Careers as private investigators, detectives

CAREERS AS

PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS DETECTIVES

Institute Research Number 166 ISBN 1-58511-166-X DOT Number 376.267-018 O*Net SOC Code 33-9021.00

CAREERS AS

PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS DETECTIVES Did you ever snoop into your sister’s diary? Listen in on your dad’s phone conversations? Wonder what the next door neighbors really did behind closed doors? Has your curiosity gotten you in hot water more than once? YOU’VE PROBABLY BEEN READING

mystery novels since you were a kid. You grew up on television detectives and idolized those guys in the movies who were so much smarter than anyone else – especially the cops. Maybe it’s the action that’s attractive to you. Or you think you really might get to live rent-free on a fabulous estate in Hawaii and drive a red Ferrari even though you can’t afford the price of a tune-up. There’s no doubt about it, there’s nothing quite so glamorous as the image of a PI. But is this career all you think it is? Yes. And no.

2

A career in private investigations is interesting, often exciting, sometimes dangerous, and very often tiring and tedious. What it never has to be is boring. It’s unlikely that you’ll be carrying a gun or getting into car chases and fistfights with lowlifes in dark alleys. But you will be meeting interesting people from all walks of life, have opportunities to travel, and make a good living at what you like best – snooping. The job of the private investigator boils down to one thing: getting information. There are numerous ways to get the job done: search computer databases, make phone calls, plow through mountains of files at the courthouse, knock on doors and interview witnesses, sit in a car while watching someone’s home, or tap informants and contacts for inside information. While operating within the confines of the law, you might use false IDs, pick locks, plant bugs to eavesdrop, and capture people on tape with your video wristwatch. One thing is for sure; this is not a normal job. What other job pays you to disguise your appearance and be a convincing liar? Unlike the guys on TV, you probably won’t be working for desperate people in big trouble who need your help proving they didn’t murder somebody. It’s more likely you’ll be working for lawyers, accountants, business owners, stores, and individuals that need help finding missing relatives. There are opportunities in this field for people of all ages, both men and women. Younger people, even as students, are often successful in the more physically demanding jobs like repossessing cars, tracking fugitives for bail bondsmen, serving papers, etc. Older investigators apply their experience and wisdom to the problem solving required in difficult cases. And women often have the advantage that comes from quickly being able to establish rapport and trust. The field of private investigations is for you if you like to be mentally challenged, enjoy helping people solve problems, and thrive on new experiences. It is a career for quick-thinkers with a knack for not getting caught. Does that description fit you? Then slip into some comfortable shoes, grab your tape recorder, and welcome to the profession!

3

YOUR ASSIGNMENT TAKE A WIDE VARIETY OF COURSES IN SCHOOL. THIS IS ONE CAREER WHERE

knowledge never goes to waste. Some good choices are English, psychology, foreign language, sociology, physics, computers, journalism, photography, and business. Make sure you know how to type. Ask your counselor to set up independent study courses in general legal practices as well as criminal justice and civil procedures. Or study on your own by visiting a good law library. Most colleges have one. If you can find one in your area, take a training course in arson investigation. Sometimes it’s offered by the local fire department. Interview private investigators in your area. Don’t be shy, just call and tell them you’re interested in a career in investigations and you’d like to hear about their experiences. These folks love to share their war stories. Take a part-time job in a related field. There’s no minimum age requirement for online research or skip tracing. If you’re at home on the computer, using the Internet, you’ve already got valuable skills. Stop by the courthouse and sit in on some trials. Anyone can sit in the gallery unless the judge closes it to the public, which is rare. Pay attention to how evidence is presented and the amount of detail involved. Note the testimony of witnesses; listen to how it is used to support or oppose cases. Nurture your natural curiosity. Whenever you or anyone else has a question, no matter how trivial, make it your business to find the answer.

4

HISTORY OF THE PROFESSION THE HISTORY OF PRIVATE INVESTIGATION IN THE US IS CLOSELY LINKED TO THAT OF

government run police departments. Until the mid-1800s, the country was mostly agrarian and sparsely populated. Crime was an uncommon event outside the cities. When cities became industrialized, however, the lure of jobs with regular paychecks was hard to resist. Many people left farming behind in search of better, richer lives. The new urban economy helped a young and growing country thrive. But along with a growing economy came problems. Criminal activity grew right along with city populations. It was in the biggest city of all, New York, that the very first police department was formed in 1844. Soon public demand for government protection led to police forces being established in towns of all sizes across the country. A few, such as New York, had the resources to handle investigations. Most did not. Criminal investigations were commonly turned over to independent investigators known as bounty hunters, stipendiary police, or thief-takers. Early private investigators were paid by governments to track down wanted criminals and return stolen property. There were no federal authorities to chase outlaws across state lines and local police had neither the authority nor the resources to pursue fleeing outlaws very far. Bounty hunters offered a valuable and necessary service when criminals fled local jurisdictions. Right from the start, police departments were riddled with corruption and scandals were common. It was no different in the private sector. Private detectives often had shady reputations; many were criminals themselves. Later, in the early 1900s, state police agencies were established in an effort to squelch corruption and bring reforms to local police departments. But private investigators continued to work outside government constraints and regulations, especially as more and more jobs were paid for by private individuals and businesses. The first detective agency was the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, established in Chicago in 1850. The primary founder, Allan Pinkerton, was a Scottish immigrant who was determined to bring respectability to this new industry by setting professional standards for detective work and applying basic principals of honesty and hard work. Pinkerton already had a well-earned reputation of his own from the time he foiled an assassination attempt on Abraham Lincoln. The 5

incident occurred as Lincoln was on his way to accept the Presidency in Washington. Later, Pinkerton was the natural choice to organize the Federal Secret Service. In the early days of the profession, most independent detectives (bounty hunters) were working for reward money. Since you wouldn’t be paid unless the job was successfully concluded, it was naturally a temptation to get the job done by any means necessary – legal or not. In contrast, Pinkerton paid predetermined daily fees to his agents. Paying a set fee removed those temptations, and the agency quickly gained a widespread reputation for honesty and integrity. The Pinkerton agency became the industry’s largest private security firm. The firm gained fame and fortune from apprehending train robbers, kidnappers, thieves, and forgers. Railroads paid Pinkerton top dollar to chase down train-robbing outlaws who had previously made travel perilous for passengers and risky for companies shipping valuable cargo. The Pinkerton agency did a lot to help their new industry grow. Private investigation services were used in many new ways. In addition to tracking down and apprehending criminals, the early private detectives performed most of the tasks now handled by federal law enforcement agencies. They guarded railroad and stagecoach shipments, provided security to banks and other businesses known for keeping a lot of cash or valuables on hand, and acted as private guards for high profile officials. The number of job opportunities in the industry grew quickly in the 20th century. Many investigative jobs required people to be armed, creating a need for regulation. California led the way with the first licensing requirements for private investigators implemented in 1915. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that licensing and regulation became widespread. Today, this is a closely regulated industry that provides numerous professional services to clients worldwide.

6

WHERE YOU WILL WORK Retail Stores and Malls Almost 20 percent of all private investigators work as store detectives, making it the single biggest area of employment in this career. Store detectives spend their days (or nights) working on the premises they’re hired to protect. Typically, that would be in a large department store or a shopping mall. Small retail shops usually can’t afford full-time detectives, but will occasionally hire one to help solve a temporary problem. You could be walking the floor in a store, keeping a vigilant eye out for shoplifters or other possible criminals. In some cases, you’ll be observing from small rooms hidden behind two-way mirrors or watching computer monitors for suspicious activities. Your beat may include the warehouse or other stock areas, dressing rooms, restrooms, employee lounges, and delivery areas. There is usually a modest office where you’ll take suspected shoplifters to be questioned and processed for arrest.

Hotels, Resorts and Recreational Facilities Like store detectives, private investigators hired by hotels and resorts work on the premises. These businesses are responsible for the safety and well being of their guests and it’s your job, as a private investigator, to protect them and their belongings from harm. In addition to watching out for possible theft, you would be expected to keep the peace by barring entry to known troublemakers and removing anyone who is causing a disturbance or posing a threat to the guests. You are not likely to be confined to an office. Instead, you’ll be covering the area assigned to you by patrolling through the premises, especially entrances and lobbies.

Business Offices Private investigators who work for agencies, corporations, insurance companies, and law firms work primarily in an office setting. The fact-finding for most cases is done on a computer and on the telephone. Many public records aren’t yet available on the Internet, so you’ll probably spend time in the nearest courthouse. The County Clerk usually keeps public records in rooms with ceiling-high filing systems and a few tables.

7

Field Work Following down leads in a case can take an investigator just about anywhere, from a trendy club to a grungy motel. Many private detectives need to verify facts by conducting interviews. They have to go to the workplaces, homes, or wherever else the people they want to talk to might be. While looking for witnesses, it may be necessary to canvas an entire neighborhood, knocking on every door. Conducting surveillance often means spending long hours in a car or a van, sitting and waiting for the subject to make a move. In some cases, you may have to be on your feet, standing quietly for a long time or possibly blending into a crowd. If a foot pursuit ensues, be prepared to go just about anywhere, inside or out. Expect to be exposed to all kinds of weather conditions and terrain.

Courtrooms Many private investigators are called upon to testify in court from time to time. In most cases, this involves a short visit to the courthouse where you’ll be called to the stand to give testimony. It rarely involves more than a few hours out of your working day.

.

THE WORK YOU WILL DO PRIVATE DETECTIVES AND INVESTIGATORS HELP BUSINESSES AND PRIVATE

individuals solve a multitude of legal, financial, and personal problems. In doing so, they use many different means to complete their assignments. In search of facts, they may conduct surveillance, do computer searches, scour public records and verify what they find by making many phone calls and talking to employers and neighbors. They stake out private homes and businesses, compile confidential information, and prevent thefts and personal injury. There are many different types of private detectives and investigators. General investigators handle a wide range of cases, usually while working for a detective agency. Others specialize in particular areas of investigation. Whether you decide to specialize or be a generalist, you will need the same basic skills and will perform similar tasks.

8

Will you experience the life of an action hero? Maybe, but probably not. Most detectives are not involved in high-risk scenarios and do not carry guns. If danger and suspense appeals to you, you’ll want to look into areas such as bounty hunting, auto repossession, process serving, and undercover work where physical force is sometimes required. Otherwise, you’ll have to find intrigue in record searching, interviewing, and surveillance.

Background Investigations Background investigations are the bread and butter of this business. There are many reasons that background investigations are conducted. Businesses may want pre-employment verification. An individual may want you to delve deep into a person’s past prior to marriage. A complete profile might be needed for trial preparation. Or you may be gathering business and criminal intelligence. Learn to gather complete and accurate background information and you’ll always be in demand as a private investigator. These days, a lot of the legwork can be done most efficiently on computers. There are thousands of computer databases containing public and not-so-public records that make the task of compiling massive amounts of data quick and relatively painless. In a matter of minutes, you can discretely find everything there is to know about a person: lifestyle, education, criminal history, assets, income, medical history, credit standing, and marital status. You can locate unlisted phone numbers, see where they’ve been living for the past 20 years, find out what cars they drive and if they own a boat or a plane, or belong to any clubs or associations. Still, computer records are often incomplete or contain information that is misleading or just plain wrong. To get the whole story, you’ll be making phone calls to verify your facts and interviewing people close to the subject to gather details and the kinds of information that don’t show up in public records.

Surveillance Sooner or later, almost all detectives conduct surveillance of one kind or another. The purpose of surveillance is to observe a subject without being seen, in order to gather and document certain facts. It is used in a variety of investigations, including fraud, workman’s comp, internal theft, marital infidelity, parental kidnapping, skip tracing, and bounty hunting.

9

Physical surveillance involves following a person on foot or in a vehicle. It may require that you stake out a person’s home or business, sitting in a car or van for long periods. Because you need to remain undetected yourself, you’ll be using cameras with powerful zoom lenses, binoculars, and audio devices to eavesdrop on your subject from an inconspicuous location. Electronic surveillance is a little less grueling. Typically, it involves setting up a video camera in someone’s home or office to capture indiscretions or illegal activities on tape. Hidden tape recorders and software to track computer use are also commonly used. The evidence gathered in this way might be used in cases involving civil liability or personal injury, questionable insurance claims, child custody, caretaker abuse, and premarital screening.

Legal Investigations This is one of the most lucrative specialties for private investigators. Attorneys representing either defendants or plaintiffs need investigative services for both civil and criminal cases. Legal investigators work on court cases of all kinds and often specialize in a certain type of case such as fraud or criminal defense. They might be employed as full-time staff members of a law firm, insurance company, or forensic laboratory. Sometimes they operate independently and are kept on retainer by individual lawyers and other firms that only require services occasionally. Typical tasks include locating and interviewing witnesses, serving legal documents, reviewing reports with police officers, gathering evidence, and reconstructing accident or crime scenes. They may also conduct background searches, take photographs, offer alternative scenarios, write reports for trials, and testify in court. The most common cases involve Workman’s Compensation claims for on-the-job injuries, arson, medical malpractice, insurance fraud, and personal injury claims. Legal investigations can be lengthy. Some require long-term surveillance over a period of weeks or even months. Evidence can be complicated with many details to be checked and rechecked. The stakes are high – thousands or even millions of dollars, so patience and thoroughness are essential.

Protective Services For some private detectives, finding out what people are up to is just the beginning. For those involved in protective services, the goal is to prevent loss of property or personal injury to clients.

10

Store detectives are also known as loss prevention agents. They work for retail stores, shopping malls, hotels, and various large companies. Their job is to protect the assets of business establishments by preventing theft and the destruction of property and apprehending anyone involved in criminal activity on company property. Sometimes this involves security services such as accompanying the transfer of valuable property. Daily tasks include conducting investigations, doing background checks on employees, keeping an eye on delivery personnel and vendor reps, monitoring company property, filing complaints, and testifying in court. They also conduct periodic inspections of stock areas, dressing rooms, and restrooms, and sometimes assist in opening and closing the store. Employers expect regular case reports, which may be used for insurance purposes. Hotel detectives not only protect company property, but the belongings of guests as well. They are often called upon to keep the peace in hotel restaurants and bars, and they make sure known troublemakers, such as thieves and prostitutes, are kept off the premises. Protective services also include personal protection for corporate executives, celebrities, wealthy clients and their families, and other high profile individuals. Providing bodyguard services can be a dangerous proposition and is certainly the most physically demanding of investigative jobs, often involving foot or vehicle pursuits and physical confrontations. This job requires more than muscles and a gun. Successful bodyguards are highly trained. To do your job well you must be on your toes at all times, aware of everything going on around you and your client, alert to every possible danger, and able to remain cool in high tension, pressure situations. Bodyguards are licensed to carry handguns and are prepared to arrest threatening individuals.

Financial Investigations Financial investigators are specialists who compile confidential financial profiles of individuals or companies, usually prior to significant financial transactions. On a business level, clients are typically investment bankers and attorneys dealing with proposed corporate mergers and acquisitions.

11

To gather the necessary information, you would start with a computer search of commercial databases, reporting services, and public records. As a specialist, you would also develop key contacts within the banking industry who can give you the inside information not found in public records. On an individual level, financial investigators might specialize in conducting asset searches. When someone wins a lawsuit, that’s often only the beginning of the fight to recover damages awarded by a court. If the loser of the suit doesn’t hand over the money willingly, the winner has to go and find it. You would start on the computer searching for assets such as employment, bank accounts, cars, real estate (including rental properties), boats, and retirement accounts listed in public records. But the investigation doesn’t stop there. You would then apply basic investigative techniques: surveillance, interviews of neighbors and other known associates, and physical searches for evidence of unreported assets. It can be very satisfying to outwit someone who is trying to hide what rightfully belongs to your client. When finished, you would turn over a report of known assets to your client. Your client can then ask the court to attach those assets and force them to be turned over to satisfy the judgment.

Missing Persons Like background checks and surveillance, tracking down missing persons is common to all phases of private investigations. However, it can also be the primary focus of an investigation and you can even make it a specialization. There are many reasons clients want someone found. They could be looking for old friends or lovers, classmates, heirs, or long-lost relatives. The people you’re looking for are not necessarily lost; they’ve more likely just lost touch. A trained private detective can usually find them quickly and easily with some very basic investigative techniques that the public simply doesn’t know about. In addition to being well-paying work, reuniting loved ones can be quite satisfying.

12

Locating missing persons is also known as skip tracing. This generally refers to someone who is trying to stay out of sight and doesn’t want to be found. The term refers to someone who has “skipped town” to avoid paying debts. This could include witnesses, runaway juveniles, bail jumpers, parental kidnappers, debtors, and fugitives. Skip tracing is the foundation for specialties such as process serving, bounty hunting, and auto repossession.

Corporate Investigations Probably the highest paying specialty is corporate investigations. Businesses of all kinds hire private investigators to conduct internal investigations and ferret out instances of employee misconduct or unlawful activity. You’ll be looking for employees who are committing fraud, embezzlement, stealing merchandise or supplies, selling inside information, or abusing drugs in the workplace. Your job will be to uncover these activities, help your employer stop them, and provide documentation that can be used in court proceedings. Corporations are often concerned with external threats. You could be investigating cases of piracy, protecting the company secrets from being stolen through industrial espionage, exposing fraudulent billing schemes, and thwarting large-scale theft. White-collar crime is sophisticated and high tech these days, and you’ll need to stay current with the latest techniques to protect your employers. For example, you’ll need to know how to detect cases of computer hacking, employ computer security measures, and guard against complex plots to siphon off company accounts. These corporate specialists may reach executive rank as head of a large firm’s security department.

13

THE PROFESSIONALS SPEAK I Am a Legal Investigator “I was born and raised in Los Angeles so naturally my first goal in life was to become an actress. I took all the classes and took roles in school plays. But when I joined the real world, I realized that I wasn’t going to make it. I wasn’t quite pretty enough, didn’t know the right people, wasn’t quite talented enough. Besides, I liked the idea of a steady paycheck. My second goal was to become a cop. They were willing to take me into the academy, but then I learned that I would never leave a desk because I had bad eyesight and therefore, I wouldn’t be issued a gun. A cop with no gun? What was the point? If I wanted to be a glorified secretary, I could have saved myself a lot of trouble. One day I was perusing the help wanted ads in the paper and I ran across a lawyer looking for an assistant to help with legwork. He didn’t put it that way, but I got the idea that the work was something I could do and I wouldn’t be stuck chained to a desk. When I went to interview for the job, I learned that he was not a practicing lawyer. Yes, he had a law degree, but basically he was the owner of a detective agency that specialized in legal work. I got the job. One of the reasons the guy hired me was because of my training in acting. It didn’t hurt that I had some police training, but it was the acting that he was interested in. Turns out he was right. You do a lot of acting in this job, pretending to be somebody you’re not or making up stories to get what you need. I started out easy, doing canvassing. That’s just a matter of knocking on doors, going over witnesses’ statements and looking for new witnesses the cops didn’t find. It’s not that the cops are incompetent. Sometimes, they don’t have the resources to spend enough time on a case. If a defendant has the money though, he can hire someone like me to really dig into it and find new evidence and get people to testify that will help his case.

14

The work interested me. People interest me. I became an expert on human nature. I could tell when people were hiding something or lying to me. And I learned quickly how to get past the facades and the attitudes and get at the truth. A lot of people think that this is a man’s job, but actually it’s an advantage to be a woman. No one sees me as a threat and when I put on my innocent face, they don’t even suspect that I might have ulterior motives. I have found that the best way to get through to people is to disarm them with a smile – wrapped in a creative story about who I am. My job eventually expanded to include surveillance like watching a guy to see if he really was hurt as bad as he claimed. I also did research, first in records rooms of the County Clerk’s office and then on the computer. And along the way, there were plenty of occasions when I’d have to testify in court. All this exposure to legal stuff got me interested in the law and with the help of my boss, I went to law school part time and got my degree. Like him, I never practiced, nor do I intend to. But in this business, no education goes unused. The more you know the better. Besides, clients are impressed. And so are my parents!”

I Manage a Detective Agency “I’ve been in the detective business for over 30 years. I started when I was in college, just looking for a way to make a few bucks between classes. My first job was doing skip traces for a collection agency. Looking for deadbeats isn’t the most glamorous way to make a living, but it had its upside. I didn’t have to punch a clock and I got paid for every person I found so there was incentive to do a good job. This was before computers so the work required a lot of legwork and I had to out think people who were trying to disappear. I quickly learned my way around the county property records office and the college library where you could look at old phone books and reverse directories (to find a name when you had the phone number). In those days, you could waltz into DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) and snoop around in the records, 15

which were there for anyone to see and you could get anything from anyone’s address to their birth date or even Social Security Number. With that information, I could also run a credit report, no questions asked. I also learned how to call relatives and neighbors and get them to reveal tidbits of information that would eventually lead me to the person I was looking for. I was surprised at how easy it was. People are greedy so you can always lure them out with the promise of something for nothing, and they respect authority – or they’re scared of it. So if you pretend to be anyone in authority, even if it’s only the meter reader with a pair of white overalls and a clipboard, you’ll find doors unlocking before your eyes. After college I was offered a job as an undercover agent at a detective agency that handled just about everything from spousal surveillance to insurance fraud. The work was never boring because it was always changing. One week I might be hanging out in a warehouse, looking to see if a forklift driver was drinking on the job and creating a hazardous situation for the other workers. The next week I could be on a plane to Chicago, following a suspected drug trafficker. Is the job like on TV? Yes and no. It definitely has its exciting and dramatic moments, like the first time I saw a dead body. I opened the back door to a warehouse and it fell at my feet and there was a trail of blood that was much grosser than anything I’d seen on the tube. Most times, it’s just plain hard work, sitting in a car all night, dealing with crazy people, carrying people into ambulances. But it can be very rewarding. I love it when I get a case with no leads and I have to use my own brain power to figure everything out. It’s the challenge that keeps it exciting. After I got married and started a family, I wanted to stop traveling and to get some sort of regular work schedule. I had certainly proven myself over the years so getting promoted to manager was fairly easy. I don’t deal with clients so much, that’s the owner’s job. I hire and train agents, assign cases, and oversee their activities.

16

I’m always looking for new talent, but not everyone is cut out for this work. I get a lot of former cops in here looking for a job, but often that doesn’t work out. Cops are trained to work by the book. To get the job done here, you have to think beyond the rules. Besides, a lot of people aren’t prepared for the irregular hours and odd assortment of tasks that are required. What I look for is somebody who has more street smarts than school or formal training – someone who is creative and can think fast. This is a great career. It is especially rewarding if you have a strong sense of justice. It’s exciting when you catch somebody doing something wrong. And the fact that you can get paid well to do it doesn’t hurt.”

17

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS Curiosity An inquisitive mind is a prerequisite for this job. Every successful private investigator has a strong sense of curiosity. Don’t confuse curiosity with being nosey. Being nosey is sniffing into people’s business for no reason. An investigator’s goal is to solve a case. A deeply curious nature leads one to try every angle, leaving no stone unturned, using persistence and assertiveness in the search for the truth. A good private detective is interested in people, has an honest desire to solve problems and a genuine interest in protecting people and property. You should enjoy the mental challenge of conducting an investigation and derive satisfaction from digging out the true facts of the situation.

Sharp Observation Skills Information gathering is at the heart of this job. You need to be aware of what’s really going on around you at all times. Do you know when someone is being deceptive? Do you understand body language and notice furtive glances? What about the time of day, what cologne a person is wearing, the make and model car they’re driving? You never know what little detail will be the key, so you need to identify as much essential information as possible. You should always be thinking, “What’s wrong with this picture?” You won’t always be able to take notes while you’re talking to people. You’ll need to remember as much as possible of what you’re observing. A strong memory is one of your greatest tools. Anything you can do to develop your memory is desirable.

Problem Solving Ability Investigation is all about problem solving. Every case is like a puzzle. You gather bits and pieces of information, figure out how the facts add up, and arrive at a logical conclusion. To be successful, you’ll know when you’re being deceived, dig deep to find the truth, be able to use a little deception of your own when necessary, and use your own ingenuity to figure things out. The best detectives know how to look beneath the surface. Lateral thinking, looking at things from different angles, will give you an advantage over those who are willing to jump to obvious conclusions prematurely.

18

You should be able to think on your feet. A quick and creative mind is a great asset.

Good Communication Skills Communication skills are required in every aspect of this career, both written and oral. You’ll be reading all kinds of documents, some of them quite complex, so reading comprehension skills are required. You’ll also be writing reports and summaries of your findings from every investigation. As you gather information, interviews and interrogations require both speaking and listening skills. To get the information you need, you’ll have to know how to most effectively pose questions and then listen closely to what people are saying when they answer you. Private investigators often have to testify in court. You must be able to present the facts of the case clearly in a forthright and believable way.

Interpersonal Skills In every investigation you work on, you’ll be dealing with all kinds of people. You should enjoy working with people and have the ability to relate to them in various situations.

ATTRACTIVE FEATURES IMAGINE SOMEONE ASKING YOU, “WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING?” AND YOU

get to answer nonchalantly, “I’m a private investigator.” Do you feel cool or what? The cool factor alone may be enough to draw you into the world of spyglasses, trench coats, and covert transmitters. But there is a lot more going for this career including professional satisfaction and good income potential. A career in private investigation serves up plenty of excitement and adventure. Sure, it’s not always going to be glamorous, but overall few other careers offer the wide variety of situations and exposure to new and interesting people. You can be a generalist and work all kinds of cases from missing persons to industrial espionage. Or you may find a particular type of work that suits you best and specialize in an area such as insurance fraud or accident reconstruction. You can choose to investigate on behalf of individuals, businesses or government agencies. Whatever your choice, you’ll get the satisfaction of helping people solve problems. 19

Your skills and experience can be applied to dozens of different jobs within this career. If you get tired of one area of specialization, you can apply your skills and experience to something completely different. For example, you may start out doing online research and decide to go into bounty hunting, or work for a few years in criminal trial preparation and switch to foreign country extractions. Your work can be as suspenseful and intriguing as you want it to be. The hours are flexible, and part-time work is common. Going to school during the day? You can conduct surveillance or computer searches at night. Or you can work full time, day or night. Work from your home or go into an office. Work for an agency or operate your own business. Travel or stay close to home. If you like high-tech electronics, you’re going to be like a kid in a candy store. It will actually be part of your job to use equipment like video sunglasses, remote audio surveillance devices, cover transmitters, night vision equipment, hidden cameras, vehicle tracking systems and counter-surveillance systems. If you have the acting bug, you’ll enjoy getting in disguise, masking your real identity to outwit your adversaries and crack the case. There is so much variety from day to day, it’s unlikely you’ll be bored. One day you could be working on the edge, tracking leads under the cover of darkness. The next day you may put on a business suit and testify in court. If you like to try new things and greet each day like a new adventure, this career is custom-made for you.

20

UNATTRACTIVE FEATURES JOBS IN PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS ARE OFTEN PART TIME. IN FACT, MOST PRIVATE

investigators work part time, especially in the beginning. That’s fine if it’s what you want, but it can often mean that work hours are irregular and undependable. This can translate into an unstable income, at least until your experience improves your standing and you’re more in demand. You may not be able to choose when you work. The need for surveillance can arise at any time and often you will need to contact and interview people who are not available during normal working hours. Depending on the case and your particular tasks, you could be working in the middle of the night, before the sun comes up, on weekends, during holidays and other times. You may have personal plans that will have to be put aside. In some cases, it may be necessary to work around-the-clock hours. There are plenty of opportunities in general for this career, but the higher paying positions usually have large numbers of qualified applicants making the competition stiff. It could take years to work up from a job as a store detective, for instance, into a better position as a supervisor or corporate investigator. Due to a glamorous reputation, deserved or not, this career attracts many people who think it might be fun to be a private detective. You might have to wait in line to get your chance, but there is also high turnover so don’t give up if it’s what you really want. Stress is common in this work. Confrontations do arise and there may even be some risk involved. In most cases, weapons are not necessary because the work is about gathering information, not apprehending dangerous criminals. But some assignments do require that a detective be armed, such as acting as a bodyguard for high profile clients such as corporate VIPs and celebrities. In that case, you will need to be licensed to carry a handgun. Stress is also a daily occurrence for supervisors and owners of detective agencies. Clients often don’t understand why an investigation is not going the way they want and can be very demanding in their desire for a successful outcome. Cases are often emotional and clients can become distraught.

21

Honesty and integrity are essential traits for good private investigators. However, there will be times when a little deception is necessary in order to get the information you need. This can be a moral contradiction that is difficult to reconcile. If you’re uncomfortable with deceit, you’ll need to stick with an area of investigation that allows you to be straightforward, such as online research.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING No formal education required Although no specific formal education is required to become a private investigator, most agencies do want to see a high school diploma. Detectives work on a wide variety of cases, so high school courses should be diverse. Some good choices are English, business law, government, psychology, sociology, chemistry, and physics. Other skills that will come in handy on a daily basis are typing, journalism, computer science, and foreign language. The more you know, the better. Throughout your career, everything you learn will come in handy sooner or later. Some vocational training or job-related course work can be very beneficial when starting out. This is particularly true for anyone trying to break into the field with no related experience, investigative background or training. Most private investigators start working for small agencies. Those agencies are usually willing to hire someone with specialized training. There are many detective courses available, sometimes at vocational schools with actual classrooms, but more commonly through distance education (correspondence and Internet courses). Be careful to check out the schools carefully beforehand. A good course includes at least 500 hours of instruction. Even the best courses only take three to six months and are well worth the investment of time and money. License requirements There is a lot of confusion about licensing. Rules and regulations vary widely among states – some have no requirements at all and some have very stringent demands. In most cases, convicted felons cannot expect to be licensed, while in some states mandatory training programs are required.

22

Typical licensing requirements involve passing an examination, posting a bond, and in some cases having a minimum amount of relevant experience or education. Often, a certain amount of experience is required working as an apprentice under a licensed private investigator. In general, a license is required only for those who are self-employed, meaning they own their own agencies or operate independently. Therefore, you can start working as an investigator employed by an agency, law firm, store, or other business, performing typical investigative tasks such as surveillance, background checks, undercover assignments, and even testifying in court – all while operating under the agency owner’s license. Most private investigators do not carry guns. Those who do, however, are required to obtain a firearms permit. Work experience in a related field Most employers prefer to hire those with some kind of relevant experience. More often than not, private detectives come from jobs in law enforcement or have done investigations for the government (such as auditing) or the military. This is true because they can retire after only 20 years of service and at a relatively young age. With all that experience and knowledge, it’s an obvious next step to move into the private sector. Others come from jobs in collection agencies, law offices, finance, credit reporting, journalism, insurance or private security. What all these fields have in common is the use of investigative skills. And, those who come from such jobs have the advantage of offering an investigative specialty. One way to demonstrate your knowledge and competency in a specialized field is to obtain certification from a professional organization such as the National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI). For example, NALI offers the designation Certified Legal Investigator to licensed detectives who primarily work on criminal negligence or criminal defense investigations. Written and oral exams are administered, plus there are requirements for experience, education, and continuing training that applicants must satisfy in order to be certified. You can check out their information at this Web site at http://www.nalionline.org/index.html

23

College is a plus While it is not required to have a college degree for most private detective and investigator jobs, many private detectives are college graduates. Those with an associate or bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or police science can enter the field immediately upon graduation from college and can expect good opportunities and starting salaries. As in most careers, even those where college degrees are not required, the more education you have the better. Even if you do not want to get a degree, taking individual courses in subjects such as criminal justice, law enforcement, police science, and forensic sciences will be helpful. The employers who pay the best in this field are corporations, and they often require a college degree. Most corporate investigators are graduates in business-related fields. Some even have advanced degrees in business administration or law, while others are certified public accountants. Large companies may offer formal training on business practices, management structure, and various finance-related topics. You should also expect to undergo a screening process, which may include a background check, a physical exam and drug testing. Very large detective agencies also may require their staff investigators and full-time detectives to have a college degree.

24

EARNINGS BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF JOBS IN THIS FIELD, EARNINGS FOR PRIVATE

detectives and investigators vary greatly. Factors such as size and type of employer, area of specialization, and geographic area affect pay rates. But the biggest difference depends on whether an investigator is self-employed or works as a salaried employee for someone else. Store detectives are on the bottom rung of the ladder with starting salaries around $15,000. Even after a few years on the job, salaries don’t get much better, often not even breaking the $20,000 barrier. Salaries for store detectives rarely rise above $25,000, even in the largest department stores. This is the industry employing the largest numbers of private detectives and turnover is high. It’s a great place to break into the business, but you wouldn’t want to get stuck here. Working for a detective agency is a little better. Private investigators on salary start out, on average, at about $20,000. After a year or so on the job, most average between $25,000 and $40,000. Experienced private investigators earn between $40,000 and $100,000. Overall, the average median salary is about $50,000. About 10 percent earn more than $75,000. To really make good money in this business, you either have to work in the corporate sector or strike out on your own. On average, corporate investigators receive the highest salaries, but these jobs also have the heaviest entry requirements. Corporate wages often start out at about $40,000. The average median salary is $50,000 and supervisory positions go much higher. For example, supervisors in charge of security and loss prevention generally have incomes of more than $75,000 per year. Typically, private investigators don’t receive benefits. This is because most are part-time employees or they work for small agencies. Those who do receive benefits are usually employed by a large corporation. A standard benefits package for a corporate investigator would include health insurance, pension plan and paid vacation. In addition to full benefits, corporations often add profit sharing plans, something agencies and department stores rarely offer.

25

Self-employed private investigators start out at between $25 and $40 per hour. Keep in mind, that in most states, a license is required to own a detective agency. This usually means several years must be spent working as an apprentice in someone else’s agency. After an agency is established, it can charge fees between $50 to $125 per hour. Independent operatives earn between $40,000 and $250,000. Owning your own agency, you can expect to earn an average of $100,000 per year. If you’re very ambitious and choose the right specialty and geographic area, it is possible to make over $250,000 with your own agency, but you’re not going to do that as a one-person shop. Such an income is only possible when you have a support staff and hire other investigators to do the legwork.

OPPORTUNITIES THE FIELD OF PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS IS BIG AND GETTING BIGGER. BECAUSE OF

its exciting image as portrayed on television and in the movies, it sometimes takes a while to secure an opportunity. Be patient. The turnover is high for a number of reasons, notably due to disillusionment when beginners learn that it’s not quite as glamorous as they had imagined. Another reason for the high turnover in this business is that many private investigators are retired police officers or former military. Because they’ve already completed an entire career, they don’t have an entire lifetime left to spend in a new one. About 40% of private detectives and investigators are self-employed. They either own their own detective agencies or they work independently, hiring themselves out to individuals and businesses on a case-by-case basis. In many states, you must first apprentice by working for a licensed agency for a year or more before you can legally open your own agency. If your goal is to ultimately strike out on your own, your first step should be to look for a job at a small agency and learn everything you can while you’re there. Another good way to break in is to hire on as a store detective. Fully one-third of all salaried private investigators are store detectives. Opportunities are abundant and job openings are common. The work is often part time and it doesn’t pay well, so it’s not that attractive to a lot of people. Your best prospects will be large chains and discount 26

stores. If the environment doesn’t appeal to you, keep in mind that this is a good training ground and it will look good on your résumé when you are ready to move up the career ladder. Anyone with sharp computer skills has an advantage. Computer searches are vital to any investigation these days, and the people who know their way around databases and the Internet are in demand. Computer technology has not only aided the private detective. Easy access to large amounts of data has also led to an increase in white-collar crime. Businesses need computer savvy private investigators to keep their company information and assets secure. Lawyers hire private detectives to compile information to be used in court cases. They particularly want people who can look beyond the obvious and uncover new evidence and witnesses, pry new information from existing witnesses, and imagine alternative scenarios. Financial institutions, auditors, financial analysts, and accountants need private investigators to prepare financial profiles, perform asset searches, control internal and external financial losses, and prevent industrial spying. This is a highly specialized field. Your best bet is to start as a bill collector. Believe it or not, the same skills that you use to track down and collect from deadbeats can be transferred to a very successful career at the corporate level. Insurance companies need the same services as financial institutions, and they also need private detectives to investigate accidents and possible fraud. A job as a claims adjuster would be a good place to start. The threat of terror has led to recent growth in demand for private investigators. Businesses of all kinds, and even some individuals, are depending on private detectives to protect them by providing in-depth background checks of new employees and other associates, surveillance operations, and counter intelligence. There will always be criminals to outwit, missing persons to find, and other mysteries to solve. The field of private investigation will always have openings for new investigators as well as experienced ones. It’s a recession proof business. In good times as well as bad, you can count on finding and keeping a job, making good money, and enjoying opportunities for advancement.

27

GETTING STARTED YOUR FIRST STEP IS TO INVESTIGATE THE LICENSING REQUIREMENTS IN YOUR STATE.

You can find out quickly online or you can look in the phone book for the appropriate state agency, which will likely be the Secretary of State, Department of Justice, or Department of Consumer Affairs. Start calling the general information numbers and follow the leads until you find the right agency. Once you have found the regulations, you’ll know whether you can obtain a license or not. If you can be licensed, you have the option of opening your own agency business. If not, you will have to work for someone else until you’ve put in the required amount of time in an apprenticeship. Also ask for a list of licensed investigators in your area. You’ll want to contact them when you start your job search. Licensed or not, there are plenty of businesses who may be willing to give you a chance to prove yourself. This is particularly true for detective agencies. Put together a résumé that includes anything you can think of that could be useful in an investigative position. Don’t be afraid to say that you’re curious or you’re a night owl or a computer geek. Also let potential employers know you can type, are willing and able to write reports, or have any special knowledge such as a second language. You’ll also make yourself more attractive, especially to small agencies with limited budgets, if you come prepared with your own tools of the trade. A car, computer, fax machine, cell phone/pager, video camera, or a camera with a telephoto lens could help your chances of getting hired. Don’t limit your job search to detective agencies. There are plenty of closely related jobs that will give you valuable experience as you build your career. Many utilize the same skills and techniques performed by licensed investigators, but do not require licensing. Law firms, security firms, collection agencies, bail bondsmen, and stores have entry level jobs for rookie investigators. You could serve legal papers, conduct on-line research, install hidden videos to catch abusive babysitters, locate missing persons, or even conduct surveillance in the workplace. Occasionally, there will be investigative jobs listed in the newspaper, but not that often. Don’t wait for a job to be advertised. Make lists of all the possible employers and contact each of them by sending a résumé and then following up with a phone call in a few 28

days. Ask them to keep you in mind should anything come up. Make sure you offer to take on one-time assignments or to help out on a temporary basis. All you need is a foot in the door and a chance to prove you’ve got what it takes. Wherever you begin your career, you’ll be given the opportunity to work closely with more experienced investigators. Listen and learn. And always keep in mind that everyone you meet, whether clients or employers or co-workers, may be important to you someday. Begin immediately to build contacts that will be important later in your career.

ASSOCIATIONS n The National Association of Legal Investigators http://www.nali.com/index.html n Association of Certified Fraud Examiners www.acfe.org n National Association of Investigative Specialists www.pimall.com/nais n Council of International Investigators www.cii2.org n Global Investigators Network http://www.ginetwork.com/ n World Association of Detectives, Inc. www.wad.net n World Investigators Network http://www.worldinvestigatorsnetwork.org/ n National Council of Investigation & Security Services www.nciss.org n Women Investigators Association http://www.W-I-A.org 29

n National Association of Property Investigators http://www.napri.org/ n International Crime Scene Investigators http://www.icsia.com/ n International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators http://www.iafci.org/start.html

PERIODICALS n PI Magazine http://www.pimall.com/pimag/ n NAIS Newsletter http://www.pimall.com/nais/n.index.html

WEBSITES n 4 The Kids http://www.fourthekids.org/ n Hi Tek’s Investigator Database www.hitekinfo.com n States’ Requirements for Private Investigator Licensing www.oregonpi.com/licensing.htm n Investigative Resource Center http://www.factfind.com/newsinfo.htm n Investigators Anywhere Resource www.ioninc.com n Justice Technology Information Network http://www.nlectc.org/justnetnews/12161999.html n Cybersnitch http://www.cybersnitch.net/cybersnitch.htm 30

n Center for Professional Investigations & Training, Inc. http://www.pitraining.com n Investigative Career Program http://www.sambrowngroup.com n Pacific NW Bail Enforcement Academy http://www.bailacademy.org/ n Detective Training Institute www.detectivetraining.com n Central Training Academy www.centraltrainingacademy.com n Ahha! Productions http://secretsoftopprivateeyes.com n Investigator Training Services http://www.thegeminigroup.net n Mvd-Investigators Training http://mvd-investigators.com n American Investigative Academy http://www.geocities.com/aia2spy n United States Academy of Private Investigation http://piacademy.com n Nick Harris Detective Academy http://www.NickHarrisDetectives.nstemp.com n Global Information Resources, Inc. http://www.globaliri.com n Private Investigator and Detective Training School http://www.PIBootCamp.com

COPYRIGHT 2006 Institute For Career Research CHICAGO CAREERS INTERNET DATABASE www.careers-internet.org 31