Crime Scene Technician
(Female, Age 45) from san diego, CA
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 45 who works as a Crime Scene Technician in san diego, CA. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Crime Scene Technician |
|---|---|
| Salary | $50,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | san diego, CA |
| Years Experience | 7 months |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I work as a civilian employee in connection with the police department.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I respond to crime scenes and gather evidence. I attend the autopsies. I process victims and suspects.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
health, 15 paid Mondays off
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
under
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes, I love it. I work by myself on particular evidence, but I have 8 others in the lab.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 8
Benefits: 7
Hours: 5
Co-Workers: 1
Supervisors: 4
Job Title: 6
Level of Responsibility: 3
The Actual Work: 2
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | Weekly briefing and updates |
| 8am to 9am | Gather new work request from a detective |
| 9am to 10am | Go to property room to receive boxed and bagged evidence |
| 10am to 11am | Begin processing request |
| 11am to 12pm | Lunch |
| 12pm to 1pm | Superglue and/or DNA swab evidence |
| 1pm to 2pm | Begin writing report for evidence processing |
| 2pm to 3pm | Continue processing evidence |
| 3pm to 4pm | Write out hours and duties performed this day. |
| 4pm to 5pm | May be called out to a crime scene 24/7 when I am first responder. |
| 5pm to 6pm | |
| 6pm to 7pm | |
| 7pm to 8pm | |
| 8pm to 9pm | |
| 9pm to 10pm | |
| 10pm to 11pm | |
| 11pm to 12am |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
Referral
What was the application process?
Toured the lab, initial interview, initial background interview, intensive interview with background interviewer, polygraph,
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes, 5 interviews, 1 with supervisor, 3 with background investigator, one with polygraph administer.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
They must remain confidential
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
100%. I had someone available at all times to walk me through the process and answer any questions.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes, 3 months of hands on training. I then submitted a 4 inch binder filled with the work I had done to get approval. Then I processed evidence in the lab for 1 month prior to approval to work out in the field.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes, only because it was practical. There are many candidates with bachelor’s and master’s who had to go to the college I did to get the specific AS degree.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
Yes, it’s the only way I could have gotten the job
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
They absolutely must earn a degree from a college which has practical training as part of it’s instruction.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Social skills, willingness to work 24/7, good natured, able to work with graphic situations
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Absolutely
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
They must do a free internship prior to being hired.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes. I plan on staying in crime scene work of one kind or another until I no longer work
What are your current career goals?
Continue education: computer forensics, biology and chemistry.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
It is one of the most physically demanding yet ultimately rewarding career choice available.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Owner | 6 years | 60000 | As owner, all aspects of runni9ng a business, hiring, clerical, supply ordering, overseeing employees |
| Prior Job 2 | owner | 5 years | 60000 | Again, as owner, all aspects of running a hotel. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.96 | Grossmont | AS Forensic Technology |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
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