Is a Criminal Justice Degree worth it?

Is it really hard to find a job with a Criminal Justice degree?

• I'm majoring in Criminal Justice and I'm going to transfer to 4-year university in Fall 2012. I'm planning a career toward becoming a crime analyst, or any related fields that are administrative jobs, office type jobs, or investigating jobs, other than becoming a police, sheriff, FBI, correction, probation officer, or anything that deals with guns and criminals. I have heard that people are having hard time finding a job with a Criminal Justice degree and it makes worry because that is the only major I want to pursue. I don't know what I should do because I don't want to work for minimum wage jobs for all the work I put through my education. If I take most of my classes for becoming a crime analyst for my Criminal Justice degree, but decided to switch my career as an investigator, can I still find a job in investigative field even though I didn't take any investigative classes, but I have Criminal Justice degree? Also, if I minor in Accounting will that get me a job in accounting field if I can't find a job with Criminal Justice degree?

• Answer:

  You have to apply. Apply to many law enforcement departments. You may be required to attend a police academy for a period of time as a term of employment. Right now state, county and local municipalities are for the most part broke and are forced to make cuts in their departments. Thus many are not hiring especially specialized fields. Apply at county and state levels as most local municipalities require employees to live within the city, village or township limits. You have a much greater chance to be hired in some capacity if you apply at the state or county level.