I have a bs degree and don't know what to do with it

[BearStrike2010]

Game warden maybe?

[Big Lee]

In TX as long as you have a bachelors you can do an alternative teaching certificate program and teach. I'd pick high school of any sort and go for it. Criminal Justice teachers are always needed if that's what you're interested in. I think this past year Killeen had two openings. The pay is decent and you only work 187 days a year. Good benefits and career to be proud of.

[Thumper]

Don't have a clue where you should start, but congrats on all the hard work to get your bs in cj.

BIMMHYARTPC.........

[buckmastertexas]

Plant operator.

My brother works for lyondell Basel and does really well and doesn't have a degree.

What did it take for him to become a plant operator?

[Mayhem]

What did it take for him to become a plant operator?

He isnt an operator yet. He has been there a year and 1/2 and is going up the ladder. He does really well as they make excellent money and work plenty of OT.

[Strummer]

I work in a chemical plant . Lot of guys here with degree has nothing to do with what they do for a living .

[justincorbell]

Lots of folks here with a "bs" degree. Unfortunately, it's nothing to do with their education.

I got my masters in bs.......3 times just cuz I could!

[camo_cowboy55]

i think my the reason why im not wanting leo anymore is because ive been trying with this department for a long time now i mean ive tested with them 8 times and havent been hired yet, my confidence has been shot and wanting to try something else i might like.

i shouldnt put all my eggs in one basket and should try else where. but i dont think the good Lord wants me as a cop think he has something else instore for me.

[Bowtechlady]

i think my the reason why im not wanting leo anymore is because ive been trying with this department for a long time now i mean ive tested with them 8 times and havent been hired yet, my confidence has been shot and wanting to try something else i might like.

i shouldnt put all my eggs in one basket and should try else where. but i dont think the good Lord wants me as a cop think he has something else instore for me.

30 years and counting LEO here with same degree. It will open doors for you. What advice I can give you is get your foot in the door where you can and get some experience and then go where you want. I started where I could and went up from there. I have had an amazing career and wouldn't change anything nor the path I took.

I have travelled the world and experienced some amazing opportunities and it all evolved from a BS in CJ.

[legolas]

Fire investigators

[HuntTX]

Why is it better than police? I'm sure they may say the same for theirs.

Cops and fireman go back and forth about this. Just a joke that some fireman/cops would understand. Both are awesome jobs serving the public.

[rockyraider]

Man, I honestly don't have any great advice for you but I'll put my $.02 in. I have a BBA and MS degree in fields other than CJ. I've been a cop for 12 years now. I also work in the Austin area, so PM me if you'd like regarding the department you've applied with 8 times and have had no success.

In all honesty, only you can decide what path in life you want to take. If you really want to work in LE, you need to change your approach to entering the field. Focusing on one department and putting "all of your eggs in one basket" is a recipe for failure. Getting into LE just doesn't work like that most of the time. Breaking into the field can be challenging but its certainly doable if you have the drive and determination to see it through. Many departments can be pretty fickle about who and why they hire certain applicants. Plenty of guys have not been hired by a certain department, got on somewhere else to get some experience, then get picked up with a few years of experience under their belts.

My experience with all of the other "LE" related jobs such as loss prevention, internal investigators, etc. is that those jobs are far and few between. Most of them seem to pay substantially less than what a good PD will pay, especially when you consider OT opportunities and such. Lots of the corporate secuity/investigator type positions are taken by retired law enforcement officers who have many years of experience and specific investigative skills.

Outside of LE, the only options I see are to go back to school and get a specific degree in a field that will lead you directly into a specific job. I would caution you though that just because you go spend $50k on an MBA, it doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to walk into a high paying corporate gig. Most people job hop, make connections, and get specific experiennce/skills that lead them to their "dream position". Nothing happens just because you have a degree. Outside of that, the oilfield or plant/operations type work may be your best bet. You could always start your own business but doing so would certainly present a whole new set of challenges.

[kumathebear]

Lots of great advice....at 27 I would look at WHAT I enjoyed the most and try to match a career. Someone said GW.....anyway, research and go with your likes and NOT just the $$. Lot's of folks making the $$ they want AND HATING WHAT THEY DO EVERY DAY!!

[flywise]

State Game warden. Federal Game warden
Head of security for a Plant
Points toward the Fire Department test
theres a lot of things you can do simply because you have that piece of paper

[bsimpson]

Military