If you’re interested in a job where you can make a difference in your community, why not consider a career in law enforcement? You can help clean up the streets as a patrol officer, figure out who committed crimes as a criminal investigator, help keep travel safe as a TSA agent, get former criminals back on the right track as a parole officer, and more. You don’t have to stay within your neighborhood, either. With a career in law enforcement, you can work with the FBI or CIA or even become a member of the secret service and protect the president.

Education

The first step to a career in law enforcement is to get an education. For most, this means going through your state or city police academy program, but it depends on the specific law enforcement field that interests you. You can also go to a technical school or liberal arts college to get a degree in a related field. Generally, the higher your level of education, the more likely you are to qualify for a job or promotion, so even if your field of choice only requires a police academy training program, it makes sense to go back to school to get a degree.

Finding a Job

Some cities and townships have experienced budget cuts, which makes it more difficult to find a job as a police officer. Look for areas where crime rate is high if you’re having problems finding a job, as this often indicates that their department is understaffed and looking for people.

Don’t forget that you can use your degree to work in security! If you can’t find a job in your desired branch of law enforcement right away, you can often find a job working for an amusement park, shopping center, factory, or other facility that needs to be guarded. These jobs generally don’t pay as well, but they look great on a resume and can be a stepping stone to a better job in law enforcement.

Want to learn more about working in law enforcement? Check out the JobMonkey law enforcement job guide and law enforcement job board.

Are you in the market for a new job? You may think that a six-figure job is out of your reach, but according to a Western Michigan news station, there are a growing number of jobs that pay top salaries.

There are even plenty of six-figure jobs, the report says, that don’t require an advanced degree — or even any degree for that matter.

Making the list were plumbers and pipe fitters, police detectives, ultrasound technicians and court reporters. Also on the list was the job of air traffic controller — which also makes our list for high-paying position.

Now, I had no idea that ultrasound techs and court reporters were pulling in six-figure paychecks, but according to salary.com, a good number are.  If you want to learn more about what it is like to be an air traffic controller or what police detective jobs entail, you can check out our JobMonkey job profiles.

Check out our new section on Six-Figure Jobs and do your own job search at our High Paying Job Board.

Each Thursday, I answer readers’ questions about their job search process. I love hearing from you, so please don’t be shy — send me your questions via email or leave a comment in the section below.  Check out past Reader Mailbags, where we have covered everything from how to find a job at Disney World to how to ask for a raise.

Dear JobMonkey,

I’m interested in a career in law enforcement. I’m 18 years old and have a clean record — never arrested for a felony and only two speeding tickets. Do I need to get a degree in Criminal Justice from a four-year college? Or can I just take a few classes at my local community college. My family can’t really afford to send me to college right now, so I’m a bit worried about that.

Thank you,
Vissily in New York

Dear Vissily,

Thanks for your question, Vissily! The field of law enforcement is incredibly broad — from local patrol officers to special agents with the secret service and DEA agents.

In other words, the background, education and training that you need to land a job in law enforcement varies enormously, depending on the type of job you want!

Here are some things to keep in mind. At a minimum, you must have completed your high school education and pass all written and field examinations for the force.

Most local police departments will not require you to have a college degree — although an Associates or Bachelors degree certainly won’t hurt your chances, especially if you want to advance to detective. A great major for a would-be law enforcement officer is criminal justice, but sociology, law, computers and science are also great choices.

In addition to your academic preparation, becoming a police officer demands that you be in peak physical condition. Did you participate in organized sports in high school? Team athletics are a great way to get in shape for policing. So are long-distance running, weight lifting and swimming.

Whatever your academic (and sports) background, you must pass through the screening process to qualify for the police academy. For most local police departments, that process starts with the civil service exam. Simultaneously, your background will be thoroughly checked — so your lack of arrests is obviously a good thing, but you may want to slow down a bit behind the wheel as well.

In addition, you will need to pass a physical exam, which will test your endurance and strength, plus things like hearing and vision acuity. Not to mention there will be a drug screen. You will also undergo a number of interviews with the department.

The final step is the screening process is training with the police academy, which combines book learning with field competencies. Along the way, there will be examinations to weed out everyone but the most qualified cadets.

While the process is no doubt grueling, if this is your dream, then you should definitely go for it! Good luck to you!

I posted yesterday about the new JobMonkey section about fire fighter jobs. Well, along those lines, we’ve got another brand new section I wanted to draw your attention to, this one on Careers in Law Enforcement. Since 9-11, the number of law enforcement jobs at local, state and federal has increased across the board. The relatively new Department of Homeland Security has also created a bevy of security jobs. Come visit the Law Enforcement section to learn more about all these opportunities — from local patrol officer jobs to federal secret service agent careers. We cover everything from job requirements, training programs, advancement opportunities, salary and benefits.