criminology graduate with youth studies (uk))?

Question

how does someone with the above degree get a job when everyone asks for work experience?

Answer 1

Volunteer at a young offenders' institute or somewhere similar, but I'm not sure it would help. Sorry, but you've done a "non-degree"...it's better than psychology or sociology, but I'd expect a criminologist to have done at least an MA if not a Phd in order to be employable. It's not your fault, it's the fault of universities which offer such courses, you might have been better off doing something scientific at BSc, followed by a more specialised MA.

Answer 2

You'd be well placed to go a job in the National Probation Service, which could lead to a career in probation or with a youth offending team. People usually join the NPS as either a Probation Service Officer or a Trainee Probation Officer. PSOs do a variety of work including court duty, supervising lower risk offenders, running offending behaviour programmes, and supervising offenders on unpaid work. TPOs are in a 2 year paid training role and will graduate as qualified Probation Officers writing court reports and dealing with more risky cases. Many TPOs have a first degree in criminology, sociology or psychology.

Answer 3

well. i graduated june 2005...

I have to say u gotta get exp. They way volunteer..even it were 2hrs a week. i know its hard as i worked full time and went uni but i does make a diff. if it helps i did this...im now joing the police full time and i work in a police control room at the mo


i went to my local police station and said ..right for my whole last year at uni can i come in for a day or couple hrs a week nad visit every dept u have and every person u have that is in this station and find out what u do. the auditors and researchers for the crime and safety audit..the safer neighbourhood teams..police officers...i read through everything.

i also became a specail constable and i looked for any job that i could do part time that was criminology related..police probation prevention crime prevention.

Answer 4

The key is always to work on peoples perceptions.

Yes, volunteering is always a way of gaining experience, however it is not necessary. If it is not adequately structured it is not aways of the practical use that you or might think. Therefore,be careful if you intend to start volunteering with the ulterior motive of getting paid work, volunteer work is often more far removed from the job than the degree, so I'd work with the many skills and experinces you gained on that degree .(perhaps you undertestimate these? this is what my answer will work on)

Just as effective could be to find work in a related field, using the skills and experience that you do have, and this is where the 3-4 year degree comes into its own when put on paper. Remember, if your degree, take mine for example, is seen simply as: LL.B (Hons) 2:1 it's really not selling itself. BUt when you analyse the 3-4 years, and really look back across all the seminars, lectures, practicals (and law is a lot drier than crimonology and youth studies) then you should see a great pattern of markertable skills and experiences. List these, and apply them in the context of job descriptions and the market place you wish to enter. Speak to companies and organisations,ther are many people, like me, who've been there, are on the insiude now, and wish to help you because they've been where you are right now.

Don't be scared to embellish your cv either. Many entry level/graduate level jobs are not as involved as they might first sound on paper. I have a degree and 10 years working experience, and the job descriptions for the jobs I've actually done sound far more daunting than they actaully are when you're doing them. (HR people take note, you're scaring off great candidates!)

Again, make sure you have analysed yourself from a market skills and experience point of view, from the employers shoes. Use projects or practicals done on your degree or college course to state that you have experience in certain fields, or areas.

Don;t be put off by daunting job descriptions, employers find it just as hard writing these as do applicants their responses.
Job descriptions are usally written with their ideal-superman-like candidate in mind, however in practice this is rarely the actual end result. Therfore, if you can word your applications well enough to land you the interview, then half the battle is won. When employers say they want experience, they are bascailly saying they don;t want to spend too much money or time training you, and that they'd prefer to get someone whom they dont need to train or spend money on. Tough! Most people with experience are already happlily employed.

As a crimonoligist you'll be gald to hear that the catch 22 regards - 'how do you get experience without experience?' is actually A HUGE CLUE. If this was really the case no on would ever get a start, so stay positive, don;t be put off by lack of experience. If employers can't get their 'ideal' candidates with experience, then they look to the next best thing, which is those who are able to place related experince in the context of their (the employers) workplace. OR, those who have worded things cleverly enough AND can walk the walk. (demonstrate ability)
Do your research! If they say they need someone who has an understanding of xxxx then go get an understanding of xxx!
If they need someone with experience interviewing youths, then go get it by interviewing some youths. Anyone can invent a project or do research which places them in a position of having confidence, experience, and skills. A job description is an invitation for you to become the person they are looking for, as they give you all the info you need about the person they say they want.
I know that 92.5 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot, but i'd also like to point out that 80% or more of the people embellish their cvs in some way, because so long as your not lying about a degree, or a workplace, or your age , you can say what you like on your resume and make it perfect for each employer, because so long as you have the skills of learning and you've done your research adequately enough then you will be the right person for that job. Employers are a unfamiliar with you as you are with they, but the employee has the upper hand because there are few limits on the research you can do about the company, whereas you control the reasearch they do on you, because you are you. SO create a boigger brighther better marketable you!
CAVEAT: Remember, its fundamentally all about what you can DO.
View job descriptions as a challenge to go get the skills they are seeking, in effect be the person they are looking for! If you have a related degree, then chances are you have touched upon the theory work, so just use you brain. A week working on a project with the aim of gaining "experience' could amount to more than a years experince volunteering.
Don;t be scared to make something up, because it's really the only employers lack of imagination that can't see how graduates don;t always need 'experience', so use your imagination as the antidote, and appease their need to get someone with experience by finding creative ways of 'getting' experience.

I really hope you do well , and that I've helped. I've been there and applied all the things I've learnt to land some great jobs and projects despite what I'd call a 'perceived lack of experience - on paper.'

The key is to work on peoples perceptions...

ps if you have any other questionsor need some help email me at [e-mail]

Answer 5

I think you may have to volunteer to work for free for a while so you can gain some experience. Applying for an internship is usually best.

Answer 6

you will have to start off doing free work, nyaaaa