The document is a collection of weekly journal entries from a criminal justice student's reflective journal on preparing for interviews and developing professionally. Over the course of 12 weeks, the student learns about different aspects of preparing for interviews, such as researching the organization and role, understanding common questions, and conducting mock interviews. The student also realizes the importance of continuous learning, working in groups, and adapting to changes in the field. The document emphasizes researching organizations thoroughly, communicating effectively, and gaining experience through practice interviews and group work.

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Instructor:
Course:
Name:
Date:
Reflective Journal from Material Provided
Week 6
Preparing for an interview is a critical part when looking for a job. I have learnt that one
cannot go for an interview without having prior knowledge of the things that he or she should
expect during the interview. Understanding questions that the interviewer might ask is important
because this would ensure that I know how to answer them. I have managed to conduct warm
interviews with my friends whereby one person acts as the interviewer, and the other becomes
the interviewee. The interviewee is given two minutes to talk about himself/herself. This has
enabled to know how to put forward my attributes that could help me in acquiring a job. Each
person in the interview has to play the two roles interchangeably (Lyndel).
I have acquainted myself with ways of preparing a statement that would tell the
interviewer the reasons why I think am best suited for a given job. In addition, it is important to
thank interviewers and show appreciation for taking their time to interview me. Conducting
research is very important and it has to be done for the organization as well as the role. Majority
of organizations in the criminal justice systems in Australia have embraced technology. They
provide websites, which have a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) link. This provides me with

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information that I could use in understanding several departments and the roles, which am
expected to play once I get a job in a given department (Lyndel).
Moreover, they provide with information that would enable me to stand out from others
once am doing an interview. All departments in the sector are unique, and this means that I have
to be conversant with the necessities of any department. An interviewer cannot be happy when
the person he or she is interviewing cannot answer basic questions regarding the role he or she
needs. It is of paramount importance to note that I have to access to the internet in twenty-four
hour basis because requirements keep on changing from one day to the next. However,
technological innovations, which are in use across many countries in the world, enable me to use
my Smartphone or laptop to access important information from the sector (Lyndel).
Week 7
The criminal justice is diverse in many countries spread across the world. This implies
that most nations do not have a universal body that could be employ all the people. The sector is
divided into different categories, and this means that one has to make a choice on the category
that he or she would look for a job (Bates & Prenzler, 366). During the first week, I realized that
I had to be conversant with questions that would be most likely asked during an interview. This
is because it is important to be well prepared before attending an interview because this would
ensure that I could answer questions to the interviewers’ satisfaction. I realized that research is
critical because it gives a wide aspect of information needed while looking for a job in the
criminal justice sector (Lyndel).
I have to prove that I am better than the other persons who are looking for the same job.
This cannot be achieved without ensuring that I am conversant with the requirements of the job I

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am applying for (Waters & Ussery, 175). The fact that I am looking for a job in the Australian
Crime Commission means that I have to visit websites, which offer the best information about
the nation’s criminal justice system (Bates & Prenzler, 364). In addition, I have been able to
learn that the recruitment system in the country is fragmented, and this means that I should
choose the department or section that I would fit in. Apart from governmental organizations,
individual employers place adverts about their vacancies in different media outlets. In order to
find the best job, I have established that I have to visit professional websites that offer
information on job vacancies across the country. I learnt that the police department has regular
recruiting rounds, which is done several times in a year. These rounds are done in a fixed times
during the year. This means that I have to note the times of the recruitment drives and prepare
well before the day of the recruitment (Lyndel).
Week 10
During this week, I came to realize that developing my career is very important because it
would ensure that I remain competitive in the job market. Globalization coupled with
technological advances has made the job market very competitive. In order to build my career, I
have learnt that communication is very important because it would lead to improved
presentations methods. Audiences are different and this means that I have to be prepared in
preparing a professional context that would entice a given audience. Getting a job one has to be
professionally aware of the things that the profession needs (Houdmont, 630).
I understand that the communication is very valuable. Interviewers need someone who
can listen and comprehend what a given role needs. My speech must be direct and clear because
this would ensure that I deliver my point home within the shortest time possible. It is worth

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noting that each negotiation must be responsive in order to entice the audience. Communication
can never be successful without empathy. Moreover, I realized that I must be creative and able to
offer solutions to problems, which might emerge when working. The time I spent while listening
must be more than what I spend in talking. I discovered that speaking, reading and writing are
critical in delivering my intended message. I noticed that the communication takes different
forms according to the number of persons involved in the communication. Intrapersonal
communication takes place within the self, and this improves the ways on viewing different
scenarios. On the other hand, interpersonal communication could be one-to-one or between small
groups. Mass communication takes place when large groups are involved in the communication.
Although during an interview I have to be concise, the speech must have enough details that
would ensure that all questions are answered. Jargon is not good in communication because the
reader or listener might not be aware with what certain words mean (Tolstoff).
Week 11
I learnt that changes are inevitable in any sector of the economy. The emergence of new
criminal justice scenarios requires an increased number of professionals in that sector. Some of
new criminal trends, which have been noticed in Australia, include increased cases of child abuse
and terrorism (Bates & Prenzler, 364). This means that the number of people working as support
in courts has been on the rise. This implies that I have to be ready to change my career path
according to the prevailing circumstances. This would increase my chances of finding well
paying jobs. My dream as a student has always been finding a satisfying job despite the fact that
the number of professionals in criminal justice systems in Australia is high (Bates & Prenzler,
366). I cannot achieve my dreams without finding a balance between what I have learnt in class
and requirements in the job market (Tolstoff).

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On the other hand, I was able to establish that whatever I have written must be appealing
to the employer. For a written material to be appealing to the reader, organizational context,
grammar, sentence structure, and spelling are very important. To produce a good written
document, it is important to analyze written materials that one has read in the past. During the
analysis, I have to look for aspects that made it look good and understand any improvements that
could make the document better to the reader. This has played an important role in improving my
writing skills because I have been engaged in more reading activities of the last few days. Many
organizations use email as a tool for communication. However, I have learnt that I have to be
sure that am happy for employer to read my emails and send them to other recipients whom
would be interested in the contents. This is because emails are TI-able and as a result, they can
be forwarded to other people without my knowledge. I have to ensure that all the information
given in an email is genuine. This reduces the chances of putting me into trouble (Tolstoff).
Week 12
Learning is a continuous process because job requirements are always changing. One of
the most important things that I have realized is the importance of working in groups. Different
people have varying solutions to the same problems. Working in groups has enabled me to think
outside the box when faced with a given problem. This has increased my problem solving skills
after learning how different people would respond to a given situation. Working with my
lecturers and fellow students is very important for my career development. At the same time, I
discovered that individuals could not offer the best solutions to a given situation when compared
to a group of people in the same profession. This implies that I have to be ready to learn from my
peers at all times because they mostly have a variety of options to offer. I realized that I did not
know much about my professional requirements even though I had learnt many things from

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class. This is because theory does not give solutions the problems that most professionals face
while in the job market (Tolstoff).
I established that when writing a formal message, salutations play a critical role. The
most common salutations that I came across include G’day, Hi there, Hey, Hi all, Hi, Dear all,
Dear colleagues and Dear. However, through research I have established that it is important
match the sender during my written communications. More importantly, the salutation must be
professional such as Hi or Dear. This ensures that the reader is happy when reading the message
and as a result, he gets the intended information. Moreover, closings are important and the most
commonly used include Talk Soon, Catch Ya, Best Wishes, Cheers, and Regards. At the same
time, most professionals use Best Wishes, Cheers, and Regards (Tolstoff). This ensures that the
message sounds professional. The learning has improved my understanding of the criminal
justice system in Australia tremendously, and I feel that am ready to work in the field
professional (Bates & Prenzler, 365). However, I would always continue to learn because new
things in the sector are always emerging.

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Works cited
Bates, Merrelyn and Prenzler, Tim. Criminal Justice
Houdmont, Joel. “UK police custody officers’ psychosocial hazard exposures and burnout.”
Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management, 36.3 (2013):
620-635.
Lyndel, Bates. Developing Professionally - Week 10. Communicating for Different Audiences
Lyndel, Bates. Developing Professionally. Week 6
Tolstoff, Vicki. Interview Skills. How can you stand out from the crowd and turn the job
interview into a job offer?
Waters, John and Ussery, Walter. “Police stress: History, contributing factors, symptoms, and
interventions.” Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management,
30.2 (2007): 169-88.