Even if you’re familiar with some of the different careers in forensics, you may not know the specific paths that lead to them, or the options and decision points that present themselves along the way. So, we’ve carved out a section of our blog to provide very detailed, step-by-step, descriptions of how to become everything from a forensic accountant to a forensic psychologist. Like many career paths, forensics career paths can be complex and nuanced, and are rarely “one size fits all”, so we’ve attempted to break down the major decision points, and clarify the essential component skills, experiences, and educational qualifications for each path, along with the personality traits, likes and dislikes that might make one career a better fit than another.
Crime analysts work in law enforcement analyzing crime reports, arrest records, police calls, and other data to establish patterns and make correlations. They synthesize the data they gather into detailed reports that their departments use to make decisions about prosecutions, patrols, and staffing.
Fraud investigation is the research of intentional criminal deception and involves civil and criminal methods of examination. Professional fraud investigators have a variety of job responsibilities in corporate or government-based institutions.
Real detective work is far removed from the glamorous media portrayals, requiring incredible patience, investigative rigor, and ironclad ethics. In addition to being exposed to potentially dangerous individuals and situations, the process of solving cases can take months or even years, much of it spent poring over documents, photographs, and files.
Whether you are thinking of changing careers or are currently in school looking for the right career path, if you found your way here, you want to know how to become a criminal profiler. With the proliferation of characters acting as profilers on television and in movies, the profession is certainly one that draws a lot of attention.
Forensic scientists have very interesting jobs that can take them from crime scenes to labs and to courtrooms. Those who have interests in the medical field, science, and law enforcement will find that this may be a perfect career option. Before learning how to become a forensic scientist, it is important to understand what those in the field do on a daily basis.
Forensic nursing—an area at the intersection of medicine and law—is a specialty only recently recognized by the American Nurses Association (ANA). Read on to discover how to join the burgeoning field of forensic nursing, including information about accredited educational programs (online and on-campus) and professional certification.
The crime scene investigator, also called a CSI, will come to crime scenes in order to conduct an investigation and to collect evidence, and although there are varied paths to becoming a crime scene investigator, they typically involve a mix of rigorous coursework and empirical training.
What do forensic psychologists do? Responsibilities may vary, but most psychologists in the field help police determine the motives for certain crimes, narrow down a suspect pool, and generally provide deeper insight into the criminal mind in order to assist investigators.