| people than ever today are looking at private | | | | tracing missing persons, surveillance, matrimonial |
| investigation as a serious career option. | | | | and domestic work, process serving (serving legal |
| Working as a PI is a challenging, sometimes | | | | documents), personal protection/bodyguard work, |
| exciting, varied, and generally well-paid job. It is | | | | credit control and repossession, |
| also virtually recession-proof. In good times or | | | | counter-espionage, and statement taking and |
| bad, there will always be a need for private | | | | reporting. |
| investigators. | | | | 3. Choose a well-established course provider -- a |
| Even if you have some relevant experience, | | | | college or other agency that has been operating |
| however, it is still highly desirable to undertake | | | | for at least five years. Beware of fly-by-nights |
| professional training before setting out in this field. | | | | who appear on the scene suddenly and spend a |
| For one thing, the work of a PI is extremely | | | | small fortune on advertising. There is a very real |
| diverse. Even people who have previously worked | | | | risk that they will take your money and vanish in |
| in the police or private security industry are | | | | a few weeks, leaving you high and dry. |
| unlikely to have experienced the whole wide | | | | 4. Expect to pay a reasonable amount for your |
| range of tasks a PI may be asked to perform. In | | | | training course. Private investigation is a large and |
| addition, private investigators need a good | | | | complex field. Nobody is going to learn to be a PI |
| knowledge of the law as it relates to their | | | | from a photocopied 'manual' costing just a few |
| professional activities. Experience alone, even in a | | | | bucks. Remember the old adage: If it sounds too |
| related field, is unlikely to provide this. | | | | good to be true, it almost certainly is. |
| In this article, then, I will aim to set out some | | | | 5. Finally, try to find out as much about the |
| guidelines on choosing a private investigation | | | | course provider as possible. If they don't |
| course that is likely to meet your needs. | | | | advertise a phone number and address, be wary. |
| 1. Choose a course aimed at people in your own | | | | The same applies if they operate from a PO Box |
| country if at all possible. Although some aspects | | | | number or an obvious forwarding address. Phone |
| of PI work are the same the world ever, the | | | | them up and ask a few relevant questions. Get |
| legal framework within which investigators must | | | | them to send you their prospectus, and ask if it is |
| operate varies considerably from country to | | | | possible to speak to some of their alumni. All of |
| country. It's therefore important that the course | | | | this should give you a good feel for the provider |
| you take provides the specific legal background | | | | in question, and help you decide if this really is the |
| knowledge you need. | | | | right course for you. |
| 2. Choose a course that covers all the main areas | | | | I wish you every success in pursuing your |
| in which a private investigator may be asked to | | | | ambition to become a professional private |
| work. As a minimum, your course should include | | | | investigator. |