The Glade 4.0

So, I've been thinking of going back to school either to a university or online for something in the forensics field.

Does anyone have any first or second-hand knowledge of this field and possible recommends on which school would be good for a degree? Marshall University here in my hometown offers a grad program, but I am thinking bachelor's for starters.

I know two people who have forensics degrees, one in anthrolpogy and the other in criminal justice. Neither can find work

_________________

Ohio State has a very good undergraduate program in forensic chemistry, and I think it's either UF or FSU that has a good masters program.

I would go with forensic chemistry if I were you, because then you can always find a job in chemistry if you cant find one in forensics.

_________________
Darksiege: You are not a god damned vulcan homie.

I have some specific knoweldge of the digital forensics field.

What is it your are trying to get out of your new line of work?

Job Security? Better Compensation? Personal Satisfaction?

Kinda all three, Midgen.

Pay and job satisfaction are concerns, but there is also the "doing something that makes an actual difference" factor.

Another factor is doing something intellectually stimulating, as opposed to my current entering invoice numbers into a computer and then stamping it "PAID."

Well, unfortunatelly, I really can't tell you how satisfying digital forensics would be. The only anecdote I can give you is a 'friend' who recently tired of the IT grind, made a career change from being a senior IT Security/Network Engineer (probably ~$95k-$100k) to accept an mid-entry level Digital Forensics position, and took approximately a 50% pay cut in the process. She went in with a plan, and took a position working for people she already had a professional relationship with (in the same company she already worked at), and she's very happy all things considered.

She took a 9 month set of courses at a local community college with a reputable instructor on Digital Forensics and came out with some kind of certification (not sure exactly what it was).

Generally speaking I think that any forensics career field is likely to be crowded, and thus probably not very well paying and jobs hard to come by, but in this day and age, that applies to just about everything.

Me personally, I came into my career completely by accident. I still haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up (I'm 47 :p)

Whatever you decide, try to plan things out.. network as much as you can.

Good luck.

Watch a lot of CSI instead.

_________________

Holy shitsnacks!

CSI NY def... best csi ever =P

Grissom CSI > all

But seriously . . .

I'm just looking for a better career than the crappy one I am in now (which is more like just a job than a career).

Depends on what you enjoy really. I'm guessing you have a science background? There's always Reg/QC if you want to work for a drug company, eventually the career takes you to CRO. Alternatively you could get into environmental science which gets you a government job, not sure about the career aspect of that.

Is there a specialisation you want to get into? Personally I enjoyed Histology and oncology, so maybe a masters towards that area to help you build towards a research career?

Forensics is interesting, but its a very popular field of study right now and there will be fewer empty jobs and lots more competition.

Look for a career that pays well that few want.

_________________
The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

Go into nursing...if u like biology there are so many things you can do.

You can do legal consulting as medical expert..cardiac cath, unit manager, nurse recruiter...there are a million jobs with this degree that doesn't entail you to be at bedside.

Plus the added benefit of working with 98% women day in and day out..wait..that may not be a huge benefit..we can get pretty *****

_________________


Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

I'll plead the 5th on this one...

_________________
Women are from Hoboken, men are from Trenton. ~ Jimmy Kimmel

Lydiaa:

I sorta have a science background. My unofficial minor in college was Geology, and I would love to do something with it (there is Forensic Geology I was surprised to find). Beyond that, tho, not really.

The DNA side of things would be interesting, as well as the aforementioned Earth science side of it.

Kirra:

I actually toyed with the idea of going into medical, but then realized there's the whole getting sued for malpractice, getting stuck by sharp, contaminated instruments, and being around sick people thing.

But then he'd be a murse...

_________________
The Dude abides.

Murse's are very popular and in demand...

You really should look into it...Rodahn

Malpractice insurance is covered by the hospital, I don't carry extra, you can if you want to..but I've heard they tend to go after you more if they find out you have a policy. The whole "get it where you can" mentality.

As for being around sick people, you don't have to do that either..go into consulting or become a manager. Cath lab would be an incredible place to work, the cardiac surgeons are fascinating to watch when they do a cath and "poof" the vessels are now open.

You don't get stuck with sharp things if you are good just be careful!

_________________


Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

Murse's are in very high demand and can thus effectively walk into jobs, often for better pay.

_________________
“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine

Nurses in general are in high demand. Experience will guarantee a job anywhere, but new grads need to be a bit more open to relocating to land that first job (Arizona hospitals aren't hiring new grads unless they were already employed by a hospital in school, for instance).

I gave up on going into Radiography recently, and decided to go back to the nursing major I'd shelved a few years back. The overwhelming majority of our miniscule layoffs last year was in medical imaging, for starters. Looking at my company's available jobs website pushed me over the edge, though. There were 6 pages of various medical imaging jobs, all pool where there was no guarantee of 36-40 hours or benefits...and 23 pages of nursing jobs, 22 of which were full-time benefited staff positions.

So now I'm studying Algebra on my own in the hopes of testing out of taking college algebra for about the 5th or 6th time when I register for the summer.

_________________
Women are from Hoboken, men are from Trenton. ~ Jimmy Kimmel