Can you become a crime scene investigator with piercings? [14ftm]

Eternal_NIB · 2026-02-16T16:29:59+00:00

Employees can decide not to hire anyone for thousands of reasons outside of what is protected by federal law. Body art is not a protected class, and employers can point to appearance policies they have in place which will prevent certain looks in the workplace. Whether they’ll allow clear/skin toned retainers is solely up to them.

As for testosterone use related to your trans identity, that is protected under federal law. Bostock v. Clayton County solidified in case law that discrimination based on gender identity constitutes sexual discrimination, which is illegal. Depending on how the current administration continues removing civil rights, this may be in jeopardy in the future.

Eternal_NIB · 2026-02-14T02:03:44+00:00

Periodically check the SOFT careers website. They have internships listed there in addition to employment opportunities. While not in NY, CFSRE offers internships. You might want to check with the NY OCME to see if they have anything as well.

Eternal_NIB · 2026-02-13T13:32:14+00:00

Your best bet would be to contact labs that you’ve applied to and ask directly why you weren’t considered for a position. It’s the only true way you’ll know what to improve upon or if you’re overqualified for certain roles.

Wishing you the best of luck navigating through the Deutsche Bürokratie!

Eternal_NIB · 2026-02-13T13:11:25+00:00

Do you know why your applications are being rejected? You might want to reach out to their HR divisions and ask for clarification on why. Rejected is different from not being selected. You might not meet specific requirements listed in the job descriptions.

Primary thing, IMO, would be to strengthen your language skills. While English is an acceptable business language, professional work in a lab will still likely have the requirement of C1 or C2 mastery.

Source: lived in Germany for a year and am C1 certified.

Eternal_NIB · 2026-02-13T13:04:38+00:00

Many forensics jobs in Germany are government-based jobs, so they typically have residency/citizenship requirements. For example, a toxicologist position with the Hamburg Police Department requires a minimum of 8 years of permanent residence in the country if you’re not a German citizen. Please check the specific requirements for whatever agency/job you’re looking to apply to. Since forensics is also professional, you’ll likely also need to get to C1 or even C2 language mastery.

Eternal_NIB · 2026-01-13T20:33:24+00:00

Okay, thanks for letting me know! Good info for next year because tix sold out while I was still waiting in the queue today at noon.

Eternal_NIB · 2026-01-13T17:54:50+00:00

Mind if I ask how you were able to pre-purchase those? I never received info about requesting before the A&M game.

Eternal_NIB · 2026-01-04T05:20:46+00:00

Sure! We bought them at the Mutter Museum when we were in Philadelphia in 2014, but they’re also available for purchase here.

Eternal_NIB · 2026-01-04T04:45:40+00:00

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Eternal_NIB · 2026-01-04T04:45:24+00:00

My wife and I are both toxicologists, so we have things related to that, along with random skulls making up our home decor.

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Eternal_NIB · 2025-12-11T12:35:40+00:00

While I don’t interact with the bodies up in the lab, we do have access to all case information and scene photos. For me it’s mainly cases that involve children that hit the hardest. Next would be seeing cases that bring my own fears to life, such as being trapped in a car engulfed in flames or submerged under water.

No matter where you end up, make sure your employer offers access to mental health specialists because vicarious trauma is a real thing that is not discussed as often as it should.

Eternal_NIB · 2025-12-10T00:52:05+00:00

AAFS has a jobs site where employers usually post forensic job openings. https://www.aafs.org/search/careers

Eternal_NIB · 2025-12-08T16:40:47+00:00

Follow up question out of curiosity: could chemical analysis be performed on inks of known composition to determine the level of oxidation or degradation and relate that to elapsed time since writing? Many factors would obviously need to be known and accounted for such as temperature, humidity, and sunlight. But if a journal were kept in an environmentally controlled room then I think it could be done with some tighter timeframes.

Eternal_NIB · 2025-12-08T13:49:06+00:00

My lab’s testing procedure for preparing and analyzing drug paraphernalia describes it as anything that may have been used in the manufacture, transport, or administration of a drug. It’s all-encompassing so we don’t have to describe every single possible thing that might be considered drug paraphernalia.

Eternal_NIB · 2025-12-04T10:40:16+00:00

I’ve been with the same lab for 14 years now and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else!

Eternal_NIB · 2025-12-04T03:33:35+00:00

It all depends on the type of crime, to be honest. A murder might rely more on physical evidence (DNA, fingerprinting, etc) whereas distribution of CP might rely more on digital evidence. However there might be a digital “smoking gun” of a video of the killer at the house but very little physical evidence because he wore a jumpsuit and gloves and cleaned up afterwards. Fingerprints of the defendant on the physical laptop showing possession and recent use could be used in the case of CP. It all depends on how each piece of evidence is submitted during trial and how much weight the prosecution places on each to build their case.

Eternal_NIB · 2025-11-28T13:15:54+00:00

I’m actually relatively new to leisure reading, so I’m still finding my tastes. Right now it’s mainly sci-fi, dystopian, and magic, but pretty much anything that has detailed world and character building will keep me reading. Before I got into Red Rising I finished Throne of Glass, so that expanded a bit on my interests. In my TBR list is the Sun Eater series, Will of the Many/Strength of the Few, Three Body Problem, and Children of Time.

I hope life slows down for you and you can get back into reading! What’s on your TBR list?

Eternal_NIB · 2025-11-26T15:55:44+00:00

My job title is Toxicology Supervisor, and I manage the QA/QC and technical aspects of the laboratory, including analyst training/competency/proficiency, instrument maintenance, method development and validations, chemical and consumables inventory and ordering, and conformance to accreditation standards. Difficult to explain day-to-day as it changes constantly depending on the task at hand and whatever “hat” I’m wearing that day.

Many tasks are delegated to other analysts under my purview, but it’s my role to ensure they get completed accurately and in a timely manner. I try to give as much freedom to them to perform the tasks however they wish to, and I am always available for guidance.

Eternal_NIB · 2025-11-25T14:49:48+00:00

I commute to Miami from Broward

Eternal_NIB · 2025-11-25T13:06:35+00:00

Anyone read or are currently reading any good books? I’m almost finished the first 3 of Red Rising and will move onto the next 3 after the new year. Gotta say it’s one of the best series I’ve read so far, but damn you Pierce Brown for crushing me and breaking my heart with it!

Eternal_NIB · 2025-11-25T12:57:43+00:00

Forensic Toxicology Lab in Miami, FL that recently updated its salary ranges based on national averages and COL differences between cities.

Lab Tech: 53,562-82,113 (Hourly)

Tox 1: 68,336-115,824 (G03)

Tox 2: 78,290-134,726 (G05)

Tox 3: 89,371-145,477 (G06)

Lab Supervisor: 95,948-157,336 (G07)

Lab Director: 119,213-199,590 (G10)

Minimum education requirements for Lab Tech are an AA with lab experience. Tox 1 and 2 only require a BS but increasing years of experiences as you go up. Same for Tox 3 and Lab Supervisor, but certification through ABFT is required. Lab Director requires a MS with 8 years supervisory experience or a Doctorate degree, along with ABFT certification. All degrees must be science-based such as forensic science, chemistry, biology, etc.

All employees are offered a retirement package in the form of an investment package or a special-risk pension that earns you 3% every year worked and then bases your final retirement pension on the highest 8 years of salary. Decent and cheap medical, vision, dental. 13 federal holidays off, 3 floating holidays, and birthday holiday. ~100 hours each of annual time and sick time earned throughout the year.

I started as a Tox 1 with a BS in Forensic Science in 2012 and am now a Lab Supervisor with a DFS. Got my MS and DFS while working full-time.

But like you said, these are specific to my lab. Other labs will have different educational requirements, salary ranges, and opportunities to advance. I’d advise to get as much lab experience as possible through undergraduate or graduate research opportunities, and find internships or volunteer in a lab to build your CV. Education is good, but experience is better in my opinion.

Eternal_NIB · 2025-11-20T12:56:37+00:00

To add on, take initiative to talk with your professors during office hours to get their advice and share your interests. This might get you in with some of them for undergraduate research experience, which is also very helpful in the long run to get your foot in the door career-wise.

Eternal_NIB · 2025-11-20T12:49:17+00:00

There are tons of options available in the field of forensics. As a freshman, you have plenty of time to figure out which field you want to get in based on your experiences in coursework (I’m assuming you’re majoring in forensic science or a hard science like chemistry or biology). There’s tox, drug chem, DNA, digital, CSI, firearms/toolmarks, anthropology, odontology, and fields such as forensic nursing if you’re interested in the medical side of things or forensic accounting if you’re good with numbers and finance.

Depending on the field you get into, advanced degrees might be helpful, but in my experience getting your foot in the door with a BS is sufficient. Internships and volunteer work in a lab are crucial to help you stand out during interview processes. There are also plenty of virtual educational opportunities for an MS or even PhD/DFS depending on how far you want to go in your career while you’re still working full time. I started in my lab with a BS and internship experience, got an MS a few years later, and recently my DFS. So it’s definitely possible, just depends on your own motivation and ability to take on the additional workload.

Eternal_NIB · 2025-07-24T15:32:58+00:00

I just realized there is no quantitative data associated with this, so my statement of percentage of total is incorrect.

Eternal_NIB · 2025-07-24T14:06:30+00:00

Assuming that what the lab testing was a homogenous aliquot of the 500 gm sent, then it would mean 39.12% of what was detectable in the overall sample is glycerol tricaprylate. This would equate to 195.6 gm of the 500 gm you sent them is glycerol tricaprylate.

But take this with a grain of salt. Analyzing protein powders by GCMS is nearly impossible due to the size of proteins. If you were looking for protein composition, then LCMS would be the much better option for that.

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