Finding a good-paying job often requires developing your professional qualifications first. You may need to apprentice in a skilled trade or obtain a four-year degree from school. Often, the highest-paying jobs offer competitive compensation because they are not only demanding but also somewhat dangerous.
In other words, you will need to absorb some legal or physical risks as part of the job. For example, those who perform welding in a construction setting could fall or suffer severe burns, so they can command a higher wage to offset those risks.
Those who work in financial or executive positions may be at increased risk of fraud allegations, which could end their careers. Certain industries come with a greater risk of criminal charges for professionals who work in them.
Construction-related businesses
Working in construction, even if you run your own small business, comes with a lot of risks. In addition to the physical danger, there are also legal risks for those who own their own business or who are self-employed.
The bidding system used for government projects creates many opportunities for corruption or fraud. Even those who only work with individual homeowners could find themselves accused of misconduct or fraudulent accounting practices.
Finances and banking
It is somewhat self-explanatory that working in finance comes with the risk of financial misconduct. Even mistakes could look like theft to someone from the outside.
Whether you share information with friends so that they can invest based on upcoming business transactions or encourage borrowers using you as a mortgage broker to lie on their application, there are many forms of fraud that could lead to criminal charges and also career consequences for those who work in the financial, banking or investment industries.
The mining and oil and gas industries
There is big money in resource extraction, which means there is plenty of opportunity for fraud and corruption. From bribes to help companies get permits for projects that could cause environmental devastation to misreporting about environmental impact, those involved in many different aspects of resource extraction could make mistakes or engage in conduct that could lead to criminal charges.
If you work in a high-risk industry, it is of the utmost importance that you protect yourself and learn more about the laws that govern your career. Understanding what might lead to white-collar criminal charges like fraud can help you avoid making a mistake in your pursuit of career success that leads to criminal consequences.