Private investigators with college degrees and licenses are in demand, yes, but if you desire the chance to get paid the highest rates, you’ll need other qualifications to give you the edge over other investigators.

Experience in Other Fields
Having experience, regardless of where you obtained it from, is never a bad thing and it’s even better if there’s an evident link between your previous occupation and your current career as a private investigator. Legal private investigators would be able to provide better service if they had worked previously for a legal firm or even the government. Insurance private investigators would naturally have a better time resolving cases if they had worked before in an insurance company. And of course, let’s not forget those with previous jobs as policemen, military investigators, and similar occupations. They, more than anyone else, have what it takes to become a private investigator.

Certification and Advancement
Certificates are handy proof for what you’ve accomplished and what you have that others don’t. Legal Investigator Certificates are offered, for instance, by the National Association of Legal Investigators to licensed individuals with considerable experience in criminal defense or negligence investigations. To qualify, one would have to meet the association’s requirements as well as pass oral and written tests.

Professional Certified Investigator certification is offered by ASIS for private investigators wishing to have more substantial credentials. The qualifications are quite straightforward: you must be a high school graduate or of a similar stature, possess five years of working experience in the field of investigation – two of which must be on managing them – and lastly, pass the organization’s exam.

Such certifications take time, effort, and money to acquire but they can be put to good use later on when you’re seeking to prove your worth to new clients. In terms of advancement, there isn’t really a defined hierarchy for private investigators. Ranking, however, may be classified according to the size and scope of the investigation and salary awarded to an investigator.

Other Skills
Reading comprehension skills are important. It makes data collecting and research a simpler task, allowing you to complete your investigation more efficiently. Writing skills are also beneficial to private investigators; a well-written investigation report is something that clients will never fail to appreciate. Communication skills are critical, especially when you are interviewing people or impersonating someone. Technical skills may also be required, depending on the field of investigation you specialize in.

image credits to Ende

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