Tips for Moms Entering a Criminal Justice Career

To get off to a bright and exciting start to a new career in the criminal justice field, as an involved mother, you have to apply the skills that you learned in college toward your everyday life. For instance, creating a schedule that will enable you to work and still see your children regularly requires intensive problem solving skills. Look at your new career in the same manner as you would a new investigation.

Your online criminal justice masters degree is much more valuable than you think, especially as a busy mom. Here are some useful tips for moms that want to pursue their criminal justice career dreams without impacting on their family lives.

Structure Your Career around Your Life

If you are a mom and you are seeking employment in the criminal justice industry for the first time, there’s nothing wrong with being upfront with potential employers about your preferred work schedule. You can either look for jobs that will enable you to work when your kids are securely tucked into bed, or go after a career that will only require you to work while they are in school. Other considerations include summer break and snow days, but those are obstacles that you can overcome when you are faced with them. There has to be a balance between your criminal justice career and your duties as a mother, so it is best to start getting practice now.

Making the Right Kind of Sacrifices

There are lots of working mothers in criminal justice and other fields that have needed to make major sacrifices in order to hold their lives together.

For some, that means no more sleeping in on the weekends and for others, it might mean missing school plays and basketball games.

Even though you will need to make some concessions, if you are always thinking about the future most of your sacrifices only need to be temporary. With an online masters in criminal justice degree, you can break through occupational barriers that may have previously prevented you from charting your path. Think about all of the sacrifices you made in the past with no obvious rewards, and then compare that to what you’re doing in your career now.

Take Time Off When You Need It

This point is exceptionally important. As a working mother in the criminal justice industry, you absolutely cannot allow yourself to become mentally or physically overloaded. Your kids depend on you to not only provide, but to put forth a good example. Likewise, if you want to start a lasting career, you will need to show that you can handle pressure.

Before you get to the point of having a breakdown, step away and take a deep breath.

If you need time off from work, ask for it. In the event that your children become too demanding, let them know and create a better plan to help balance your criminal justice career and your family life.

Moms are now working alongside single people in their chosen careers, doing just as good a job as their peers in most cases. Mothers in criminal justice are capable of accomplishing anything they desire, so long as their home lives and work schedules are aligned. Don’t push yourself too fast to make strides in the criminal justice industry and you will know when everything is starting to fall into place.