How to Understand the Lifestyle of a CSI Professional

Most careers require certain lifestyle changes that conform to the needs of the job, and CSI careers are no different. CSI professionals are consistently faced with the unpleasant realities surrounding crime scenes, and they must examine and analyze evidence with an objective eye. Their work assists detectives and government agents to find and prosecute violent and non-violent criminals, which requires that they devote a significant portion of their lives to the job.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Understand the Nature of the Work

1. Realize that CSI professionals are consistently faced with confidential and often unpleasant crime scene evidence. They must be willing to sign confidentiality agreements and many police departments and government agencies also require regular polygraph (lie detector) tests.
2. Understand the fact that CSI professionals are often on-call, which means that they can be called to a crime scene or to a laboratory when they are not scheduled to work. The required availability will increase with the level of expertise.
3. Visit the Crime Scene Investigation site to learn more about the nature of crime scenes and how CSI professionals work to process various crime scenes.

Understand the Emotional Aspects of the Work

4. Understand that CSI professionals are routinely faced with unpleasant or even disturbing crime scene evidence. They must develop a thick skin against what they see, hear and discover.
5. Consider the devastation of violent crime and the emotional weight carried by those who process the crime scenes. CSI professionals may be required to see a department psychiatrist after severely distressing experiences.

Understand the Hazards of Crime Scenes

6. Realize that most CSI professionals are required to participate in cross-training classes to learn about hazardous materials found at crime scenes.
7. Understand how often CSI professionals can come into contact with hazardous materials, such as poisons, disease and explosives.
8. Recognize that there are three types of hazardous materials: bio-hazards, physical hazards and chemical hazards.
9. Understand that physical hazards may include treacherous crime scenes located in the wilderness or in unsafe areas.
10. Realize that CSI professionals may be required to establish a Decontamination Area (Decon Area) to cleanse hazardous materials before leaving a crime scene.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask your employer before you accept a job about the possibility for coming into contact with hazardous materials on the job.
• Be truthful with department psychiatrists if your employer recommends an evaluation.
• Prepare yourself to be called to crime scenes on a regular basis, often at times when you are not supposed to be at work.
• Visit various Web sites (see links below) to learn more about crime scene safety.