Exploring the Challenges in Underemployment among Criminology Graduates: A Qualitative Inquiry

Underemployment is defined as not having enough paid work or not doing work that makes full use of their skills and abilities. This explains that a person has a job or is employed but not employed in a job that is specifically suited to his/her skills. This study explored the challenges encountered by Criminology Graduates in Underemployment. This study utilized a qualitative research design and employed purposive sampling in selecting the 10 participants, who were interviewed by researchers through self-made questionnaires. Findings revealed five (5) different themes: (1) Waiting for Recruitment, emphasizing that there is no available job in law enforcement yet; (2) Failed in the application, detailing how they have failed to enter the law enforcement due to failure to meet requirements; (3) Self-doubt, highlighting discouraged and undervalued this criminologist due to limited job offers in this sector; (4) Physical Limitations, revealing that they struggled to meet stringent physical requirements, such as BMI standards and agility tests; and (5) Competitiveness and Rejection, emphasizing that they face intense job market competition and frequent rejection in different jobs they have applied into. The study concludes that addressing the unique needs of criminology graduates requires collaborative efforts from educational institutions, employers, and the graduates themselves. The researchers suggest that criminology students should receive more physical training to complement their academic preparation, universities should also expand career services, and students should be made aware of the broad range of career paths available to criminologists beyond just roles in the tri-bureau system.