Abigail Rogers
A qualifying law degree might not be the obvious starting point for becoming a civilian Scenes of Crime Officer, but for Abigail Rogers, it’s where she got the inspiration that eventually led to what she calls “the best job in the world."
Abigail chose UWE for its reputation in law, and like most law students started off intent on a legal career, working either as a solicitor or specialist lawyer. After graduating in 2000, she got a job at a legal consultancy in Bristol that specialises in construction law, and by 2004 she'd worked her way up to Contracts and Arbitration Manager. An impressive start, but behind the scenes she was already planning a significant change of direction.
"If I'm honest, I'd had my heart set on another job for quite a while - I really wanted to be a Scenes of Crime Officer, " she explains. "And it was while I was studying law at UWE that I first thought of it as a potential job - when we did a module in Forensic Science as part of the law degree."
A life-changing leap
So intent on bagging her dream job, Abigail went back to college to study A-level Biology in her spare time. And in August 2004, she took the plunge and handed in her notice at the law firm. Within a week she'd started work as a civilian Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO) with the Gloucestershire Constabulary, which is where she works today.
Abigail's now responsible for recovering and recording forensic evidence at crime scenes, and spends much of her time with the police and the public, gathering information that might catch criminals.
Needless to say, she has no regrets about leaving law behind: "I made a life-changing leap from well-paid lawyer to under-paid but gloriously happy SOCO," she says.
"What I love most about my job is knowing that I'm part of a team that deals with often very complex situations - and that what I do can really make a difference."
Don't feel tied to law
Although her current job's clearly not as directly related to her degree as her previous role was, Abigail thinks her time at UWE prepared her well for what she's doing now. "Attention to detail and teamwork have been crucial in both my jobs. Being a SOCO wouldn't have been possible without my experiences at UWE and in construction law."
But above all, Abigail is keen to stress that you needn't feel tied to a legal career just because you're studying law. "It can give you many transferable skills, and it's a qualification very highly thought of by employers."
And finally, can she offer any advice for other aspiring Scenes of Crime Officers? "Be prepared to start at the bottom and get the experience. It's not an easy field to get into, so you might have to move around and follow the opportunities. But if UWE taught me one thing, it's that anything's possible. So stick with it and it'll be so worth it."
Page last updated 1 November 2011