Even in a tough job market, there are many career opportunities for the well-qualified job seeker. The need for technology, engineering, and other advanced and specialized vocations will only increase. So are public and community service careers. So, when you sit down to consider where you want to go with your professional life, why should you choose a career in criminology or criminal justice? Below, retired judge and former adjunct professor of Criminal Pre-Trial Practice, Cindy Imperato, shares her opinion on why study Criminal Justice.

Helping Others

There are many surveys that indicate that the number one reason people enter law enforcement and other criminology careers is that they have a strong desire to help other people. Few other career fields offer so many diverse opportunities to do just that, adds Cindy Imperato, a distinguished lecturer on seminars involving diversity on the bench, white-collar fraud, street gangs, and organized crime.

Criminal justice careers provide you with the ability to leverage your strengths and use your specific skills for the greater good, whether it is helping crime victims as a victim advocate, helping profile criminals as a forensic psychologist, or monitoring the progress of a parolee as a probation, parole, or community control officer.

Job Stability

Many jobs in criminal justice and criminology offer an almost unmatched level of job security and stability. If you have the strength to resist, you will most likely enjoy a long career that is relatively immune to the ebbs and flows of the private sector job market. Although you often give up higher salaries to work in criminology, you get the peace of mind of knowing that your job is virtually safe as long as you stay true to the high ethical standards you demand.

Engage Your Brain

Old police stereotypes are diminishing. Today's law enforcement officers and other criminal justice professionals need to think fast and be ready and willing to face a number of challenges. Regardless of the field or discipline you ultimately choose to pursue, be it a career in forensic science or police, you will enjoy putting your problem-solving skills to the test day after day, explains Cindy Imperato, who is also author of an article regarding street gangs in Florida.

Few professions are as mentally demanding and have more at stake than criminology careers. Since the public rightly places higher expectations on their protectors and public servants, these careers offer rewarding challenges in keeping the job interesting, whether you're in your freshman or your 30th year.