Amber Gant

Amber drew on skills gained from Criminology and Psychology studies as well as work experience while studying to gain an exciting role with NZ Police.

I was drawn to studying Psychology and Criminology, in large part, because of a wonderful high school guidance counsellor I had seen for several years whom I admired.  She told me about her own positive experience with studying Psychology and how she eventually became a guidance counsellor. I am extremely grateful for her support (as well as my friends and family) for my decision to move away from Auckland and study at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. It has been one of the best decisions I have ever made and has led me to a wonderful and fulfilling job.

What I enjoyed most about Criminology was the analysis of different crimes and their effects on victims and the wider community. One of my favourite courses analysed types of sexual violence and its alarmingly high prevalence in society. It was so informative and a safe space to have discussions about topics that were deeply personal to the students and lecturers.

My Psychology and Criminology studies were relevant when it came to applying for jobs within the public and mental health support sectors and I was extremely pleased to land my role with NZ Police. My part-time and holiday work experience while studying also proved to be helpful when it came to securing my current role. I also made use of the career consultants at the university for advice during my time job hunting. Even though my previous work experience (retail, hospitality, tutoring, lifeguard) had been in completely different fields to law enforcement, they helped show my interview panel that I was a hard-working employee who was adaptable and a team player who had good social and communication skills.

Analysing sources, proofreading, and summarising documents are all skills I developed at university that are extremely relevant in my current role as case manager with NZ Police. In my role at the district headquarters in Wellington, I lay charges for individuals going to court and create all the relevant documents for their initial hearing file. I create digital occurrences for all types of crime on the Police database so police employees/officers can access them for their investigation. I input different police data and incidents such as missing person reports, forensic updates and protection orders.

Criminology and Psychology are rewarding to study and open many doors for careers post-university as they can be adapted for many different fields. I would recommend for those who are transitioning from study to work to make an appointment with a career counsellor to seek advice. I would also recommend applying for as many jobs as possible and checking out different career websites to widen the possibilities of getting hired. I know it is extremely hard job hunting but if you persevere you will see results.