- 1). Enroll in a criminal justice, public safety or correctional studies program at a California college or university or accredited online program. Whatever degree you choose, ensure that job-related courses such as concepts in criminal law, correctional interviewing and counseling, and control and supervision in corrections are part of your program, according to the California's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
- 2). Contact your county corrections department upon graduation concerning probation officer positions in your area. Obtain and complete an application, making sure to highlight your interests in working exclusively with juvenile offenders. You must complete a scoring category worksheet (SCW), which weighs aspects such as job experience and education, along with your application. The SCW is the only scored portion of the hiring process; you must score at least an 85 before receiving a schedule for the remaining hiring assessments.
- 3). Take your written exam on the scheduled date; failure to do so will lead to a disqualification. The written exam mainly tests your grammar, reading comprehension and basic math skills. After you pass the written exam, you must complete the written segment of the California peace officer psychological evaluation, the vision test, and the physical abilities test on the scheduled dates. Once you pass these components of the hiring process, a background investigator will contact you for fingerprinting and an investigatory interview. This entire process typically takes 90 days, as the investigator must not only contact your former employers and references but conduct a thorough background check to ensure that you have no prior arrests or pending warrants on your record.
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