Criminal Justice Resume—Examples, Objective, and Sample

A criminal justice degree can be your ticket to various jobs, from law enforcement to the courtroom. As different as these jobs are, they all have one thing in common: 

To stand a chance of getting hired, you need an impressive criminal justice resume that proves your skills beyond reasonable doubt. 

In this guide:

• A criminal justice resume sample better than most.
• How to make the perfect criminal justice job description for resumes.
• How to write a resume for criminal justice jobs that stands out.
• Expert tips and examples to boost your chances of landing a criminal justice job.

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Take a look at our dedicated resume examples and guides for specific professions and scenarios: 

• Attorney Resume Example
• Consultant Resume Example
• Federal Resume Example
• Law School Resume Example
• Law Student Resume Example
• Legal Assistant Resume Example
• Legal Resume Examples
• Paralegal Resume Example
• Police Officer Resume Example
• Public Relations Resume Example
• Full List of Resume Examples for Every Job

Criminal Justice Resume Example

Criminal justice professionals work in a range of jobs, including law enforcement, victim services, rehabilitation services, and the legal system. A criminal justice resume should show experience in your chosen profession and a skill set that matches the employer’s criteria. 

Here’s how to write a criminal justice resume that’s brimming with evidence of your achievements: 

1. Format Your Criminal Justice Resume Template

Police reports, case files, legal contracts—

No matter the direction of your career, you’re likely working with formal documents every day. So, you know the importance of sticking to accepted formats and best practices to ensure they’re readable to everyone concerned. 

Your job application needs to make immediate sense to the recruiter, too, so make sure to get your resume formatting just right: 

Criminal Justice Resume Format

• Structure your resume using the reverse-chronological format. This is the most common layout, with current or recent work experience followed by older jobs, then education. 
• Set your resume font to something easy to read and wouldn’t look out of place in an official report. Arial, Helvetica, or Tahoma will work great—though you can pick a modern serif like Georgia if you want the style of your resume to be more formal (say, for jobs in the legal system). 
• Use one-inch margins on your resume and include 1.15 line spacing—otherwise, your document may look too crowded. 
• Decide on the best length for your resume. A single page should be enough in most cases, although it’s OK to go with a two-page resume if you have 10+ years of experience. 
• Make your contact information easy to locate by designing a professional resume header or sidebar. You can also use a ready-made modern resume template, as it comes with placeholders for contact info. 
• Split your resume into sections: summary or objective paragraph, work experience, education, skills, and additional information. Give each section a clear heading. 

As for the file format, consult the job ad—does it mention the company’s preferred file type for resumes? If not, submit a PDF. PDFs behave the same on every device, unlike Word docs, which can sometimes mess up your resume layout. 

2. Open With a Criminal Justice Resume Objective or Summary

Before describing your experience, open your resume with a strong profile statement: 2–4 sentences providing indisputable proof of the value you can offer to the new employer. 

If you have relevant work experience, use a resume summary—a profile highlighting the most critical parts of your job application. Here’s how to write one: 

1. Start with an adjective describing your work ethic (reliable, detail-oriented, data-driven, personable)
2. Add your job title and years of experience (legal assistant with 2+ years of experience)
3. Make an offer to the employer (eager to apply my expertise towards achieving XYZ for [name of company/organization])
4. Outline a couple of your most relevant professional accomplishments (improved departmental efficiency by 10%, exceeded the average number of closed cases by 10 per year)

Take another look at the criminal justice resume sample. It features a summary written following this advice. If you don’t have much experience and would struggle to find professional achievements to mention on your resume, don’t worry—

You can start your resume with a resume objective statement instead. Lean on accomplishments from college, internships, placements, volunteering, or personal projects—anything that shows your passion for your profession and potential to learn and succeed. 

In any case, it’s usually best to write the profile last. Finish the other sections of your resume, and return to the profile at the end—it’ll be easier to identify your key accomplishments and skills. 

3. Turn Your Work Experience Into an Affidavit of Your Criminal Justice Skills

The most common offense committed on job applications? Submitting the same generic resume to different jobs over and over. (If you’re wondering about the most grievous resume crime, the answer is Comic Sans.)

No two roles are equal, even if they have the same title. Show the employer you’re the ideal candidate for their needs, and victory will be yours. This means tailoring your work experience resume section like this: 

1. Outline your job history, listing your job titles, the names of the companies/organizations, and the dates you worked at each. 
2. Go back to the job advertisement that you’re responding to. What specific skills does the employer want in the ideal candidate?
3. Brainstorm examples of when you used those skills to impress supervisors or colleagues. For instance, if the employer wants presentation skills, can you think of a time when you delivered a particularly successful one? Perhaps you do it often and can brag about the many presentations you’ve given in a year? 
4. Turn those examples into bullet points—up to 6 per job. 

And there you go—that’s how targeted resumes are made. By taking this approach, you’re proving you’re the ideal choice for this position, but without having to say it outright. Plus, you’re making your resume more ATS-friendly. 

Do the same in your resume skills section—use the required skills you’ve identified in the ad. List up to 10 skills, including soft and hard ones. Here are some examples of criminal justice skills to get you started: 

Criminal Justice Resume Skills

• Criminal law
• Analytical skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Technical skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Time management skills
• Computer skills
• Record-keeping
• Background checks
• Criminal investigation practices
• Drug identification
• Ethical conduct
• Homeland security protocols
• Criminal forensics
• Organizational skills
• Law enforcement processes
• Legislative processes
• Leadership skills
• Investigative skills
• Presentation skills
• Public speaking
• Evidence collection
• Teamwork
• Data analysis
• Evidence analysis
• Decision-making skills
• Creative thinking skills
• Conceptual skills
• Communication skills
• Conflict resolution skills
• Problem-solving skills

Expert hint: Career options in criminal justice are many and varied, requiring different skill sets. Make sure to tailor your choices to your profession. 

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4. Provide a Statement on the Details of Your Education

Even if you have decades of experience, your resume education section can’t go MIA—

With work experience to carry the bulk of your application, keep your education details to the minimum. That means listing your highest degree, where you got it, and when. There’s no need to mention your high school or GPA. 

The procedure will be slightly different for criminal justice resumes with no experience. In such cases, your education is your biggest asset—so it needs more attention. Include bullet points listing your relevant coursework, academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and projects. The idea is to show your passion for criminal justice, eagerness to learn, and transferable skills. 

5. Close the Case by Including Some Additional Sections on Your Criminal Justice Resume

Time for an appendix or two, and you’ll be all done—

Finish off your resume with a couple of additional sections. What you include will depend on your experience, role, and circumstances, but consider going with the usual suspects: 

• A licenses and certifications resume section
• Foreign languages you can speak
• Volunteering experience resume section
• Memberships in professional associations
• Publications and public appearances
• Projects and other activities

As for an interests section on a resume, it’s only a good idea if 1. you don’t have much work experience and 2. your interests are relevant to your role to the point where they contribute tangible value to your job application. 

Before you go, there’s just one more thing—

Writing a convincing cover letter to submit with your resume. Use it to state your case to the recruiter, providing indisputable evidence you’re the best candidate for the job. 

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Key Points

Here’s a recap of how to write a job-winning criminal justice resume: 

• Use an accepted resume format and ensure your document is easy to read. 
• Start your criminal justice resume with a profile paragraph that sums up your offer to the employer. 
• Identify the most important skills required for the job and focus on showing them in your work experience and key skills sections. 
• Provide an appropriate amount of detail about your education—more if you’re a recent graduate without much experience. 
• Highlight additional information in optional sections at the end of your resume. 
• Write a cover letter that shows appropriate skills and expertise. 

Thanks for reading! Do you have any unanswered questions about how to write a criminal justice resume? Perhaps you can offer some tips of your own for those writing a criminal justice resume with no experience? Start a discussion in the comments below. I’ll be sure to join in!

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