So you are considering a career as a private detective—who can blame you? It does sound like a fun, rewarding, and appealing job choice. For those of you looking to get into the field of investigation, read on as we discuss the many elements of becoming an investigator, including what a private detective does, what you might expect to earn in this career, what qualifications you must have before you start, and even the current job outlook in this field.
A private detective provides a wide variety of services to businesses, attorneys, and individuals, including interviews, research, investigation, and surveillance. Detective might specialize in a particular field, such as finances, corporate, legal, hotel, or retails investigators. The ultimate goal of the private detective is to provide a solution rather than solving a crime or mystery or uncovering facts. This career is often a stressful and could be dangerous.
Duties of a Private Detective
The duties of a private investigator will vary from one client to the next. Some of the more general duties might include:
- Verify employment
- Verify income
- Conduct background checks
- Interview a variety of people
- Work undercover
The different types of private detectives mean that specific tasks may vary. For instance, a private detective who deals with the theft of intellectual property may work as the backbone of the company, determining the five W's of piracy as well as providing information to attorneys for criminal or civil case. Meanwhile, someone who focuses on forensic investigations, such as computer forensics, might present data analyzed and recovered from a computer. A private detective focusing on the legal aspect of investigation would help build a criminal defense by conducting interviews with witnesses and police to review evidence, collecting evidence, serving summons, and even finding potential witnesses. Private detectives in the legal arena may also be asked to create trial reports, provide court testimony, take photographs, and collect data on those named within court documents. Finally, those who choose to enter the corporate world might have to conduct both external and internal investigations, such as investigating drug use, the safety of expense accounts, and theft within the workplace. This also may include fraudulent billing or other schemes that outside corporations or businesses may be conducting.
Indeed, the type of private detective greatly dictates the type of duties required.
Necessary Education
Formal education is not required. However, most entering this field of work will have some sort of college experience; 34 percent have at least a bachelor’s degree—although 18 percent of those within this field have only a high school diploma or equivalent and still find success. In general, it is a good idea to have taken courses in the areas of police science and criminal justice.
Training of some sort and experience are usually preferred. Many attorneys or former policemen become private detectives after retiring from their first career. It is also a good idea to have some background in your choice of specialty. For example, if you intend to enter the corporate world, you will want to have a background in business. To enter the computer forensic world, experience in accounting or computer science can be beneficial.
Although no formal education is required to enter the private detective field, most states require private detectives to have a license—only South Dakota, Alabama, Missouri, Colorado, Mississippi, and Idaho do not. In the remaining states, you must meet the regulations and licensing requirements. These requirements may include:
- Minimum age of 18 years old
- Education or experience: typically combined to reach a maximum amount of years and/or hours
- Criminal background check
- State required test
- Firearms permit
This field offers many choices for work. You could choose to work from home or open your own business, like 30 percent of those within the field do. On the other hand, you could work for a service, agency, or corporation. You can find employment within the government, law firms, insurance agencies, and many other places.
How Does the Private Detective Field Look in Terms of Jobs?
The great news is that, in the field of private detective, the employment rate is expected to rise. As the number of crimes increase while levels of protection decrease, private investigators are more in demand now than ever before. The internet has become a hub for criminal activity and consumers, corporations, and governments alike need someone to step in to take action.
