To become a criminal profiler, people can take a number of different paths. It’s important to note that many people who work in profiling aren’t actually called criminal profilers; rather, it’s a type of work that people strive for rather than a job title. Profilers collaborate with law enforcement to aid investigations creating profiles of potential suspects or other people involved in the crime. These profiles are used in the investigation to elucidate the motives for the crime and, eventually, to identify potential suspects.
People who do this type of work have a lot of previous work experience. Criminal profilers are employed the military, national law enforcement agencies, and local law enforcement agencies. Anyone interested in becoming a criminal profiler should expect to work for at least 10 years in one of these organizations. People gain familiarity with information that will aid them in profiling criminals as a result of their work experience.
Getting a degree, or making plans to get a degree while working, can be beneficial before jumping into a career. Many criminal profilers have psychology or criminal justice degrees, which they use in their work. Someone with experience in the fields of psychology and criminal justice can also become a criminal profiler bringing this experience to the table when applying for a job that may lead to profiling work.
Only a few people specialize in criminal profiling, and even fewer do so exclusively. Profilers can help with many aspects of case research and investigation, utilizing their profiling skills as needed. Because not every case requires profiling services, and law enforcement agencies do not pay people to sit around and wait for work, it is necessary to acquire a broad range of skills that will be useful in the office.
A small number of people train as criminal profilers and then work as freelancers. Working as a freelancer can be difficult. The majority of people who contract themselves out have extensive law enforcement experience and have established relationships with people who will hire them as needed. One thing to keep in mind when freelancing is that you may need special licensing, such as a private investigator’s license or a license to practice psychology. No matter how skilled a person is, if they are not properly licensed and certified, they will be unable to find work.