Criminology graduate - looking for relevant jobs

Tell me more about yourself. Describe your own interests and hobbies etc.

I just feel like I should be making a lot more money as I have a degree behind me.

If you want to chase money, then staying within the field if criminology is probably not the way to go.

Perhaps, but it’s what I did at university soooo… it’s a bit late for that now.

You don't need to work in the field you studied, most graduates probably don't

I know I don’t, but I don’t really have any other option. It will be a waste of a lot of money if I don’t work in the criminology field.

I know I don’t, but I don’t really have any other option. It will be a waste of a lot of money if I don’t work in the criminology field.

Why would it be a waste of money?

Outside of academia, and a few police analyst staff jobs there are no jobs in the criminology field. Anything at first grad job level is irrelevant to your degree. The jobs you can outside the field are applicable to pretty much any similar social science grad degree.

Criminology is sort of a bit sociology and a bit psychology and might be one of the lowest ratio of jobs : graduates, even more than psychology.

That’s not technically true: there are jobs in police, probation etc.

It is true. A couple of police analyst jobs might make use of some of the environmental or behavioural criminology you learned if you can do a bit of stats. But that’s it. Everything else in policing and probation has nothing whatsoever to do with criminology as a degree. For example- theorising that lead paint is or is not related to offending is of no use to a police officer or probation officer. Certainly not at the junior practitioner level. It is not relevant to a Constable why a person commits crime - only that he has and how to bring that to an outcome. A probation officer’s concern is to manage offenders - not examine social theories.

Perhaps not. But it is more desirable to have a degree related to your job. I applied for 2 probation jobs at different times, I was only offered an interview for the job after I was given my degree.

Also, a criminology degree looks at more than just why an offender commits crime… it is relevant to a probation officer as it looks at how to prevent an offender re-offending upon release.

Are you a former criminology student?

I have an MSc in a criminology type subject

I understand what you are trying to say - but the reality of it is that it just isn't applicable. If you are a probation officer - you would ideally like your charges not to re-offend - but that has to be done within the confines of the systems in place, and probation officers have enormous workloads and are generally very blunt instruments - most of time their role will be administering a recall to prison after someone has breached various terms. There isn't really any scope for having long drawn out discussions with someone recently released. And let's be honest - you can study criminology for decades, get PhDs and be a post-doctoral researcher, but ultimately if your average client is a heroin addict who steals because he/she is an addict - there's no room for thinking about societal responses to crime or comparisons with the criminal justice system in France. All you can do is hope that they stay on script and stay away from their old friends. And if they miss their court ordered drug rehab sessions - you get them recalled to prison. That's it. That's the job.

Whether your degree is in Criminology, History or Maths, you're going to be able to do that job to the same level. I'm not saying it's a bad degree by any means - only that outside of very limited scope, there aren't really any jobs for which the degree is directly applicable. Like for police officers, the only degree that will really help them is law - and then only in a very limited fashion. A criminology degree will help you like any other degree for any of the range of jobs where the requirement is for a graduate, and there's no harm or shame in that. Just like very few people read History with the intent of working directly in History, other than academia or teaching.

Which criminology type subject?

Crime Science

If you want more money, you should get a professional job. Go and search for any professional jobs you are interested hopefully with high demand and see the requirement. Unfortunately, it is a high chance you may need a Master degree to learn more professional knowledge. You didn’t waste money on BSc degree since you need it to apply for a master degree. Consider doing part time study and work in a job that could benefit your future salary. Or look for professional job that can help you train and become a qualified member of institution in that area. It is going to be hard but a great investment.