Notes: Dear bm102,
Thank you for your question. May I add, before I explain about the
different paths your career might lead you, that the records your
presented, and your motivation are very impressive, and could lead you
to successful, satisfying life, in whatever career path you may
choose. I'll refer to your question in parts. Later, if you have any
more comments of you'll need clarifications, feel free to ask (through
"ask for clarification").
As you have noticed yourself, from your primary browse through the
different Websites, most careers in the realms you're interested in
require a minimum of a college degree. In fact, it would be a
generalisation, but most high-level careers require post-high-school
education. Most of them request this education nor only because of
capabilities, but also because during college and other stages, you
gain experience that assists you in your further career.
There are several interesting careers that could fit a person like
you, who is interested in "action" and in contributing to his country
and community:
- Law enforcement, intelligence and security (police, military, FBI,
CIA, etc.)
- Medicine and emergency/disaster management (more on the human
contact level, but also much action). This includes medics, doctors,
firemen, disaster management specialists, pilots, etc.
- Media careers might answer the need for action (war or crime
journalism in particular), as well as become a contribution to the
community, as an important facet of modern democracy.
- Missionary and educational work in the Third World is unfortunately
full of action of the type we don't like (civil wars, etc.).
It is very natural that you try to begin you "real" life right away,
but actually career paths today are usually very dynamic. Unlike your
parents' (or their parents') generation, where one chose a career, or
a profession, and continued with it for the rest of their adult lives,
career paths today are a process of change, of learning, of getting
new skills - you actually must learn and acquire new skills and learn,
even when already on the route (i.e., already have a job that you
wanted), because, paraphrasing Louis Carroll, you have to run in order
not to be left behind.
What does it mean, practically, for you? It means that although you
may not be able to start right away in your current dream job, you
could develop yourself, and grow into this job, so when the time is
ripe, you'd be that candidate, out of a hundred, that would be taken.
You have to tame your expectations. Many high-adenalised jobs include
mundane tasks, expecting that “something would happen” (remember all
these TV-cops who have to file reports?). For example, not every
criminal is Hannibal the Cannibal - most of them are homeless
alcoholics who robbed and murdered an old woman for the next drink.
So, if you go for this kind of jobs, you have to prepare yourself for
a very challenging and interesting work, but also very tough one, and
maybe also underpaid if you compare it to the long hours. You should
also bear in mind that most "high paying" jobs require higher
education, as you referred to, and I’d refer to later.
Expectations from a career path include more than the elements you
have described ("action", as we could name this factor). Other things
to consider, is the salary you'll earn, the type of family life you
could maintain with such a career, you general direction and
interests, the tensions and health risks connected. You may want to
ask yourself:
- How much do I expect to earn?
- What are my interests? Technology? Languages? Current events?
Philosophy? Humanities? History? Social studies? Creative activities?
Math? Sports? Adventure?
- Where do I imagine myself living in 10 or 15 years from now (rural
community, military base, small town, large metropolis)?
- Do I see myself as having a family? What size (how may children)?
What are my expectations from my family/romantic relationships (would
I be "married to the job"? would I marry only a wife who would subject
her choices to my career choices? These are all actual problems that
usually arise in careers from the type you described).
- Would I be able to live away from my parents/siblings?
All of these comments are not here to discourage you from your chosen
path in life, which sounds very interesting and exciting, but only to
present to you several aspects (among many) that must be taken into
consideration when thinking about a career.
As a high school graduate, you have two options that would promote
your career choice. The first, is to join, as a recruit or volunteer,
one of the organisations your have mentioned, that would accept you as
one, despite your age and your lack of college education. The second
is to accumulate knowledge and experience that would be vital for the
later career choice.
Beginning with the first, some of the organisations do not require
college education and would accept a high school graduate. The
military, and the military academies in it, would accept (naturally) a
high-school graduate. The police, coast guard and fire departments,
all accept people who have no prior post-high-school education.
However, as mentioned before, the less education it requires, the less
the salary expected, the less you are indispensable, and the less you
have chances for promotion.
Regarding the second, there are numerous things you could do in order
to enhance your chance of being later accepted to work in these
organisations:
- Learn skills required by these organisations, which is mainly
technological and language skills. You college majors' choice should
be based on these elements (for example, computer science, finance,
electrical engineering, physical science, economics, geography,
non-romance languages i.e. Russian, Arabic or Chinese, international
relations, national security studies, military and foreign affairs, or
political science.)
- Keep yourself fit.
- Consider, if time allows, volunteering to positions that would help
you learn leadership skills, stress management, and "people skills".
This includes volunteering in hospitals and in some police/fire
departments that have civil volunteer programme.
During college, you could also try to apply as an intern to one of
these organisations.
Applying as an intern to the CIA is available through:
Recruitment Center
L100 LF7
Washington, DC 20505
(See http://www.cia.gov/cia/employment/jobpostings/intern.htm).
Like the CIA, the FBI has a selective programme only for college
students:
Contact: Applicant Coordinator, Wachovia Building, Suite 900, 400
South Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28285-0001, (704) 331-4500.
Web site:
http://www.fbi.gov/employment/academy.htm
· The Departments of Defence is another possibility for you. They
offer “Most Department of Defense components and agencies recruit
annually from colleges and universities for interns in two and
three-year programs in such occupational categories as engineering,
science, financial management, human resources, logistics, social
science, contracting and acquisition, quality assurance, public
affairs, transportation, equal employment opportunity, educational
services, communications and intelligence. Many of the Department’s
components and agencies also operate 12-week summer intern programs
and cooperative education programs. Complete internship information
can be found on the Web sites of the following DoD components and
agencies:“ (see http://www.house.gov/lowey/federalinterns.html#dod).
The Air Force, for example, offers jobs, internships and other
opportunities to high-school students as well as to
college/grad-school students. www.af.mil/careers/ .
You could also apply for the intern and volunteer programme of the
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which also accepts some
high-school students and graduates:
Contact: Deborah Hardeman, Summer Employment Coordinator, Drug
Enforcement Administration, Office of Personnel, Headquarters Staffing
Unit, Washington, DC 20537, (202) 307-8229
Web site:www.usdoj.gov/dea
You could volunteer to the Red Cross even throughout high school, and
that is granted “action” volunteer, as well as good for your resume:
Contact for paid internships: To request a listing of available
positions in March, write to Dee Hayward, American Red Cross, Human
Resources Diversity Division, 8111 Gatehouse Road JP2, Falls Church,
VA 22042, or call (703) 206-8801
Contact for volunteer positions: Send a resume, career objectives and
time availability to Gail Sprinkle, American Red Cross, National
Office of Volunteers, 8111 Gatehouse Road JP2, Falls Church, VA 22042,
(202) 206-8363,sprinkleg@usa.redcross.org
Web site: www.redcross.org
The Federal Bureau of Prisons also has some internship programmes:
Contact: For information about positions located at federal penal
institutions, contact Robert Cannon, Federal Bureau of Prisons, HOLC
Building, Room 400, 320 1st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20534, (202)
514-5241. For information about administrative positions in
Washington, contact Carolyn Hardy, at (202) 307-3135
Web site: www.bop.gov
The INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service ) offers internships
as well as JOBS for students (excuse me for the caps, but as you might
have learned from my answer, this is not as common as would be
expected):
Contact: Connie Ewell, Student Employment Coordinator, Immigration and
Naturalization Service, 800 K Street, NW, Room 5053, Washington, DC
20536, (202) 616-2603
Web site: www.ins.usdoj.gov
Deadline: March 2000 for Summer 2000 employment
The U.S. Marshals Service has some internship and volunteer
opportunities, to which you could join even during high school:
Contact: U.S. Marshals Service, 133 Jonas Federal Building, 401 West
Trade Street, Charlotte, NC 28202.
Contact: U.S. Marshals Service, Office of Congressional Affairs, 600
Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA 22202, (202) 307-9220.
Web site: www.usdoj.gov/marshals
The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services is also looking for
volunteers and interns, that must be college students:
Contact: Colleen Fitzgerald, Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services, 1100 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20530, (202)
514-8956
Web site: www.usdoj.gov
The Office of Justice Programs might also grant you with the
experience you need.
Contact: Office of Personnel, Office of Justice Programs, U.S.
Department of Justice, 810 Seventh Street, NW, Washington, DC 20531,
(202) 307-0730
Web site: www.ojp.usdoj.gov
Volunteering/interining in The Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) might also bring you closer into “action” and learning how to
manage disasters and emergencies.
Contact: For information about paid positions, contact Sheryl Withers,
Federal Emergency Management Administration, 500 C Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646-4081, Sheryl.Withers@FEMA.gov. For
information about volunteer positions, contact Cheri S.Allen at the
above address or (202) 646-3072, Cheri.Allen@FEMA.gov. For information
about other possible employment opportunities, contact FEMA's Job
Information Hotline at (800) 225-3304.
· Web site: www.fema.gov
The Peace Corps were mentioned before as a possibility for you:
· Contact: Teresa Spikes, Coordinator of Student Programs, Peace
Corps, 1111 20th Street, Room 2300, Washington, DC 20526, (202)
692-1202
· Web site:www.peacecorps.gov
See more federal intern opportunities here:
http://www.house.gov/lowey/federalinterns.html
See more on how to choose a career and career profiles here:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos249.htm
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos160.htm
Books:
=====
Careers for Legal Eagles & Other Law-And-Order Types, by Blythe
Camenson
But What if I Don’t Want to Go to College?: A Guide to Success through
Alternative Education, by Harlow G. Unger
The Off-The-Beaten Path Job Book: You Can Make a Living and Have a
Life!, by Sandra Gurvis
I hope that helps. You have plenty of opportunities. You have to
decide what is the most attractive to you - also time wise and money
wise, and how much you are willing to dedicate to the further
education required. My search terms regarded specific agencies and
their intern possibilities. Please contact me if you need any
clarifications. |
