Top Careers - How to Become a Criminal Investigator

Interested in becoming a criminal investigator? One of the hottest careers in 2011, we tell you what it takes to become a criminal investigator. Check out the video below for a quick breakdown of this top career!

Read on for the transcript:

Welcome to the My Colleges and Careers podcast where we feature top careers and valuable tips for college students. I’m Sarah, and I’m SherRon, and today we’re going to be talking about criminal investigators.

What is a Criminal Investigator?

If you’ve ever watched shows like CSI or Law & Order, you’re probably are pretty familiar with criminal investigators but we’re just going to have a quick review. Criminal investigators will investigate crime — funny enough. And they’ll typically specialize in one type of crime, perhaps homocide, missing persons, fraud, that type of thing. And on a daily basis what they’re going to be doing is conducting interviews, examining records, and they may even work under cover. In terms of a salary, criminal investigators can make up to $99,000 annually which is a pretty penny if I do say so!

How Can I Become a Criminal Investigator?

Yeah. To even be considered for a job in criminal investigation, though, you’re going to need a bachelor’s degree. Obviously the most relevant degree would be a degree in criminal justice, however you can also get a degree in business, that’s also very applicable. Or if you’re looking to go into a specific type of investigation, then you can also, such as computer forensics or insurance fraud, then a degree in computer science, or an accounting degree can also be helpful.

Is a Career as a Criminal Investigator Right for Me?

And having that type of experience if you are going into that type of thing can be very valuable. Having experience in military or law enforcement is going to give you the type of skill set you’re going to need right off the bat. And since the work is quite dangerous and stressful, being able to deal with that type of stressful environment is a really helpful thing to have. You’ll want to be a people person, an excellent communicator, and it’s really valuable actually to have a second language since it’s going to open up new responsibilities and opportunities to you. And you’re not going to be afraid of confrontation since there’s a lot of that. You do need to be agile and to have stamina since there are physical tests that you have to pass. And then of course, the things that you would expect, the strong personal characteristics in honesty, integrity, and personal responsibility are really valuable to have. So SherRon, how do you get started?

How Can I Get Started as a Criminal Investigator?

Well it’s important to check with your state, because each state has different licensing requirements. But once you’ve done that, the most important thing to do is to get the right education. To find a school, go to our website, www.mycollegesandcareers.com. We work with hundreds of schools, both online and on campus, and we can match you with one that will work for you.

Perfect! So thanks so much for joining us for today’s podcast. Be sure to check us out online and leave a comment if you have any other questions. Thanks for joining us!