt  
 
just something to consider

And I've considered teaching Law, I will look into all these things. I was just asking if people were in this field can tell me what its like in their field of work.  
Is the law field really that limited? And yes I do have a passion for law so I'm quite torn. I gave my honest opinion but I'm already looking into them, can judge a job until you try it right?

Desiree_B said "And I've considered teaching Law, I will look into all these things. I was just asking if people were in this field can tell me what its like in their field of work.   Is the law field really that limited? And yes I do have a passion for law so I'm quite torn. I gave my honest opinion but I'm already looking into them, can judge a job until you try it right? "

you are right, you dont know if you love a job untl you try it but that is exactly why i said what i said, you want your degree to be able to give you a few options just in case you dont love what you originally thought you would  
 
it is great that you are asking about others perspectives tho, it can defiantly help narrow down your choice, good luck

Desiree_B said "I was thinking professor or criminologist too   And Ten, I was asking for people's advice, not to choose my life decision. So I'm allowed to pick and choose.   I'd like to thank all who actually posted their advice, I really do appreciate it "

Being a university professor generally requires a PhD. This will take at minimum about 10 years of education. Graduate school in most any field is competitive, as are professorships. You have to be sure you're willing to make that kind of commitment in terms of both time, money (soooo much money), and effort if you decide to go that route.  
 
Regardless, if you want to improve your standing in the field, start getting as much experience as possible. Try volunteering for the John Howard Society or other groups that work with offenders, check with the city police to see if they have work experience programs, or get a job working with at-risk groups or in social services (e.g., CFS, mental health, YWCA, Eslpeth Reid, women's shelters, etc.). It will give you an edge when it comes to applying for jobs and it will help you determine if law enforcement is the right career for you.

I got my criminology but haven't used it, as I chose not to go into policing and when touring and taking part in training at the jails I knew it wasn't for me, but it was very interesting and never regretted taking it: I still have a love for the law and crime! I've always been on a justice committee wherever I lived so that's something you can join as well and get some experience and knowledge. I also worked part time at the Youth Centre in wpg and that was an eye opening experience, and helped me determine my future path in terms of what I did or didn't want to do career-wise.  
 
As others have said, invest early in volunteer opportunities and checking things out before you commit years and money into something you're not sure about.  
 
It's not what we see on TV, I can assure you of that, as I'm sure you know!  
 
All that being said, I loved taking it and don't regret it, even tho I haven't done a thing with it!

Sorry all for the late reply  
This will be my 2nd year in University, I'm only 19 years old so yes, I have quite a few years ahead of me. I plan on moving to Winnipeg sometime soon hopefully to continue my studies at University of Manitoba, also Winnipeg has more jobs for students in the crime field during the summer hopefully (like RCMP program or something like that). So yes I do plan on building a very good resume and hopefully get hands-on experience with each branch.  
 
Yes I noticed a lot of graduates don't use their degrees, but I would love to learn more about the law field, so I will have no regrets and use my time in University fully. There is no such thing as too much education, I believe haha.  
 
And Ten, Im sorry I misread that post, I didn't mean to sound snappy. Thank you for your input

I am just wondering if you ever took the time to see a University Counsellor at BU. You know what you like- they have access to many programs and settings for what might be up your alley.  
 
It seems like you might be putting the cart before the horse in really knowing what you want. I think you are very close, but you have to narrow it down.

I do plan on seeing a career counsellor this following school year. Other than Law I do enjoy Politics so maybe I might follow that career path, there is so much to choose from, but I have a lot of time to explore my options, which I'm grateful for. I also plan on taking a 2nd language course too.  
Yes I do believe I need to narrow down my choices but like I said, this is only my 2nd year and I think I got a good set of options to choose from. I'm excited

Good luck in what you plan to do. A career counsellor would definitely be a good thing to check out. I am applying to law school right now and finishing up my ba in sociology crime and community-stream this next school year. . If you have any questions I may be able to help you out. Just send me a private message on. Here.

I was always told that crime doesn't pay

type of personality do you have? That will go a long way in determining what career field to apply to.

I too, wanted to be in the "crime industry". I found a job that is not frontline, but is interesting, challenging, and I love! Check out my PM.