Criminal Justice Resume Example
Starting a career as a criminal justice professional gives you the chance to gain experience in enforcing laws consistently and collaborating with law enforcement. To succeed in your applications for criminal justice professional roles, you'll need a resume that reflects your relevant skills and experience. In this article, we'll outline how to write a winning resume to boost your chances of success in your criminal justice professional applications.
The aim of this article is to equip you with all the knowledge required to create a resume that positions you to succeed in your criminal justice professional applications. You'll learn how to show employers you've got the relevant qualities, skills and experience for the job, all presented in a format that employers prefer to see. The article also includes tips for formatting your resume according to your experience and strengths. Read on to access expert insights from Jobseeker that will help you create a winning criminal justice resume.
Main elements of a criminal justice resume
Although the content of a criminal justice resume may differ according to your experience and seniority, the main sections will remain the same.
If you're applying for junior, entry-level or graduate criminal justice professional positions and you lack work experience, consider using a skills-based resume format to emphasize your skills and education. Draw attention to your soft and transferable skills, as employers will value these highly for entry-level roles. You could also mention any internships, training or volunteer work that helps you showcase skills relevant to the position.
If you have some experience as a criminal justice professional, use a traditional, reverse-chronological resume format and focus on showing how you've used the skills required for the job in your career to date. By using this resume format you can focus on showing how your experience has helped you develop the required skills for the job. Review the job description to understand which key skills and experience to focus on.
If you're applying for senior criminal justice professional positions, you'll want to list career achievements and successes that emphasize your senior status. Use a reverse-chronological format and add extra sections to show key career highlights. Some elements to include in a senior resume for maximum impact might include awards, publications, conference presentations or professional memberships. By adding these sections, it's likely that your resume will be longer than a junior resume.
The order you present these sections can vary according to your career stage, but it's still essential to include each of the following:
Header and Personal Information
Your criminal justice resume header should contain your name and contact details. These include your email address and phone number. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can also add that, to give employers the chance to learn more about your skills and experience. It's not necessary to include a photo or any other personal information. Make your resume header clear, concise and as brief and compact as possible. Consider different layouts that spread the information horizontally across the page rather than using a different line for each piece of information.
Opt for a professional-looking email address based on your name. If your email address could be construed as unprofessional or inappropriate because it contains nicknames or unsuitable language, create a new, more professional email address for your job applications. Always check your contact details to make sure they're up-to-date before you send your resume.
Jordan Hall
jordan.hall@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
280 South Verde Street, Los Angeles, CA
linkedin․com/in/jordan–hall123
Resume Objective
The next section is the resume summary. The section might also be called 'resume objective' or 'personal profile'. This is a brief introduction to you, your key skills and your career achievements and ambitions. While a resume summary focuses on your career achievements and experience, a resume objective typically focuses on your ambitions for the future. Always make sure your summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for criminal justice professional roles.
Alternatively, use this summary to introduce your personal career ambitions and explain why criminal justice professional roles are a good fit for you at this stage of your career.
A strong resume summary focuses on two or three key skills and achievements that showcase your suitability for criminal justice professional roles in a clear, quantifiable way. It also gives an insight into your personal qualities, to help the reader understand why you're a suitable candidate. See below for some great examples of what to include in your criminal justice resume summary.
Good example:
Dedicated Criminal Justice professional with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and extensive experience as a Criminal Investigator. Proven track record in conducting thorough investigations, gathering and analyzing evidence, and collaborating with law enforcement agencies. Highly skilled in case management, interviewing witnesses, and preparing detailed reports. Committed to upholding the law and ensuring justice with integrity and precision
Bad example:
Worked in criminal justice with some education in the field. Have done investigations and worked with evidence. Collaborated with others in law enforcement. Managed cases, talked to people, and wrote reports. Focused on following the rules and doing things right
Conversely, a bad resume summary might be too generic, lacking focus on the specifics of the job description. It will also fail to provide any useful insights on what makes you a unique candidate. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your criminal justice resume summary.
Work History
In your work experience section, list any previous relevant roles you've worked in, as well as your key achievements as a criminal justice professional. Add each previous employment in reverse-chronological order. This means starting from your current or most recent role and working back in time from there. Include your job title, the company name, the location of the job and your dates of employment.
In addition, include a few bullet points under each job, highlighting your key achievements so the hiring manager can see how they led to successful outcomes. Back up each point with evidence to show how you meet the job description.
A good resume work experience section includes your most relevant previous jobs and highlights your key achievements in each role. To make the best possible impression on hiring managers, make sure each entry in your work experience section references skills and experience listed in the job description, and shows how you added value to each role with quantifiable evidence and outcomes. Review some strong examples of resume work experience sections in the graphic below.
Good example:
Criminal Investigator, January 2022 - Present
Justice Solutions Group, San Antonio
- Solved 95% of assigned cases, leading to a 25% reduction in local crime rates over three years
- Successfully led a multi-agency task force, resulting in the conviction of a high-profile organized crime syndicate
- Recovered $2 million in stolen assets and facilitated the arrest of 15 suspects in a major fraud investigation
Bad example:
Criminal Investigator, January 2022 - Present
Justice Solutions Group, San Antonio
- Handled various cases to improve community safety and security
- Led teams to achieve significant law enforcement goals
- Recovered assets and facilitated arrests in complex investigations
The example above can give you some idea of what not to include in your resume work experience section. Less effective resume work experience sections might take a more vague, descriptive approach to previous jobs. They focus on responsibilities and everyday duties rather than referencing career achievements and the value you've added for previous employers.
Education
In this section list any educational qualifications or degrees that are relevant to criminal justice professional roles.
If you're applying for criminal justice professional positions you'll typically need to have a degree. A Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice will usually help your chances of success. You could also list any qualifications that demonstrate your evidence handling protocols or crime scene analysis.
List your relevant qualifications in reverse-chronological order. Add the name and level of the award, the institution, its location (if this isn't obvious from the name) and your dates of study. You can enhance this section by adding bullet points that show any outstanding grades, awards or achievements and any specialist subjects you studied. These details can make you stand out from other candidates.
If you organized or participated in any clubs or societies while at university, or you took part in any voluntary work, you could also mention these here.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, 2017 - 2020
Boston University, Boston, MA
Skills
Listing your key skills can help to prove your suitability for criminal justice professional jobs. These could be report writing accuracy, conflict resolution or various other relevant skills. Again, refer to the job description and make sure you include skills that the employer has listed as essential or desirable for employment as a criminal justice professional.
Showcasing hard skills on your criminal justice resume
In your hard skills list, include any specific abilities related to the role you're applying for. These could be technical skills or industry knowledge that showcases your expertise in your chosen profession. Furthermore, an extensive list of hard skills helps to make a compelling case for your criminal justice professional job applications, as they show employers your understanding of the criminal justice professional role. If possible, add four or five hard skills that reflect the requirements of the job description. These will boost your chances of success in your applications.
If you want to make a strong impression with your hard skills list, focus on hard skills that align with your specific industry expertise, and that reflect the job description. For inspiration on the right type of hard skills for a criminal justice professional resume, see below.
- Legal research proficiency
- Crime scene analysis
- Evidence handling protocols
Showcasing your best soft skills
In your list of soft skills, add any personal strengths, qualities or transferable skills that make you a good fit for the job. Soft skills are often less specific to different industries, but that doesn't make them any less important. Indeed, without soft skills, you may struggle to adapt to criminal justice professional roles or meet the standards expected of you. So make sure you include several key soft skills on your resume. In this section, add four of five transferable skills that match the job description.
A strong soft skills section should play to your strengths, listing skills that reflect your personal qualities while also reflecting the skills listed in the job description. For some examples of good soft skills for a criminal justice resume, see below.
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking
- Emotional intelligence
Relevant Certifications and Licenses
Your certifications section is the place to mention any relevant professional criminal justice professional certifications, licenses or qualifications. Add any official certifications or accreditations that increase your level of qualification and suitability for working as a criminal justice professional. Therefore, make sure you list the dates of your certifications and licenses so employers can see they're up-to-date and valid.
See below for some suggestions of relevant certifications for a criminal justice resume:
- Certified Fraud Examiner, 2022
- Crime Scene Investigator, 2022
- Certified Criminal Analyst, 2022
Hear from experts:
Additional Information
To provide further information on your suitability for the role, you could add some optional sections to a criminal justice professional resume. Choose any optional sections that showcase essential or desirable skills or experience for criminal justice professional jobs.
Personal Interests
Including your hobbies and interests can be a valuable way of showing your key skills and qualities. Hobbies can help you show different sides of your personality and make your resume more memorable to hiring managers. They're ideal to include if you're a junior candidate who might lack real world criminal justice professional experience. Only include hobbies and interests that showcase your personality and personal qualities, and add something different to your application.
Volunteering
If you're lacking relevant criminal justice professional work experience, volunteer work can help to show you still have the relevant skills. List your volunteer job title, the organization you volunteered for, its location and the dates of your involvement, alongside a brief explanation of your responsibilities in the role.
References
It's not typical to include references in a criminal justice resume, but some employers might ask for them. Don't add references unless requested by the employer. Be sure to prepare your referees in advance, so they've agreed to provide a reference and are ready to be contacted.
References are available upon request.
Best action words for your criminal justice resume
Add strong verbs to your work experience section to show the hiring manager the impact you made in your previous roles. Choose verbs from the suggestions below that highlight your key skills or those mentioned in the job description.
- Investigate
- Analyze
- Enforce
- Apprehend
- Document
- Supervise
- Mediate
- Interrogate
- Collaborate
- Report
Jobseeker's resume templates were created by careers experts to help you produce a professional resume in minutes. You can also find cover letter templates to complete an eye-catching job application that gets you noticed.
Example of a criminal justice resume
Now we've covered the main sections to include in your criminal justice resume, let's take a look at how it all comes together in the example below:
280 South Verde Street, Los Angeles, CA
•
jordan.hall@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/jordan–hall123
Dedicated Criminal Justice professional with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and experience as a Criminal Justice Analyst. Proficient in data analysis, case management, and policy evaluation. Demonstrated ability to assess and improve criminal justice processes, ensuring compliance with legal standards and enhancing operational efficiency. Strong analytical, research, and communication skills, with a commitment to upholding justice and public safety
Criminal Justice Analyst
2020
-2022
Justice Insights Solutions (Denver)
- Successfully reduced crime rates by 15% through data-driven policy recommendations and strategic planning
- Developed comprehensive crime trend reports leading to more efficient resource allocation and improved law enforcement operations
- Implemented advanced analytical tools and methodologies, enhancing the accuracy of criminal behavior predictions and case resolutions by 25%
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
2017
-2020
University of Missouri (Columbia, Missouri)
Legal research proficiency
Crime scene analysis
Evidence handling protocols
Communication skills
Critical thinking
Emotional intelligence
Certified Fraud Examiner
Crime Scene Investigator
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Tips for criminal justice professional resumes
Tips to write the best resume
- Tailor your resume to the job you're applying for by consulting the job description and using keywords throughout your document.
- Use strong verbs to help show the actions you've taken in different criminal justice professional roles (e.g. collaborate, report, investigate).
- Add your relevant education details, including any high grades such as your GPA or degree result.
- Make your criminal justice resume short and to-the-point. A length of one page is ideal for junior roles, while two is acceptable for senior applications.
- List your relevant work experience in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent job.
Keep away from these common resume mistakes
- Don't list work experience that has no relation to the role you're applying for. It wastes space and is unlikely to impress hiring managers.
- Don't use overly complex formatting and layouts that can make your criminal justice resume harder to read, and less scannable for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
- Don't lie or exaggerate about your criminal justice professional experience or achievements as it can harm your chances in the long term.
- Don't fill your resume with industry jargon or business-speak that could alienate the reader.
- Don't include personal details beyond your name, location and contact details. Adding your age, gender, nationality or a photo can create unwanted hiring bias.
Making an ATS-friendly resume
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is just one of the tools employers and recruiters can use to streamline their hiring practices. This typically includes screening candidates by scanning and ranking their resumes based on their likely suitability for any vacancy. There are several things you can do when writing your criminal justice resume, to give yourself the strongest chance of ranking highly in the ATS stage and progressing through the recruitment process.
Follow these simple rules when writing your resume, to make sure it's ATS compliant:
- Adopt a traditional structure for your resume, such as a reverse-chronological format or a functional format. These are likely to be the easiest layouts for ATS software to scan.
- Include keywords throughout your resume that align with the job description. ATS software tends to compare your resume to the job description for points of similarity, so careful, considered use of keywords should help your chances of success.
- Use clear headings that break your resume up into readable, scannable sections that match the standard content employers expect from a resume.
- Use design elements that help make your resume more readable. These might include white space, clear, professional fonts and subtle color accents to help certain elements stand out.
- Adopt simple, professional language to keep your resume as concise as possible. This tends to make your document more readable, and easier for ATS software to scan.
If you need help creating a professional resume, take a look at our expert career articles and variety of resume examples created by careers experts.
Frequently Asked Questions for a criminal justice resume
As well as writing a professional criminal justice resume, you'll need a cover letter to introduce yourself and emphasize your credentials.
Firstly, think about whether you want to write a full, formal cover letter or whether a brief email to introduce yourself and draw attention to your resume will suffice.
For a full, traditional cover letter, follow formal letter-writing conventions with your header, address line and greetings. The main text of the letter tends to be split into three short paragraphs. Firstly, introduce yourself, confirm the role you're applying for and explain why you're applying for the criminal justice professional role. In the second paragraph, highlight your skills and experience that are most relevant to the job description. The third paragraph gives you the opportunity to express your enthusiasm for the role and your gratitude to the employer, while leaving a call to action which encourages them to make contact with you.
Jobseeker's HR-approved cover letter templates can help you produce a cover letter that really catches the eye of employers.
If you have no experience, it's still possible to write a professional criminal justice resume that makes a positive impression on hiring managers. Opt for a skill-based resume format instead of a traditional layout. This places your skills and education in a more prominent position on your resume. Utilize additional sections at the end of your resume to show you've got what it takes to do the job. These include hobbies and interests, voluntary roles, certifications and internships.
You can use a resume headline to introduce your document and set the tone for your criminal justice professional applications. A well-written resume headline is also a way to increase your chances of passing the ATS resume scanning stage, by referencing keywords that match the job description. Write a short, concise resume headline incorporating the job title, one or two key skills that match the job description and a reference to your reputation or track record.
See an example resume headline below:
- Aspiring Criminal Justice Specialist
- Dedicated Criminal Justice Specialist
- Veteran Criminal Justice Expert
The best format for your resume depends on two key factors. Firstly, the amount of relevant work experience you have. Secondly, the type of role and its level of seniority. If you don't have much experience, for example if you're applying for a graduate role or changing careers, you might consider a functional resume format. This focuses on your skills and education above your work experience. If, however, you have relevant work experience in the industry, it's typically best to use a reverse chronological resume format. This highlights your achievements in work, which is probably the most important factor for hiring managers to consider.
Key points for your criminal justice resume
If you want to catch the eye of employers and recruiters, you need a professional resume that showcases your best skills and career achievements. Select a resume format that suits your experience levels and the job you're applying for, and make sure you tailor your resume for each application.
Use Jobseeker's resume templates, other tools and resources to create an application that impresses employers. Sign up today to access a wealth of valuable resume and cover letter resources. A stylish, professional cover letter can make all the difference to your job prospects. See Jobseeker's cover letter examples, written by careers experts, to help you craft an eye-catching application.
Sources:
(1) Tips for Writing a Federal Resume, U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/jobs/tips-for-writing-a-federal-resume
(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/
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