Private Investigators – the Facts

Becoming a private investigator is certainly a very interesting and challenging profession. But, before you rush to your wardrobe and dig out that old trench coat and fedora, there are a few things you should know about the job.

• It is not all glamour. There will be long hours of waiting and watching, often in the rain, or huddled up in your car.
• It is sometimes dangerous. Irate subjects of investigation can sometimes take out their revenge on the investigators.
• A large number (around 30%) of investigators are actually self-employed and must rely on their own special cluster of skills, not only skills of investigation, but also they must possess office management abilities and people management skills.
• Many investigators come from law enforcement backgrounds. Some come from the military, some from intelligence agencies, and still others from the field of insurance. It is an advantage for these people in that they already have a good grounding of the law. Therefore, if you are considering a career in private investigation, you will have to make sure you are conversant with the state and federal laws of the country. Indeed, it will be a requirement of the job.

It is worth keeping in mind the real purpose of being a private investigator. Your purpose will be to help people who need information for whatever reason they deem necessary. They could be private individuals, corporations, small businesses, lawyers, and it is your job to discover the information they need and to be able to analyze it.

It takes skill and determination to be able to sift through all the clues and facts to be able to come to a correct conclusion for your client. Accuracy is paramount in this profession, especially if your investigations lead to a trial in court.

You will be required to do many things in the course of your profession. For example:

• You will have to delve into the private affairs of many individuals.
•  You will need to put clues together, sometimes minuscule clues, to be able to reach a conclusion.
• You will find yourself embroiled in legal matters, financial matters, and personal relationships.
• You will search out background information on people and be asked to profile them.
• You might be required to investigate the ever-growing surge of computer crime.
• You will probably provide attorneys with evidence and facts that they will present in court.
• You might become involved in sordid infidelity cases, where one spouse seeks evidence for an impending divorce.

You will inevitably learn many techniques of surveillance as you spend time in your profession. You will make extensive use of computers in your quest to discover the facts you need; you will learn about electronic surveillance, photography, eavesdropping and many other methods of detection as you equip your bag of tools to be able to do the job.

Is this profession for you?