Laying out your future career path isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone. Especially when CV writing, it’s fundamental to be as clear as possible about your experience and career goals. While some people feel very strongly about the career they wish to pursue, others have a harder time trying to figure out what makes them happy, what they feel passionate about and what would be their ideal career path. If you’ve been taking your time, exploring your options, and trying your best to choose a career that suits you, then you may want to look into a criminology degree.

A criminology degree can be an incredibly interesting path to take, providing you with the kind of future you hoped for. Here are six reasons a criminology degree may be the ideal choice for you.

Pursue Some Exciting Career Paths

Of course, the main reason people get a degree of any type is so that they can pursue a career that is exciting and interesting to them. A criminology degree sets graduates up for several rewarding career paths depending on the route that calls to them. It’s wise to take a look at these careers in-depth so you can ask yourself if they are the future you imagine for yourself.

Here are some of the careers a criminology degree can open the door to:

Probation Officer – As a probation officer you will need to monitor criminal offenders who have been given a probation term. You will monitor their behavior and their conduct, you may need to plan their rehabilitation program, conduct a variety of administrative tasks, attend court, conduct interviews and more.

Youth Probation Officer – A youth probation officer has many of the same responsibilities as a probation officer does, except you will be monitoring youth.

Customs Officer – Customs officers have a very important job in Canada and that is to protect the borders. In this job you’ll be checking the luggage of arriving people, checking packages, checking for contraband items, collecting duties when necessary, and even arresting and charging anyone who poses a threat to security or breaks the law. Customs officers work in airports, rail ports, highway crossings and more.

Private Investigator – As a private investigator, you will be doing all kinds of things, but the most common is to conduct background checks. This means you collect information on a person’s actions, character and business character.

Crime Scene/Forensic Analyst – Do you want to play an active role in solving crimes? If so then you could work as a crime scene/forensic analyst. You’ll be working to collect and then analyze evidence related to crimes. You will then need to report on your findings.

Animal Cruelty Investigator – If you have a love of animals, this is your chance to help them and protect them by becoming an animal cruelty investigator. Not only will you need to investigate reports of cruelty but you may also need to seize animals that are currently in distress. It can be a very emotional job, but that is part of the rewards.

Corrections Officer – Corrections officers work in the prison system to patrol and supervise the actions and movement of inmates. You may also need to escort inmates to other facilities, a courthouse and so forth.

You’ll Be Helping to Shape Society 

As you can tell by the jobs listed above, these are all careers that have a huge impact on society. You will be helping to keep your city/town, province and country safer, no matter which path you take. Criminology is one of those feel-good degrees where you know you’ll be able to give back positively.

Criminology degrees allow you to dive deeper into the world of crime, giving you a better understanding of what drives it, what can be done about it, and how you can have an impact and help others.

You Can Get Your Degree Online

If the thought of attending school in person has been holding you back then you may be interested to learn there are online options. Attending school in person could require you to move, make significant changes to your schedule and lifestyle, and even limit part-time job opportunities that are helping to pay for school.

Instead, you can take a look at options like the online Criminology Degree through top-rated school Wilfrid Laurier University. You can look at the curriculum in detail, but many online schools feature coursework that is 100% online, with no need to ever visit the campus.

Increase Your Earnings Potential

While you never want to pick your dream career on salary alone, it is nice to know that the job you want to pursue will pay the bills and give you a comfortable lifestyle. By obtaining your criminology degree, you instantly increase your earning potential. It opens the door to more jobs and more senior-level positions, or at least the opportunity to work up to them.

Better Your Odds of Getting Hired Right Out of School

Having a criminology degree will also help you to stand out from the competition and ensure you have all the training and education that employers are looking for. A degree can help you to land a job much faster, potentially right out of school.

A Degree Makes You Feel More Confident in Your Skills

Because you want to succeed in your chosen career path, you want to be sure you’re confident and armed with all the knowledge and skills possible. This is exactly what a degree can help you achieve, as you’ll be learning all the basics – the very foundation of the industry you wish to pursue. It fills you with confidence that will spill over into your job allowing you to perform at your peak level.

Making a Choice for Your Future Career

It can be quite intimidating to make a career choice for your future. It’s not always easy to commit to one job for the rest of your working years. Rather than look at it over the long-term, try to break it down into what appeals to you right now, and where your current skills and passions are, and you may just find that a degree in criminology is right for you.