I am in my forties, and I am currently enrolled in an online bachelor’s degree program.?
My selected field is criminal justice; however, I have read in several places that people over age 37 are not usually considered for jobs such as probation or parole officers. I assume that I am too old to be a police officer, although I am not interested in going that route, truthfully, there is not much I would like to do other than psychology or social work. I would like to do it in a correctional type atmosphere working with adults. The problem is that I started my degree in criminal justice and really do not want to disregard the classes I took or start over in another field. I plan to get my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and my master’s degree in social work. The problem is once I get my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, I am afraid that I will not be able to find a job. I am not sure that I will be able to get my master’s degree in social work, so I would like to play it safe just in case. I am not currently working in the criminal justice field and I have no previous experience in the field. Is it true that it is a hard field to break into without experience? Any suggestions on possible criminal justice careers I could do with a bachelor’s degree, while in my mid-forties?
You cannot be over the age of 37 and be hired as a FEDERAL probation officer because the federal system has mandatory retirement at age 57, and you have to have 20 years on the job to get your pension…
HOWEVER, there is no reason why you cannot become a city, county, or state probation officer…
Here are the requirements to become a probation officer in Indiana:
http://www.in.gov/judiciary/probation/qualifications.html
It is not a hard field to break into without experience… We all started with no experience… If you can get involved in an internship at a local probation department while you wrap up your degree, that would help… It will also increase your chances if you’re near a large city with a large probation department… By the simple virtue of the department’s size, there will be many more opportunities than in small departments…
Don’t worry about your age. It’s ILLEGAL to discriminate due to age. Keep this in mind. If you go into a potential employer with the attitude "I know I’m too old." They’ll probably think you are and won’t hire you. I’ve met several "older" women and what held them back was their attitude. They were usually stubborn, rigid and too demanding. Of course if someone has a choice they are not going to hire someone like that. Stay positive. You’re not dead yet!!! Keep fighting for what you want and enjoy!
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LikeDislikeevery state and most cities have different requirements…………………in NYC, you could be a court officer or a correction officer………..
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LikeDislikeIn general age can not be a criteria for a job (except for airline pilots). Also most people I know who go into probation or parole are older. Now a bigger question is will your degree be considered legitimate. Be careful of online programs – many are still not considered legitimate (this is especially true if you want to go on for your MSW). Probation and Parole jobs are getting harder to get and many are hiring at the MA level. You may want to understand what the needs and criteria are in your area. Your education so far should not be a waste as a good chunk of it will be liberal arts and transferable to any school (provided the school you are at is accredited by a regional accrediting body and not the association of online schools- which is what some of them hold out and this accreditation is not recognised).
DA
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LikeDislikeYou cannot be over the age of 37 and be hired as a FEDERAL probation officer because the federal system has mandatory retirement at age 57, and you have to have 20 years on the job to get your pension…
HOWEVER, there is no reason why you cannot become a city, county, or state probation officer…
Here are the requirements to become a probation officer in Indiana:
http://www.in.gov/judiciary/probation/qualifications.html
It is not a hard field to break into without experience… We all started with no experience… If you can get involved in an internship at a local probation department while you wrap up your degree, that would help… It will also increase your chances if you’re near a large city with a large probation department… By the simple virtue of the department’s size, there will be many more opportunities than in small departments…
References :
12 years as an Indiana probation officer
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