u/Desperate_Inside_119

Hey guys, I'm a 21-year-old graduating from Michigan State University within the next 3 months. I'm graduating with a bachelor's in Criminal Justice and Psychology, and I'm looking to start my career in corrections with the hope of obtaining my master's with the help of tuition reimbursement further down the road. I don't know where my career will take me, but I do know I have a strong interest in helping people post-release. My interest in this line of work started after taking the Inside-Out Programs course, which I was selected to participate in through my university. I'd appreciate advice from people working in this field. My partner is starting their journey in med school with the hope of starting next fall. If anyone knows how med school works, they know stable residence isn't going to happen for a while. We’re looking to move by next fall, and then again within the next 4 years for residency, then again, etc. Department hopping doesn't look good on an application, so I am planning to wait to apply to state departments until she knows for certain where she will be going for the next 4 years. I have a year gap. How can I make myself the best applicant possible? I'm already coming in with a dual bachelor's degree, which will help, but there's got to be more I can do to get myself ahead. Should I look into getting certifications like CPR and first aid? Should I start getting certifications for mental health first aid? Should I start volunteering at places? What would your recommendations be in my situation? 

Hey guys, I'm a 21-year-old graduating from Michigan State University within the next 3 months. I'm graduating with a bachelor's in Criminal Justice and Psychology and looking to start my career in corrections, with the hope of pursuing my master's with tuition reimbursement further down the road. I don't know where my career will take me, but I do know I have a strong interest in helping people post-release. My interest in this line of work started after taking the Inside-Out Programs course, which I was selected to participate in through my university. I'd appreciate advice from people working in this field. My partner is starting med school next fall, so we anticipate several moves for med school and residency, which will affect my job options. Because frequent department changes aren't ideal for applications, I'm planning to wait to apply to state departments until we know our “long-term” location. During my gap year, what are the best steps I can take to strengthen my application for corrections work? Should I pursue certifications like CPR, first aid, or mental health first aid? Would volunteering in relevant organizations improve my profile? What other actions would you recommend to help me stand out in this field?

Hey guys, I'm a 21-year-old graduating from Michigan State University within the next 3 months. I'm graduating with a bachelor's in Criminal Justice and Psychology and looking to start my career in corrections, with the hope of pursuing my master's with tuition reimbursement further down the road. I don't know where my career will eventually take me, but I do know I have a strong interest in helping people post-release. My interest in this line of work started after taking the Inside-Out Programs course, which I was selected to participate in through my university. I'd appreciate advice from people working in this field. My partner is starting med school next fall, so we anticipate several moves for med school and residency, which will affect my job options. Because frequent department changes aren't ideal for applications, I'm planning to wait to apply to state departments until we know our “long-term” location. During my gap year, what are the best steps I can take to strengthen my application for corrections work? Should I pursue certifications like CPR, first aid, or mental health first aid? Would volunteering in relevant organizations improve my profile? What other actions would you recommend to help me stand out in this field?