<p>For a long time I've been wanting to be a sports broadcaster. Everyone knows that that is my goal in life. I have a passion and love for everything sports and have great speaking eloquence (sorry, I know that sounds conceited). However, I know that this is an extremely competitive field and I don't want to work my life away and never accomplish my dream.</p>
<p>And, lately, I've been thinking about how amazing it would be to be a criminal/homicide detective/investigator. The idea of trying to figure out mysteries and examining a culprit's mind and what led them to do what they did excites me. Of course, my dream would be to join the FBI as a special agent. But in order to do so, you need a lot of experience as police officer and also a detective. So it seems like a career that I won't truly start until my late 20s.</p>
<p>Ahhh, so I am VERY conflicted as you can tell. Both fields fascinate me and both are very competitive and I know my main worry for both is that I'll never be successful. So, I need outside opinions and thoughts. Pros and Cons are welcome.</p>
<p>I don’t have much knowledge about the first option, but if you want to become an investigator, really look into the realities of the field. It isn’t what you see on TV, and you’d be surprised how many jobs relating to forensics are extremely boring. I don’t mean to sound condescending, but the part where you say “examining a culprit’s mind and what led them to do what they did” sounds like you might be affected by what they call “the CSI effect.” Crime investigation isn’t about finding the little subtle clues that reveal the killer and the childhood traumas that led to his committing the crime; you gather evidence and turn it into the lab. Sometimes it is extremely obvious. Sometimes the person just gets away. Rarely EVER is what you see on TV a reality; rarely ever is there the evidence or a need to construct a persona. Investigation really is about gathering evidence and turning it in; if TV was a reality, forensic psychology would be a full-time career field. On the rare occasion when a police department needs a persona constructed, they’d call in a psychologist with a Master’s or PhD in forensic psychology to do it… not you.</p>
<p>Also, these are two careers, not majors. For the first, I imagine you’d want a Communications major. For the second, you must be a police officer for a set amount of years before even thinking of being promoted to investigator, so work on that first. </p>
<p>Again, I think you might be looking at the media-sensationalized idea of what an FBI special agent is. You don’t need to be a police officer and then a detective to be an FBI special agent. The job does not revolve around wearing shades, slicking back your hair, and running around with a gun like a movie star. The five entry programs for the FBI special agent position are: accounting, computer science/information technology, language, law, and diversified. They want people with skills in accounting, finance, computer science, foreign language proficiency, intelligence experience, law experience, military experience, and physical science experience. They also value law enforcement and investigative experience, but this in no way dominates the process.</p>
<p>If you’re serious about making a career as an investigator or as an FBI special agent, make sure you do your research and don’t base it off of what you see on TV.</p>
<p>I disagree with the becoming a police officer advice, but other than that I don’t disagree with the advice previously stated.</p>
<p>Here’s what I’d like to add. First, do the communications degree or better yet journalism. Then, if you decide you still want to work in the FBI then go to law school. I have a family member who is in a branch of government service in law enforcement. I won’t tell you where or what he does, but the sort of job that you describe is almost always coming from one of two places; the military or from law school. I know 4-5 people other than my cousin who are in that field.</p>
<p>The reason is that these investigations take forever. They are very boring and very difficult. So they want people who will, above anything else, not screw up. If the detectives are thinking like a prosecutor and trying to do everything they can to not screw up a future trial, then they will be the most successful detectives and gatherers of evidence. So, get a Journalism/Comm degree and then if you aren’t destined to be the next Chris Berman go to law school.</p>