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A private investigator can do many different types of work in this field. They can work for a company, an individual or a law firm. A private investigator might have to uncover facts about legal matters civil or criminal, financial, bank accounts, fraud, computer crimes or someone’s infidelity.
Today much of the private investigators work can be done in front of a computer, uncovering information. Outside work can be anything from serving papers to surveillance and observation.
There are usually no educational requirements to be a private investigator, though courses in political science and criminal justice could help. To be a corporate investigator most companies require you have at least a bachelor’s degree in a business related field. For work in computer forensics a degree in computer science and or accounting would he helpful. If you want to be a private investigator in the computer field, there are colleges now that offer certificate programs for computer forensics. ITT Technical Institute now offers online courses in computer forensics, criminal justice and cyber security.
Most states require that a private investigator be licensed. So check with your states licensing board or division. Many private investigators are former military or law enforcement officers who are already trained in many of the required fields. Many private investigators are hired right out of college. Many states will have their own organization or private investigators offering classes and seminars in the above important areas.
Seven states do not require that you have a private investigator license. For the states that require a license the requirements differ. In the states that don’t require a license it is good practice to join that states organization of association of private investigators and have your own business registered with that states secretary of state. Some states have strict regulations; usually you must be over 18 years of age and pass a criminal background check (In most or all states convicted felons cannot be a private investigator). In states with more stringent rules like California, you need 3 years of college courses in police science, criminal law or justice, take and pass a 2-hour written test on laws and regulations. In Texas you need to work for a private investigation company first to legally obtain experience. In Ohio they have three different classifications of licenses, you would need a class B license for a private investigator. As you can see, states have their different requirements, so you need to check with your state. In most states if not all, if you plan on carrying a weapon you must pass tests and get a concealed weapons permit.
There are also state and national organizations where you can get certified as a private investigator. The National Association of Legal Investigators is mainly devoted to negligence and criminal defense investigations, offers a certification program. ASIS has the Professional Certified Investigator certification
As with many jobs, working for another company as you learn the business for several years before starting your own business could be the way to go. Continuing education in the computer forensics field is a must as threats and computers continually change.
According the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 52,000 private investigator jobs in 2006, with 30 percent being self-employed and or part time work. The outlook for this field is for it to grow by 18 percent to 61,000 investigators by 2016.
Sam Montana © 29 January 2009
Resources
US Department of Labor
Being a private investigator is actually a no easy responsibility. This is because your life could even be threatened if you are not careful enough in hiding your identity. The most important aspect in becoming a private investigator is the skill to disguise yourself from other people. Thank you for sharing this informative and excellently written article. Keep it up! Voted and shared.