Military Careers, Second Careers - Army Times

Join federal law enforcement’s elite

You need at least a bachelor’s degree these days to compete for prized positions in federal law enforcement — to investigate environmental crimes, examine forensic evidence or detect high-tech intruders into classified computer systems.

And with the right background, there’s a good chance of getting the job. Federal agencies are recruiting thousands of people, especially to serve as Customs and Border Protection officers and professional staff for the FBI. You could be a great fit for some of these jobs, even without a college education.

But if you’ve got the time to get the right credentials, you could become one of these modern-day super sleuths:

Criminal investigator

The Coast Guard Investigative Service conducts the agency’s internal and external investigations, working outside the Coast Guard’s operational chain of command. Applicants to become civilian investigators are encouraged to hold four-year degrees, and prior law enforcement experience is generally required.

• Degree you need: You raise your chance of getting hired with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

• More prospects: For law enforcement jobs in general, you can’t really go wrong with a criminal justice degree. The ranks of the nation’s police officers and detectives are expected to swell to nearly 1 million over the next nine years.

Forensic scientist

The FBI’s Laboratory Division provides forensic and technical services, including crime-scene searches, surveillance photography and examinations of latent fingerprints, biological materials, explosives, drugs and firearms.

Military experience in hazardous materials, explosives and weapons of mass destruction is valuable.

• Degree you need: Your chances of getting hired rise with a degree in forensic science specializing in biology or chemistry.

• More prospects: Opportunities are growing for forensic science technicians, who often qualify with only an associate degree. Demand is expected to grow by 31 percent by 2016.

Security engineering officer

The State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security began using technology to detect and remove listening devices from department facilities 40 years ago.

The bureau continually recruits engineers to protect against electronic intrusion, particularly at the more than 265 U.S. embassies, missions and consulates abroad.

• Degree you need: Security engineering officers must hold a bachelor of science degree in electrical or electronics engineering or engineering technology, mechanical or computer engineering, or physics. Before you start a program, be sure it’s accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology. These are the only degrees the bureau recognizes.

• More prospects: Engineers accounted for about 1.5 million U.S. jobs as of 2006. They worked in every state and every major industry. An additional 160,000 jobs are expected by 2016, not counting positions that open up because of retirements.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Bureau of Diplomatic Security