Private Investigators & Detectives
Training & Qualifications. Specialties Private Investigators Come From
There are no formal education requirements for most private detective and investigator jobs. Not all of States require private detectives and investigators to be licensed.
There are no formal education requirements for most private detective and investigator jobs, although many private detectives have college degrees. Private detectives and investigators typically have previous experience in other occupations. Some work initially for insurance or collections companies, in the private security industry, or as paralegals. Many investigators enter the field after serving in law enforcement, the military, government auditing and investigative positions, or Federal intelligence jobs.
Former law enforcement officers, military investigators, and government agents, who are frequently able to retire after 25 years of service, often become private detectives or investigators in a second career.
Others enter from such diverse fields as finance, accounting, commercial credit, investigative reporting, insurance, and law. These individuals often can apply their prior work experience in a related investigative specialty. A few enter the occupation directly after graduation from college, generally with associate’s or bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice or police science.
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Private Investigators and Private Detectives - Training & Qualifications * Based Upon
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Index
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 2005)—The United States Association of Professional Investigators (USAPI), an organization that provides education, training and benefits to it's members across the full spectrum of investigative specialties has begun accepting membership applications, announced Warren J. Sonne, President. Sonne, a retired NYPD Detective who has spent more than thirty years in law enforcement and private sector investigations, has brought together some of the most widely recognized experts in the field of forensics, criminology, insurance, intelligence, civil, and other specialties to establish a first of its kind Certification Board.
Frequently Asked Questions about Private Investigator Jobs and Employment Opportunities Answered by PI Magazine
What related occupations would be beneficial in becoming a Private Investigator?
The obvious occupations include military, law enforcement, insurance adjusters, and paralegals. However, there are many other occupations that could be advantageous, which include actors for undercover investigations, accountants for financial investigations, photographers and videographers for investigative surveillance assignments, engineers for product liability cases, librarians and title company searchers to conduct record research of public and Internet based data, and the list goes on.
