Tell us a bit about your current job: 

I am a Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO), more famously known as a CSI! I attend and examine crime scenes. This includes photography, fingerprinting, DNA recovery, footwear mark examination, trace evidence and tool marks.

What and where did you study after school?

I studied Forensic Science at the University of Derby and then went on to do a Masters in Forensic Archaeology, Crime Scene & International Investigations at Bournemouth University

How did you get from answer 2 to answer 1?

After finishing my Masters I worked as an archaeologist for 13 months to gain experience within this field before joining the Police. SOCO jobs are very popular and most forces require you to start as a VCSE (Volume Crime Scene Examiner).  Alongside applying for any VCSE jobs I applied for other jobs within the Police to get a foot in the door. I ended up working in the Crime Bureau, where I completed crime reports with victims of crime and Police Officers on the phone, for just over 4 years before being successful in getting a job as a VCSE. I then worked as a VCSE for about 3 and a half years before being promoted to a SOCO and that’s what I have been doing for about 4 years.

How does your formal education feed into your present career (if at all)?

My degree in Forensic Science gave an insight to the role but working in the field is very different. I use the skills and knowledge from my Masters degree more often as I am the first point of contact when we have members of the public calling in about bones that they have found, mainly from gardening or dog walking! I also completed an Animal Bone Identification course at Brighton University which has been very useful.

What things have you learnt outside of formal education that have been helpful to your career?

Having a background working within the Police has really helped me move into the role of VCSE and then SOCO.

Not only do you have an insight into computer systems, but by working within the Crime Bureau I was able to classify crime types, carry out investigative questioning when speaking to members of the public to establish the circumstances of the offence they were wanting to report, and speaking to Police Officers to record the crime that they had attended. These skills have helped me throughout my VCSE/SOCO career.   

What are the really useful skills for someone in your job to possess?

Being able to talk to everyone! You will be speaking to people who have just been subjected to a crime and they may be sad, angry, frustrated or confused or all of these emotions and more. You need to be able to show them empathy as well as getting all the information about what has happened so that you can carry out your forensic examination.

Being methodical and organised are also really good skills to have especially as crime scene investigations within the UK are currently going through accreditation.

What does an average day at work look like for you?

We don’t really have ‘average’! Every day is different as you never know what crime is going to happen. We mainly work on our own, unless it’s a major or complex incident, and we concentrate on one job at a time. When we have finished dealing with an incident we call up for the next one and off we go. I deal with all crime types, from vehicles that have been broken into to murder. You never know what you are going to be sent to next. We are also on call overnight in case anything serious comes in.  

What's the best thing about your job?

EVERYTHING! It's always been my dream job and I love that every day is different, that I (hopefully) make a difference to the victims of crime that I meet, and that I play a vital part in catching criminals.

What's your least favourite aspect of your job?

When someone doesn’t fill up the van with fuel! 

What (concrete) advice would you give someone seeking a job like yours?

Don’t discount applying for other jobs within the Police as VCSE/SOCO jobs are often advertised internally first, from my experience. Most forces will also have their own Fingerprint Bureau, Forensic Enhancement Lab, Footwear Unit and Photographic Unit which would be another avenue into forensics.