Criminology CAREER INSIGHT
LJMU CAREERS TEAM 0151 231 2048/3719 ❚ careers@ljmu.ac.uk
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Career Insight: Criminology
Introduction Studying towards a degree in Criminology will help you develop a number of skills, which will put you in a good position to enter a range of careers, both within and outside of the criminal justice system. The transferable skills developed during studying include the ability to research and analyse complex ideas, develop well founded arguments and theories, present clear and succinct reports, plus develop practical skills such as time management and team working. All of these skills are vital in a competitive employment market, and provide a firm foundation on which to base career development. Although your degree would be an excellent foundation for different career paths in the public, voluntary and charity sectors, you are by no means restricted to these areas and could use your transferable skills and work experience to enter careers in a variety of diverse fields, including research, retail, consultancy, law, accountancy or social work. In recent years, securing a graduate role has become increasingly competitive, so gaining relevant work or voluntary experience and engaging in extracurricular activities alongside your studies is crucial to demonstrate to prospective employers that you have the motivation to succeed in your chosen area and have developed the required skills. Being aware of the range of options open to you is essential to make an informed career decision. Researching different career pathways and entry requirements is essential preparation for your graduate career, so ensure you make the most of available resources, attend career events or employer talks, and take every opportunity to network with professionals to find out as much as possible about the career areas that interest you.
The relevant opportunities that students would look for on completion of a degree in criminology would be the ones listed below;
Policing Probation Criminal Justice Social And Community Work Law Accountancy Public Administration Education Health Work Community And Voluntary Organisations (Such As Nacro, Drugs Projects, Youth Work) Government Agencies (Whether At The Home Office, Department Of Justice Or At Local Government Level) Academic Research
Specific criminology jobs could include some of the ones listed below: Criminal Intelligence Analyst Criminal Intelligence Analysts work within police forces, producing analytical reports and disseminating information to help officers in the field to fight serious and organised crime. They undertake research and analytical work targeting criminals and identifying crime trends. They provide and disseminate accurate intelligence, identifying links between suspected offenders and committed crimes, to operational police officers to assist in the arrest of offenders and the prevention of crime.
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Career Insight: Criminology
Crime Fighting Career Opportunities The modern police & criminal justice sector offers many front line crime fighting operational roles for which you do not need to be a serving police officer. These roles are at the heart of crime detection, investigation and law enforcement, working alongside the serving officers. These civilian crime fighting vacancies will allow you work at the heart of the police resolving crimes, serving the public whilst developing your skills. Civilian investigators. Working alongside serving officers building cases by gathering evidence via interviews, telephonic research etc. Hi tech crime investigators. Focused on computer related crime and crimes where computers have been used. Crime scenes investigator. Forensic science related discipline. Involves attending and examining scenes of crimes and gathering forensic evidence. Custody assistant. Assisting custody officers in the detention of prisoners/detainees within the integrated custody environment. Escorting and facilitating prisoner welfare. Crime analyst. Providing analytical support focussing on the strategic aims of crime intelligence and incidents identifying patterns and trends. Case Builders. Both the Police & the Crown Prosecution Service require paralegal support in case management and initial preparation of prosecutions. They offer some of the best training and entry level positions for legal professionals. www.bluelinecareers.co.uk
MI5 Intelligence Officer Typically, you would start by assessing or investigating threats to national security; over your career, you could also be involved in personnel, finance, management or operational work, ranging from implementing policies to dealing with agents. You would have your own areas of responsibility but you would also be working as part of a wider team of people from a range of backgrounds. See www.mi5careers.gov.uk and www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/intelligence.htm
Probation Officer: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/probation_officer_job_description.htm http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/probation/probation-trusts http://www.workwithoffenders.co.uk/
Youth Offending Teams: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/youth_worker_job_description.htm http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/yjb/ http://www.justice.gov.uk/contacts/yjb/yots/north-west
Social Worker: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/social_worker_job_description.htm
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Career Insight: Criminology
http://www.hpc-uk.org/aboutus/ http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/social/becomingasocialworker/b002009 96/step-up
Prison Officer: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/prison_officer_job_description.htm http://www.justice.gov.uk/jobs/prisons/on-offer/graduate-programme
Police Officer: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/police_officer_job_description.htm http://www.policecouldyou.co.uk/
Opportunities in the Crown Prosecution Service: The CPS offers graduates a range of legal and support roles including administration officers, witness care officers, casework assistants, as well as roles within Finance and HR. http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/
Other job options Another popular choice is work in the public sector. The type of jobs includes: support work, information and advisory roles and administration within local authorities, charities and voluntary organisations. You could start exploring typical job options via http://www.prospects.ac.uk/options_criminology.htm The suggestions listed here are by no means exhaustive so we would encourage you to consider other relevant options, e.g. based on previous work or voluntary experience, skills and interests. To explore job options by sector, check http://www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs.htm You can also use career planning tools like http://www.prospects.ac.uk/myprospects_planner_login.htm and http://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-report to generate initial career ideas. Ensure you check entry requirements for each area, e.g. will you need a degree in a specific subject? Is a 2:1 degree classification essential? Will you need to complete a postgraduate degree (e.g. for social work or teaching roles)? Is any specific work experience required? We also recommend that you download a copy of our “Planning your Career” guide from the World of Work website at https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/123871.htm this includes a list of useful questions to help you explore your career options and introduces you to the DOTS model to help you with your career planning.
Main employers Although many Criminology graduates work in the public and voluntary sector, there are good opportunities in the private sector in areas like retail or law. Typical employers include:
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Probation trusts: http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/probation/probation-trusts
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Career Insight: Criminology
Police forces: http://www.police.uk/?view=force_sites
HM Prison Service: http://www.justice.gov.uk/contacts/prison-finder
Local Government: http://www.ngdp.org.uk/, http://www.lgjobs.com/, www.faststream.gov.uk
All occupational profiles listed on http://www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs.htm include a section on typical employers and vacancy sources, so use these as a starting point to research potential employers within the career areas that interest you.
Useful links and websites
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LJMU Vacancy website http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk/
Prospects – Careers information and graduate jobs http://www.prospects.ac.uk/
TargetJobs – Careers information and graduate jobs http://targetjobs.co.uk/
Milkround – Graduate jobs, placements & internships http://www.milkround.com/
Jobs in the public sector http://www.lgjobs.com/ http://www.jobsgopublic.com/
Vacancies in higher education and research http://www.jobs.ac.uk/
Graduate to Merseyside – Graduate placements in small/medium-sized businesses in Merseyside http://www.liv.ac.uk/careers/gradvantage/internships.htm
Graduate Talent Pool – Graduate internship opportunities http://graduatetalentpool.direct.gov.uk/
Lawcareers.net - Careers options in the legal sector http://www.lawcareers.net/
British Society of Criminology – News, jobs board and useful links http://www.britsoccrim.org/links.htm
Skills for Justice – Career pathways in the legal and criminal justice sector http://www.skillsforjustice-cp.com/
CommunityCare - Website for “everyone in social care”: Information on upcoming events, legal changes, vacancies in the youth justice and voluntary sector http://www.communitycare.co.uk/
Information about postgraduate study http://www.postgrad.com/
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Career Insight: Criminology
Careers in Care and Social Work http://www.skillsforcareanddevelopment.org.uk/Careersincare/careers_in_care.aspx
Clinkshttp://www.clinks.org/
Nacrohttp://www.nacro.org.uk/
Victim Supporthttps://www.victimsupport.org.uk/
Cheshire and Greater Manchester community Rehabilitation companyhttp://cgm-probation.org.uk/work-with-us/volunteering/
Voluntary Worker (volunteering with your local young offenders team)http://www.voluntaryworker.co.uk/volunteering-with-your-local-young-offenders-team.html
Bridging the Gap: Liverpool Youth Offending Teamhttp://www.btguk.org/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=viewlink&link_id=417&Itemid=129
Liverpool Central CABhttp://liverpoolcab.org/
Merseyside Policehttp://www.merseyside.police.uk/join-us.aspx
Prison Advicehttp://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/Get+involved/volunteer
Shannon Trusthttp://www.shannontrust.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer-with-us/
Follow relevant companies/websites through Twitter:
@LJMUCareers
@BritSocCrim
@Prospects
Depending on your specific career interests, you could also follow relevant websites and organisations e.g. @LawCareersNetUK for news and updates on the legal sector.
Sources of work experience Download our mini-guide on “Making yourself employable whilst at University” from https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/123871.htm for an overview of the different types of work experience available and some general suggestions about finding work experience opportunities.
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Career Insight: Criminology
Some large employers may offer summer or year-long sandwich placements, but this depends on the type of industry. These are generally advertised on websites like Prospects, Targetjobs or Milkround, as well as on more subject-specific websites, e.g. Lawcareers.net for legal vacation placements. Many placement schemes are open to students from any degree discipline. Check your eligibility before making an application, as some summer placements are specifically aimed at second-year students. LJMU has been managing a summer internship programme for Level 5 students in recent years, so keep an eye on your LJMU inbox for details of any opportunities. Many undergraduate students also secure work experience through a more ‘speculative’ or ‘creative’ approach, i.e. after contacting organisations directly through networking events, via email or through LinkedIn. Once you have some initial career ideas, undertaking work experience or voluntary work in these areas can be a great way not only to find out whether this role would be right for you but also to build up a network of professionals and organisations in your chosen sector, which can often lead to further work experience or even a full-time role after graduating. Make sure you research the organisation beforehand and find out the best person to get in touch with. It is important that you demonstrate that you are interested in the organisation and have spent some time finding out what they do. Even when applying to secure work experience for the first time in this industry, show the employer what you have to offer. Briefly outline any relevant skills or knowledge you gained from your course. Look at the skills outlined under entry requirements in the occupational profiles on Prospects (http://www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs.htm) and try to outline these on your CV, drawing on examples from your course and other work experience or extra-curricular activities to demonstrate how you developed these. Useful websites to research a range of voluntary opportunities include http://www.do-it.org.uk/ and http://www.volunteeringliverpool.org.uk/. You could also contact LJMU Volunteering Manager Chris Prescott on 0151 904 6356 or c.j.prescott@ljmu.ac.uk to enquire about current opportunities. It is also worth researching relevant organisations/charities and contacting them directly to find out about voluntary roles on offer.
Recruitment schedule Recruitment cycles and deadlines will vary depending on the type of work you are applying for. Again, research is key to ensure that you do not miss relevant opportunities. As a rule of thumb, the selection process takes longer in larger organisations, as they tend to receive a higher number of applications and use several different stages to reduce the number of potential candidates. As a result, application deadlines can be as early as November in your final year of study for a start date in August or September of the following year. If you are considering postgraduate study, find out if there are any specific closing dates for applications. Many graduate training schemes with large companies will accept applications from students of any degree background. If you are interested in these roles, you will need to be aware of the graduate recruitment cycle. Many recruiters begin the graduate recruitment process during the autumn term for final-year students. Some placements are advertised then as well. Most closing dates are in November and December, but some are earlier so it is important to start researching companies that you want to apply to early on. The application process for graduate training schemes usually involves completing an online application form, which may require you to answer ‘competency based questions’. This may be followed by psychometric tests, a telephone interview and an assessment centre. You may also need to submit your CV. Most of the large recruiters have a section on the student/graduate pages of their website that outlines the different steps of their selection process, so check these to find out what is required. For more information about graduate schemes, download the ‘Graduate Schemes’ guide from https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/123871.htm
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Career Insight: Criminology
You may also find work through small and medium-sized enterprises/businesses (SMEs). These types of companies don’t usually have structured training schemes but will recruit ‘as required’. They may use their own application form but most applications will be by CV and covering letter. These positions will be advertised on company websites, relevant recruitment websites, the Job Centre, and national and local newspapers. The ‘creative’ or ‘speculative’ approach to job hunting, outlined above, is also important when looking for graduate roles. Making contacts and approaching organisations speculatively to look for work is a common route into employment. For more information about the speculative approach to job hunting, download a copy of our guide to ‘The Hidden Jobs Market’ from https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/123871.htm You can get advice about the recruitment process by booking a one-to-one appointment with a careers or employability adviser or you can attend relevant workshops in the World of Work Careers Centre.
Key events and networking
Liverpool Careers Fair: usually held in the autumn and spring of each year, see fairs website http://www.liverpoolfairs.org.uk/ for additional events
Manchester Careers Fairs: open to students and graduates from any university; check http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/events/ for details
Careers and Employability events at LJMU: Keep an eye on our events pages at https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events/ for details of upcoming employability workshops, networking sessions and employer talks.
LiverpoolSU Clubs and Societies: http://ljmu.unioncloud.org/groups#club-society
LinkedIn: You could also consider setting up a LinkedIn account (http://www.linkedin.com/) to network online with professionals and organisations in your chosen industry
Other information Centre for Entrepreneurship – Support for LJMU students and graduates interested in starting up their own business. Further details can be found here: https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/startup/
CAREER ZONES Campus-based Careers Zones provide easy access to careers support in convenient locations at Byrom Street, Aldham Robarts Library and at IM Marsh, staffed by the Careers Team. Support available includes CV and application form reviews, Careers Adviser appointments, drop-in quick queries, practice interviews and access to careers resources and information. The Zones also host regular employer visits during term time where you can meet and network with employers and discuss job and placement opportunities. For the latest updates and details of locations and opening times, try our Twitter and Facebook pages.
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Career Insight: Criminology
Criminology will enable you to will have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of crime and its consequences, both theoretical and applied. You will gain knowledge of the criminal justice system, and the ability to understand and use different types of evidence. The ability to present and develop a cohesive argument
Some of the transferable skills gained will include; •
IT skills
•
research and problem-solving skills
•
communication skills
•
working as part of a team
Recent LJMU graduates have found relevant work with the organisations listed below;
Employers
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ADMIN ASSISTANT
LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
ADMIN ASSISTANT
NOTTINGHAM CITY COUNCIL
ADMIN ASSISTANT
THE HOME OFFICE
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
HM REVENUE & CUSTOMS
CASE MANAGMENT TEAM MEMBER
LIVERPOOL MAGISTRATES COURTS
CASE STUDY WORKER
CROWN PROSECUTION SERVICE
CLERICAL OFFICER
MERSEYSIDE PROBATION
CUSTOMER SERVICE ADMINISTRATOR
BARCLAYS BANK
ENQUIRY OFFICER
VICTIM SUPPORT
INTELLIGENCE OFFICER
CHESHIRE POLICE
INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT OFFICER
CHILD SUPPORT AGENCY
JUDICIAL SUPPORT ASSISTANT GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE
GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE
PARA-LEGAL
MCFADDEN & TERRY SOLICITORS
POLICE OFFICER OR YOUTH OFFENDER SESSIONAL WORKER
MERSEYSIDE POLICE
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Career Insight: Criminology
NOTES
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Career Insight: Criminology
NOTES
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