| If you want to be a private investigator, there is | | | | down the road. |
| a series of steps that you will have to take in | | | | 4. Set a budget. The reason for this step is your |
| order to start your career. This is true for any | | | | initial pay is not going to be very high, ensure you |
| professional career, so knowing what you have to | | | | can survive on about $15.00/hr. In your budget |
| do to pay your dues ahead of time will save you | | | | include hours you will not be paid for. This is a |
| some grief down the road. | | | | career with a lot of empty overtime, so bank on |
| 1. Find out what your state requires of private | | | | that. |
| investigators. You may need to take a course or | | | | 5. Establish a fantastic resume and cover letter |
| a licensing exam, and you will definitely need a | | | | play up all of your skills and put any extra reading |
| background check. You will need to look at a | | | | you do on your "hobbies" section. |
| state agency for this such as secretary of state, | | | | 6. Look for some investigators in your area and |
| department of justice, and so on. If you don't | | | | send them your resume. You may find some |
| know where to look, call a general number and | | | | directories on the Internet, or you can simply look |
| they will point you in the right direction. | | | | in the Yellow Pages. Be willing to relocate, it will |
| 2. Get to know standard law and legal practice. If | | | | make you more hirable. |
| you have no knowledge in this area, either | | | | 7. Make sure you have access to or even better, |
| reconsider career choices, or get some. Take | | | | own the following equipment: camera with |
| some courses in Criminal Justice at your local | | | | telephoto lens, video camera, car, computer, fax, |
| community college. Some classes on Civil | | | | and cell phone. These are all standard private |
| Procedures will be important as well. If you have | | | | investigator tools, and you will add to your |
| taken an actual private investigators course, you | | | | marketability to be employed if you already own |
| will already have covered this. | | | | them. Since they will be work related, you can |
| 3. Be prepared to work for someone at first. The | | | | write them off on your taxes. |
| reason for this is you will not have much luck | | | | 8. Try to find a job in a Federal Agency such as |
| getting clients if you don't have credibility. | | | | the FBI, Secret Service, CIA, etc. This is not |
| Establishing experience and a good track record | | | | easy, and applying is a job all in itself, but they are |
| are key to successful careers in this business, so | | | | all very good career choices. If you still want to |
| working for someone else for a little while will go | | | | go out on your own after this, you will have very |
| a long way in terms of getting your own clients | | | | good credibility as a private investigator. |