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To become a probation officer, a college degree, training, and good communication skills are required. High school students can prepare by taking classes in government, justice, and psychology. Graduates may need to start in related positions, such as correctional or police officers, to gain experience. Multitasking, a passion for helping others, and the ability to handle conflict are important skills for probation officers.
The most basic requirements for the probation officer usually involve a college degree, training, and the ability to communicate effectively with others. While degrees in corrections, social work, or criminal justice tend to prepare potential probation officers for this career, many employers will accept degrees in any field. It is often necessary to start on an internship or as an intern, with the possibility of advancing to a probation officer or supervisor within a few years. Certain personality traits tend to work well in this field, such as good communication skills, the ability to multitask, and an interest in learning from and encouraging others.
While many people are unaware of their ambition to become a parole officer while they are still in school, it is possible to start preparing for this career as early as high school. Those starting high school preparations should pay special attention to classes that discuss government, justice, and psychology, as these are all important aspects of this field. Learning a foreign language often spoken in the area is an advantage that should be exploited by students trying to meet probation officer requirements early on. Obviously, potential officers should plan to attend college, as nearly all such positions require at least a bachelor’s degree. Students should consider majoring in criminal justice, psychology, social work, sociology, law or corrections, although most employers find that any major is sufficient.
It’s usually difficult to get a job as a probation officer straight out of college, which is why training is recommended first. Many colleges offer internships or trainee positions that allow students and recent graduates to prepare for work, although probation officer requirements don’t necessarily require potential officers to take this route. In fact, some graduates find it easier to obtain a related position, such as a correctional officer or police officer, if they cannot immediately become a probation officer. This is because there is potential to network in that field and gain experience, thus increasing the chances of landing a probation officer position when one opens up.
Probation officer requirements often include certain skills that applicants for employment in this field must possess; the ability to multitask well enough to handle multiple cases at once is perhaps most important. For example, it’s hard to do well in this industry without having a passion for helping and understanding others, which is why a background in psychology, sociology or social work is often impressive to employers. Also, it should be noted that this industry can be dangerous, as parole officers work with convicted felons every day. For this reason, one of the main requirements of parole officers is that officers be tough and able to handle conflict, as well as remain encouraging and sympathetic to newly released offenders.
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