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Young Forensic Scientists Forum Newsletter - November 2001 Realities
of a Career in Forensic Science. . .And Free Diet Cokes |
| It's not all bad. I promise. As a matter of a fact, I could not imagine doing anything else, and would not do anything else at this point in my life. I guess we all just tend to focus on the bad when we realize the realities of a career in forensic science. As with anything else you have expectations, and when those expectations are met …well, it is just what you expected. Therefore we often times do not get excited about the good in our job, and tend to dwell on the bad. We dwell on the things we did not think we would have to deal with, the things we said we would never do, (but we are now doing), and everything we want to change or correct. As with anything else there are surprises. For those of you who attended the panel discussion (“Expectations and Realities of Forensic Science Employment”) at the AAFS Annual Meeting in Seattle you heard many discussions about the expectations and realities of a job in forensic science. Eva Skarshinski also published her presentation in the May/ June YFSF Newsletter. The purpose of this panel and these follow-up articles is to inform young forensic scientists that many of us expect the same things, and now many of us are dealing with the same realities. Whether you want to label them as surprises, harsh realities, or disappointments I hope to make some of those realities clear by publishing a version of my presentation on the panel. I do this so that everyone does not have to deal with the same realities that many of my peers and I dealt with when we started looking for jobs and entered the career field. I think the biggest reality begins with the job search. We all think with our master's degrees, bachelor's degrees, and internships we are sure to obtain our dream job as soon as we have the diploma in hand. Unfortunately that is not the case. When many people start searching for employment they realize that EXPERIENCE is the key word. Then comes the age-old question of, "How am I supposed to gain experience if no one will hire me without experience?" The answer to that question is internships, internships, internships. Everyone that was on the panel at last year’s meeting could not stress the importance of internships enough. Not only do you gain the ever-important experience, you also make connections that can eventually help you in obtaining a job. Even if your internship does not turn into a job, the connections you make during your internship can help you in finding a job. Internships also look good on resumes and show that you are really interested in the field, and did not just pick the degree out of the academic catalog because it sounded nice. The other harsh reality regarding the job search is that since most of them are government jobs, there has to be a job opening. Unlike people going into the business world, the government dictates our jobs. Therefore funds have to be set aside and there has to be a job opening before you can get hired. So no matter how good your resume looks and how experienced you are, if there is not a job opening, then….. well….. you are not getting hired. This leads to the next reality regarding willingness to take a job anywhere in the country. Actually most of my classmates from graduate school lucked out and ended up getting jobs in the cities where they wanted to work. However, this came after lots of money was spent on express mailing (because students always procrastinate) applications across the country, flying across the country to interviews on a student budget (a.k.a. a credit card), and resolving to move anywhere to get a foot in the door. Unfortunately, once again, you will not be treated like your peers applying for jobs in the business world. A state or county crime lab will not fly you to an interview, pay for your hotel and food expenses, pick you up from the airport, or give you any type of signing bonus. But, being a forensic scientist is what we wanted to do, right? Friends of mine majoring in human resources and business got their first job out of graduate school making in the $60,000-$70,000 range, along with bonuses, freebies, and lots of perks. I started around $25,000 after spending my own money to fly to Atlanta three times for interviews, background checks, and to find a place to live. There are no perks other than free Diet Cokes at the local Quik Trip, the occasional discount on meals given to law enforcement, and perhaps the opportunity to get out of a speeding ticket. However, I said it was not all bad, right? We'll get to the good in a minute. For now lets discuss the things I said I would never do. For example, one of the million reasons I am not a police officer is because I could never be such a severe fashion victim as to wear a polyester uniform. Of course, guess what I am now wearing . . . a uniform. Thank goodness it is not polyester or I might not be able to handle it. I wanted a job as a crime scene investigator so badly; I did not even care when I was told I would have to wear a uniform. That is a big deal for me. So, when I started working as a CSI we had the most hideous circa 1950’s uniforms. Therefore, I got them changed to something more modern. Now I am actually glad that I wear a uniform, because I could not imagine getting my clothes as dirty as I get my uniform, and I could not imagine what some of my co-workers would wear to work if we did not have uniforms. It would probably be worse than the 1950's garb. What I learned from that experience, and many others, is that the bad things about your job can often be changed with a little initiative and education. Besides if you have to wear uniforms, they might as well look good. I also thought as soon as I graduated and got a job my employer would be paying for all my training expenses. I would be the one asking for receipts at the AAFS meeting and getting my airfare, hotel room, and food paid for my employer. Wrong again. Since I work for a County government that provides its own in-service training, they do not see the reason I need to be furthering my education at an AAFS meeting, especially if they have to pick up the tab. So, for the third year in a row, I will attend the AAFS meeting at my own expense, and the only reason I will be asking for a receipt will be to use it as a tax write-off. But, it gets better. The money I make, or do not make, is always something to force one to realize the harsh reality of the situation. Every day I hear, "Why are you working here when you have a master's degree?". Well, the reason I am working for pennies is because I have wanted to be a Crime Scene Investigator for almost six years and I am fulfilling my dream. As corny as it may sound and while I know other people with my education are making three times what I make, my job does make me happy. It is still disappointing that the managers at Quik Trip (where I get free Diet Cokes) make twice what I make, but this is what I wanted to do and I would be bored at a desk job. It is important to do what makes you happy and not what makes you wealthy. (Right now I am trying to convince myself as much as I am trying to convince you.) And, I knew when I entered the master's program that forensic scientists did not make much money. So, you just have to get over the fact that all your friends will always make more money than you do, but no matter how bad the economy gets, your employer will not be closing and you will always get a paycheck every two weeks. So, we are beginning to see the good. Another good thing is that even though change in government is difficult and very, very, very, very, very slow, it is possible. You just have to have initiative and talk to the correct people. We often times have an invisible government boss that has no knowledge of forensic science, who dictates what we can and cannot buy for our lab. This is frustrating because they do not realize the urgency of some items and think that as long as we have some fingerprint powder and a camera or two, we will be all set. This is when you have to educate them and make them realize having a video camera that works correctly is a necessity, not a luxury. There are other good things too. As I mentioned there is always room for change and correction. The uniforms were hideous, but now they are the best that uniforms can be, and I don't have to worry about ruining my own clothes. Also, when I tell people what I do for a living, most of the time I get a favorable response. People think what I do is cool, interesting, fascinating, and exciting. None of my friends who are in the business world will ever get that response. Sometimes after I get used to being a CSI, I have to be reminded of what I do every day. The other day I was having breakfast and the waiter reminded me that I get to see something different and do something different every day I am at work. Other than serving different people, his job is the same every day. The level of excitement is always the same, and he never has that adrenaline rush that I get at least once a week—another plus. I have also learned to appreciate the small things. The free drinks at Quik Trip, the discounted meals at some restaurants, and the thank yous I get from perfect strangers are sometimes the highlight of my day. So I did not start out making $70,000 the day I graduated from graduate school, but I bet none of those people have ever gotten a free Diet Coke because they work in the business world, or have never had a citizen stop them and thank them for coming to work every day. I do not know if I will ever understand why the assistants to the assistants in the business world make more money than people who risk their life every day for the safety of others, but you learn to accept what you can get and appreciate everything you have. Therefore the harsh reality is you might not get a job immediately after you graduate, but if you keep trying and be patient, you will get a job. Patience is something I have very little of, but it is something I gained a huge amount of in this business. So you might as well start gaining patience while waiting a few months on a job offer. You also will never get rich in this field. Unless you write some riveting new book or are the consultant for the next TV drama series, you can forget about being showcased on TV as one of the rich and famous. You might have to pay your own way to AAFS meetings, you might have to wear a uniform, and you might have to fight to get a new camera or even a new superglue tank. But most importantly you must always remember why you are a forensic scientist. I would not trade what I am doing for a business job any day. I am not going to lie, I would love the money, but I would hate the work…and I would not be able to do without my free Diet Cokes, discounted meals, and free rides in the police helicopter. Plus I am always comfortable with the possibility of getting out of a speeding ticket. So, this is not what you were expecting? That is OK, because now you know what to expect and you will not be totally surprised when you start searching for a job and go to work on your first day. And most importantly, you can always initiate change. Remember bad uniforms can become good uniforms, and if not, there is always a free Diet Coke to make you feel better. |
Copyright
© 2001 Young Forensic Scientists Forum / American Academy of Forensic Sciences |