How do you withstand the ethical dilemmas associated with this unique type of work?

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Focus Your Answer On
What to Avoid
Entry Level Example
Answer Example

Some of the ethical dilemmas you may encounter as a criminal investigator include profiling or unconscious bias, remembering rights, and ensuring impartiality. The interviewer wants to know how you go about ensuring that you act ethically and appropriately at all times. Talk about a situation where there was an option to take the wrong course of action, but you stayed on the ethical track anyways. Show that you have an enormous amount of integrity in your approach.

Focus your answer on letting the interviewer know that you always follow your moral compass and uphold your integrity in any situation. When you show the interviewer that you are unwavering in your ethical beliefs, they will see that you are the type of criminal investigator they want on their team.

You want to avoid giving the interviewer reason to believe that you are not sincere in your response. You want to be passionate and show the interviewer that you maintain your integrity and do not crumble when faced with an ethical dilemma.

"While obtaining my degree in criminal justice, I learned a great deal about protecting people's rights, avoiding profiling, and ensuring impartiality at all times. I must maintain a solid level of integrity during my investigative career. To avoid ethical dilemmas, I will speak up immediately when I see something with which I disagree. I will be transparent with my leadership team and ask questions or conduct research when I am not sure where to draw the line in a particular situation."

"I have come across ethical dilemmas during investigations. At times, the lines can blur when it comes down to a citizens' rights during interrogation. One such time, my investigative partner was riding the line, and so I gave him a discreet signal to pull his questioning back a touch. I have no problem taking action like this when I suspect that some type of overstepping is about to occur."