How to Become a Private Investigator

Do you want to know how to become a private investigator? This could be the exciting and rewarding career of your dreams, but it is definitely not a career path for everyone. It’s important to learn as much as possible about the job and what it takes before getting into the industry.

As a private investigator you may be self employed working for various private clients, or you may work for an attorney, a corporation, a business serving the general public or an insurance company. Your job will include such duties as conducting surveillance, doing background investigations, gathering information for your clients, and even locating missing persons.

The following are the steps you will most likely need to follow if you want to begin this career:

Step #1: Get the necessary education and training.

Many people in this field have a background in law enforcement or the military, but this is not a prerequisite. You may also want to pursue a business, criminal justice or political science degree if you want to compete with other college-educated PIs. Or, if you don’t have time for a four-year degree, you may also consider a detective school that will teach you the basics, such as finger-printing, taking samples of evidence, using firearms and writing reports.

Step #2: Brush up on your writing.

If you’ve been out of school for a while, or have never felt like a strong writer, it would be a good idea to brush up on your writing skills and make sure you are proficient in this area before pursuing a career as a private investigator. Since you’ll be writing a lot of reports that are expected to be professional-quality, this is a key component of a successful career.

Step #3: Become a master of the Internet.

Performing background checks, credit checks and other computer searches is an integral part of any PI’s job. You must be able to utilize computer search resources, such as Lexis-Nexis, regardless of whether you are working for yourself or a large firm.

Step #4: Apply for a Private Investigator’s License (if applicable).

Some states require private investigators to carry a license in order to work in this field. For more information, contact your local police department or ask a local detective agency what you need to do.

Hopefully, this information about how to become a private investigator has been helpful in determining if this career path is right for you. Now get out there and start sleuthing!

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