Border Patrol Officers: Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook
Submitted by: paula
Job Overview Border patrol officers watch over more than 8,000 miles of boundary between Canada and United States and between Mexico and United States. They also patrol the coastal districts of the Gulf of Mexico and Florida. It is their responsibility to implement rules controlling the access of foreigners and goods into the United States. Since civilization created borders for countries, people have shielded those boundaries and fought over them. All countries have generated set of laws and policies for access into their territory. Some accept foreigners from other territories, but other natives merely allow strangers to reside along with them temporarily before obliging them to depart. The boundaries among the United States and its northern and southern neighbors have been tranquil from the time when the countries were established. Nevertheless, the federal immigration law gives responsibility to border patrol officers to look after the society of the United States by shielding its boundaries.
Education, Knowledge and Trainings Required
The minimum educational prerequisite for those who wish to work as a border patrol police officer is a high school diploma but having a bachelor’s degree gives more opportunity for the applicant to secure the job. In high school, taking Government, Geography and Social Studies classes are recommended. This will provide the applicant a strong background for the field. It is also recommended to take class in Foreign Language particularly in Spanish. Fluency in Spanish will give you greater advantage from other job candidates. College degree in Law, Sociology and Criminal Justice prepares and trains applicant for this line of work. This is also noted as a law enforcement and military training experience.
Skills and abilities
Border Patrol Officers must know how to utilize electronic sensors. They should have good character reference and should have acceptable scores in Spanish and Law. It is also a requirement that they are a U.S. citizen.
Duties
Border patrol officers are the front-line individuals who ensure that the country is protected from violence and illegal drugs.
They are responsible in keeping federal immigration rules. Furthermore, these officers provide protection for those who are lawfully entering the boundary points. Border patrol officers act in response to present circumstances and recognize when prohibited activities might be on the rise. They also perform traffic and transport checks at harbors. They seize aliens who reside in the country illegitimately and make implications to the magistrates about immigration matters, including applications for citizenship. In latest years, the drug smuggling has turn out to be the most complicated duty of a border patrol officer.
Earnings and Job Outlook
The salary of border patrol officer depends on their level of education. Those who are employed by the federal government have an additional 25% pay from their base salary. Job opportunities for police officers and detectives which include border patrol officers are expected to rise in the future.
Paula Hiz is a researcher and a human resource specialist who helps newly graduates, job applicants and post graduate professionals be aware of their job opportunities and available trainings for skills and practice upgrading.
Latest Articles about: Careers
1: College Mathematics Professors: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook2: Mathematics Teacher: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
3: Medical Assistant: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
4: Mathematicians: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
5: Medical Ethicist: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
Word Count: 514 Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2010 Time: 2:47 AM
Previous - Book Conservators: Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook | Next - Bounty Hunters: Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook