Criminal Justice: Are You Up for It?

Some people need a job that has set hours—it’s nine to five, Monday through Friday, or it’s a deal-breaker. Some need regularity, routine, predictability—time off for holidays, freedom to come and go if something comes up at home. Others are willing to go with the flow and may even thrive on the unexpected. Which type are you?

When you embark on a new educational path, such as pursuing an online legal studies degree, you have to know what you ultimately want out of your workday and the lifestyle you can handle. You don’t want to complete your training, get hired, and find out you can’t hack the schedule you get.

Many criminal justice careers, particularly those in the area of law enforcement, come with challenges that interested candidates must seriously consider:

• Long, sometimes unpredictable hours: The bad guys don’t clock out at five, and the police station never closes.
• Odd shifts: Nights, weekends, holidays, and sometimes you may get called in when you are supposed to be off-duty.
• Travel: Federal agents must travel to various locales.
• Relocation: If your assignment changes, you may be asked to pack up and go.

So before you start, ask yourself what you are prepared to do.