What are the best personality characteristics for a career in criminal justice?

Do you have the right personality characteristics for a criminal justice career? If you have a passion for criminal justice and you would like to work in this field, you need to be sure that you are the right fit. There are many different criminal justice related positions that match certain personality types, and knowing which title is right for you, before you begin to study for a degree, can help you make the best decisions for your future. Here is a guide to criminal justice careers and the personality traits best suited for them.

Personality Traits of Paralegals

Are you interested in starting your career in criminal justice as a court reporter or an entry-level paralegal? If these positions interest you, you should be a detail-oriented professional who is highly organized and able to follow directions. Paralegals and court reporters work for lawyers and judges, and they are expected to follow directions while meeting all of their deadlines. It is also important that you are able to pay attention to detail, so that correspondence and documents do not have any errors. Any errors made in these settings could be the difference between winning and losing a case.

Personality Traits of Criminologists

If you want to study crimes or criminal behavior and be an expert witness for the courts, you may want to study criminology. To work in this area of criminal justice, you need to be an inquisitive and analytical person.  You will create criminal profiles and use data and statistics to help law enforcement identify and catch possible suspects.

Personality Traits for Mediators and Police Officers

You may not think that mediators and police officers need to possess some of the same traits, but they do. To work in mediation and law enforcement, you need to be a natural problem solver, with keen listening and observation skills, who can approach situations in an unbiased manner. Mediators work to help settle legal disputes out of court. Police officers work in a criminal setting and analyze evidence to decide how to respond to crimes. While each role may require other traits, problem-solving and observation skills play a major role in both careers.

Personality Types of Law Office Managers or Law Enforcement Captains

If you are a take charge person and you enjoy leading others, law office or law enforcement management could be the right setting for you. You will need a natural ability to lead and supervise staff members. You also need to be skilled in conflict resolution so that you can maintain the peace and stay in charge. If you are not able to make tough decisions and give direction, these may not the right positions for you.

There are plenty of different career paths that you can take when you want to work in criminal justice. You can work in administration, in the justice department, in law enforcement and even in medicine as a forensic specialist. Assess your own personality before you decide which career is best for you. Take the Myers Briggs test to determine your strengths.  Once you know the personality characteristics for a criminal justice career, you can select the path that is best for you.

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