Archive for the 'Becoming a Private Investigator' Category

24 Nov
2008
Can You be a Part-Time Investigator?

part time investigatorWorking part-time is a challenge for anyone. If you hold another job on the side, you need to be able to juggle all the different kinds of work that you have to do and still be good at each task. If you hold only a single part time job and still have a lot of non-work tasks, you need to be able to make ends meet. Can you even imagine how difficult it would be for you to handle private investigation part time?

Believe it or not, some people hold private investigation positions and are able to do part time work. If you are interested in being a part-time investigator, there are many things that you have to be aware of. First, many part time investigator jobs have almost the same workload as an ordinary full time investigator would, so you may be paid for only a few hours to do a lot of work. You also need to need to be even more flexible and follow the unforgiving work hours that part-time investigators have. This means that nearly all your evenings will be gone and spent at work, and a lot of your weekends will be spent working on your investigator tasks.

On top of your investigation work, you also need to be quick to see details. This can be difficult if you are working on a full schedule, and you could end up messing up the case if you are working part time and thinking of all the other things that you should be doing. A part time investigation job, as mentioned above, has all the requirements of a non-part time job, so you need to think on your toes without worrying about your schedule. Moreover, even if you are a part time investigator, you will need to have all the knowledge required of other investigators, and you need to have both security clearances and licenses in order to operate and work.

An advantage to being a part time investigator is that you have a lot of flexibility and you can still do some jobs on the side that will not only give you extra income, but maybe even give you a good disguise for any undercover work that you have to do! You can also have more connections as you network for more jobs in the future if you are working part time. Moreover, you will have more control over your schedule, and you do not need to report to an office or boss if you are working part time. You need only to answer to your client.

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14 Nov
2008
Advantages of All-Female Private Investigation Firms

mrs detectiveThe most well-known detectives in fiction have mostly been males, notwithstanding Sherlock Holmes, who’s probably the most famous amongst them. Such discrepancy, however, shouldn’t be considered as proof that female private detectives aren’t good at their jobs. They certainly are, and in some cases, they’re the better choice, too.

Intuition
Intuition is defined in one website as an “instinctive knowing”, one that doesn’t utilize rational thinking. And more often than not, intuition is something associated with women rather than men. Intuition is a key factor during investigations; when you need to make split-second decisions, common sense and logic may not be enough. To make the best decisions for the case, you’ll need intuition as well and women certainly have that in abundance.

Deceptive Absence of Threat
Regardless of the various achievements of the female gender, women are still perceived as the weaker sex by many. While this may be a disadvantage, not to mention an annoyance and an insult, in certain situations, this simply becomes an asset for female private investigators.

With the help of clothes, disguise, and excellent acting, female private investigators can make it impossible for other people, especially the subject on hand, to perceive them as a threat. As such, people act and talk more freely around them, which consequently make it easier for them to uncover the truth.

Compassion and Empathy
Infidelity is the most common reason why marriages break up and the possibility of it is also the most common reason why people seek the help of private investigators. All-female private investigator firms, in particular, are adept at launching honey traps for spouses being suspected of infidelity.

These firms, however, are more prone to showing care and consideration for their clients. They do not push through with a case unless they’re sure the client understands the possible ramifications of discovering the truth. Women are also more capable of understanding what a wife is going through during these painful times and consequently understands the absolute need for discretion and compassion.

They’re Simply Effective
Lastly, women are always the best people to hire if you’re interested in launching a honey trap for a potential or current boyfriend, fiancé, or husband. Sure, men are more likely to confide the truth to male buddies, but they’re also more likely to be attracted to and kiss females. And when they fall for the trap, one snapshot is all it takes to provide evidence for their act of betrayal. After all, photos speak a thousand words, don’t they?

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12 Nov
2008
What are the Benefits that a Private Investigator Can Receive?

piggy bankAre you planning to be a private investigator? Before you start stepping into your investigation shoes, you will need to know that there are a lot of private investigators out there who are on the job without the supervision of a boss, are self-employed, and will sometimes not have a regular salary or income coming in. You may be tying yourself to a profession that is not only anonymous and silent, but sometimes lonely. You may be paid by the hour for a job that takes you blood, sweat, and tears to finish. And you will need to get into a private detective school that will help you on your way.

However, there are also benefits that some private investigators can receive, so if you are interested in being a private investigator, do not fret too easily if you find out that there are a lot of private investigators in your area who are not earning a lot of money. For instance, some law firms, especially larger ones that operate in big cities or count corporations among their clientele, can have a pool of private investigators. These will be full-time staff members who have benefits, and are on the company payroll. If you want a job that ensures income and regular salary, then you may want to talk to your local law firms for more information.

What kinds of benefits might such companies and firms offer? Some law firms will allow you to have flexible savings accounts, which can be an advantage if you are seeking to increase your income or keep yourself living comfortably off your chosen career. Thankfully, you will also get health insurance, which can be a bonus for private investigators who always need to be out in the field and who may be placing themselves constantly in danger. Moreover, if you are a private investigator on a freelancing gig, then you may not have your own vacations and holidays too often if you would like to continue making money; many of today’s law firms and even insurance companies offer their investigators vacations and holidays.

Some private investigator jobs can also be done online through searching or going undercover in forums and mailing lists. This can be advantageous in that you will not need to report to an office but still be on the regular payroll. This telecommuting side of private investigation can be a great way for you to earn money without having to spend on your commute. Some companies even offer training grants and education grants to investigators who would like to expand their horizons and hone their skills.

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10 Nov
2008
Software Packages for Private Investigators

softwareBeing a private investigator in this day and age can be daunting but exciting. After all, as a private investigator, you have many different sources from which you can take your information. This advantage of having many different sources in order to keep on cross checking your information, however, can be offset greatly by the fact that you have so many different sources of information to choose from. Where do you even begin to start your search? And even if you do get around to starting your search, would you have enough money to pay subordinates that you might need to hire to help you out?

Thankfully, in this age of the Internet and computers, you can have a single tool at your disposal that will help you do your investigative work without losing track of all your sources. There are software packages available for private investigators, and they can help you do a lot of things, depending on the features of the software. Generally, most private investigation software will help you keep track of your contacts. You can thus have a whole digital library filled with notes on your contacts’ information, their aliases and characteristics, and other information that might be too sensitive to be filed in hard copy.

Some software will have case managers that will allow you to keep a lot of digital information about the case that you are undertaking. If you are using a digital camera, this can be a handy tool, especially since you do not have to keep printing out your photographs. Moreover, since you have your photographs on your computer, you can use commercial photo enhancement software to clear up blurs and see your pictures better. Your case manager, moreover, will allow you to keep track of your notes, what your case findings were, and if you were already paid for your investigation gig.

Your private investigator software can also be a great way for you to plan your work. Some software packages will come up with alarms and reminder lists so that you will not miss deadlines. In fact, some software packages can be integrated into your staff members’ computers so that all of you can receive information and reminders regarding your cases.

In addition to all these features, some private investigation software will allow you some search engine capabilities within your data so that you can search through it and print out your findings. You can even create your own case reports, since some software will have their own wizards that will help you format your reports. This way, you can do a lot of your word processing and tabulating work without having to open another software!

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7 Nov
2008
Search Engine Tools for Private Investigators

searchBeing a private investigator in the age of the Internet can be a challenge and a great advantage. For one thing, you will have many different tools at your disposal, and almost all of them online, in order for you to create your own network of sources and get the information that you need. This can be challenging, because if you are a private investigator, you need to have great and reliable sources, and not all the sources online can be great or even reliable. In other words, you will still need to have more than one or two sources in order to carry your investigation through and cross-check your data.

There are many different search engines online that can link you to other private investigators in the United States, or even around the world. There are available search engines that function as private investigator directories. Using these directories, you can find people in other countries who share your passion for private investigation, and you can even find people in other private investigation firms who have expertise in fields that you would like to know more about but were too busy to study. Such directories can also allow you to outsource work to people, especially if you have a lot of work on your hands and need assistance with matters in your investigation.

There are also public record search engines online. Such search engines can allow you to literally search through public records in order to find out if your subject has any criminal records or history, find your subject’s birth certificate and other pertinent documents, and in short, find any document that is on the public record. Of course, you may need to pay a fee for most of the services that are on these public records databases, but if you make a great investment, you can certainly get more investigation work done.

Sometimes, the simplest search engines can yield a lot of information. Many of today’s social networks, hubs for activities both legitimate and illegitimate, are constantly being scoured through by search engines. Moreover, many of today’s forums and mailing lists are constantly run through search engines and can be searched according to keyword. All you need to know is what to query, and you can get your answers in a short while.

These are only a few resources for private investigators to do their investigating online. For more information, click on the links below, and use your favorite search engine’s features in order to maximize your search power.

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5 Nov
2008
Take Care in Your Private Investigation Career

padlockBeing a private investigator can be an interesting career: you can travel the world, find out about people’s lives, get online and save helpless people from being exploited, and, in general, expose lies that would otherwise harm people had they not known the truth. However, as a private investigator, you are also operating on the fringes of the law, and you could find yourself in trouble if you do not keep up with the law and make sure that you don’t break any rules while enforcing the natural law of society to let the truth out.

Why should following the law be such a big concern to you? For one, you need to collect evidence, and if you do so, your evidence has to be admissible in the courts of law. If you collected your evidence in an illegal manner, then you may jeopardize your case and your client might be wrongly adjudged. The case that you work on must also be legal, and your data and evidence collection methods need to be ethical. There are many ways for you to go wrong in your private investigation stint, and you need to be aware of how you can make grave mistakes so that you do not end up falling over as you go about carelessly and blithely wending your way to the truth.

Another thing that you have to worry about is your safety. You will be spending a lot of your time driving from place to place, doing legwork as you go about collecting evidence, sitting down as you go undercover and wait for the truth to show, spending long nights awake as you either do surveillance work or surf the Internet to wait for a predator to stalk you, and going on chases and hiding that can test your patience and tax on your health. Moreover, the hours that you spend on the job will be irregular, and there may be days when you are doing no work at all. In some cases, you might never get sleep!

If you do plan to be a private investigator, then get yourself ready for a lot of work. You will need to network with a lot of people so that you have a steady income stream, and in order for you to outsource some of your work when your expertise ends. You will need to constantly update your training as a private investigator, so you will have to go to school, attend seminars and workshops, and in general, keep on learning on the job.

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3 Nov
2008
Finding Jobs as a Private Investigator

magnifying glassDespite the fact that you can hardly see them, there are actually thousands upon thousands of private investigators in the U.S. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over fifty thousand private investigators held a stable and paying job in 2006, with a little under a third of them holding self-employed positions. Of the latter, a portion were doing private investigation as a second occupation. A third of the private investigators were employed by security and investigation services, as well as private detective agencies that actually pool investigators together in order to unite their individual investigative strengths.

Even department and general merchandising stores had their own private investigators, and they made up a little under a tenth of the total of all private investigators in the U.S. Other private investigators worked for law firms, their local government or state government, companies that acted as headhunters and employment go-betweens, and banks. Although it may seem that there are many job opportunities for private investigators, people who hope to enter this job market should be warned that competition is keen, and despite the fast growth in employment for private investigators, only a few are needed to keep the work going.

However, thanks to the increasing demand for private investigators and detectives, you can expect to find more jobs that will help you use your skills. This is due to the increasing criminal activity online, which can include harassment, illegal downloading of materials that are protected by international copyright laws, identity theft, and credit card theft. Moreover, as job markets expand, more employers around the world will need private investigators to do background checks on their prospective employees. The expanding global economy may also spur growth in the private investigator industry, as this can lead to more competition amongst firms, and thus a need for spying on each other to further trump one’s competition.

If you are looking for a job, you can start by asking at your local detective college about companies that constantly hire fresh graduates out of detective school. You can also talk to your local law firms, insurance firms, banks, and even credit and lending companies, since they employ private investigators regularly. These groups and institutions may even give you contact information for private detective agencies that can hire you. Lastly, you can check online for search engines tailored specifically for jobs, and use these search engines to find a job as a private investigator. Thanks to the power of the Internet, you have greater control over your job searching.

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31 Oct
2008
Do It Yourself Tools in Private Investigation

DIYHiring a private investigator can mean that you have to spend a lot on payments. This can be difficult if the private investigator gets paid by the hour, and if you have to have an investigation carried out that will last for days on end. However, there are tools that you can use in order to carry out your own private investigation, and although these tools can be handy, you may need to do a lot of research in order to cross-check the information that you have.

One such tool that you can use is your telephone. When you are off on your private investigation gigs, you will need to know your local emergency numbers, especially if you stumble across evidence that you know will help in a court case. This is because a lot of the evidence in court has to be admissible in the court of law, and this requires that certain protocols be followed when evidence is picked up. Moreover, you might find yourself in a bind, so you need local law enforcement to help you out and keep you out of what trouble you might find yourself in.

Do a lot of research! There are many different websites and software available online, and for free, that can allow you to search public records. You can even go to your local library to get records on births, deaths, land grants, and any information that you will need to support your case. There is also software that can help you do electronic tracking of people, so you will need to search for them online. Most of this software is not free, so you will need to get them from a reputable source or your money is wasted. For instance, some software can send you copies of a person’s email or chat messages to another person, provide you information on what people are doing in forums and message boards online, and show you what sites a person is visiting or downloading files from.

There are, of course, spy tools to help you in your investigation. You can get tiny, easy-to-hide voice recorders that you can install in rooms of your house to pick up sounds. You can install a call recorder card that will copy calls made from your phones, including your cellular phone. You can even buy bug detectors that will alert you if you are being wiretapped.

These are only a few tools that you can use as a private investigator. For more information, do research online and keep yourself updated on the latest in investigative technology.

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27 Oct
2008
Lucrative Businesses that You, the Private Investigator, Can Build

moneyBeing a private investigator means that you have a lot of training in many different fields, and that you can still branch out into these fields when you are done with exclusively being a private investigator. Even if you are already a private investigator, you can make money from these fields. All you need to do is to think creatively and see how you can use your skills in other sectors of society.

First off, why not train more people to be private investigators? You can put up a private investigation school, where you can teach different aspects of private investigation, such as research, stakeouts, etc. You can teach new students how to use their own backgrounds to make them better private investigators. Thanks to the many ways that we can hide data nowadays, and thanks to the many ways that people can remain anonymous, you will have no shortage of clients as a private investigator, and no shortage of students who want to get into private investigation.

If having your own school is still too difficult, then you may want to consider teaching at a local college or university. You can apply for a joint or special appointment in a criminology college, or even in a law school, where you can talk about the different ways that private investigators can help uphold the law without breaking it. You can offer your services as a laboratory instructor, special lecturer, guest lecturer, or even a consultant for a university that needs help with its criminology department.

Speaking of consultancy, another way for you to make a lot of money is to put up your own private investigation consultancy firm. You can work in conjunction with law firms and insurance firms and be paid as an outsourced specialist. You can contribute your judgment to certain cases, serve as witnesses to court cases, and even do private investigation of suspected insurance fraud.

Another way for you to be able to make money is to sell books. Look for a publisher and an agent who can help you sell a series of books that would help people protect their identities, keep their information secure, and even avoid breaking the law without knowing it. You have an instant market: a band of readers that need help in coping with the modern world. You can even get a team of writers together and split the profits!

Lastly, you can build a security agency. Now that you know the security measures that people take to keep themselves safe, you know what works and what doesn’t, and you can fashion your methods and techniques accordingly.

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24 Oct
2008
Is Privacy Really a Thing of the Past?

privacyThe Internet is a great place to be if you are hoping to start a business and get a hold on your savings. It can be a great place to meet friends and even a future lover. But the anonymity of the Internet is also a great drawback when it comes to truly knowing people. Moreover, you can get your identity stolen, and your doings online can be public knowledge. As the adage goes, nothing that you do online goes unnoticed.

With the privacy of the Internet truly a pipe dream, what other ways can privacy truly be a thing of the past? Biometrics technologies, which can implant microchips in order to track people, are currently engineered to track by location, but might be engineered one day to track people in terms of what they do, what their health is like, and what their secret lives are like. The merest video surveillance of our shopping malls, doctors’ offices, and entertainment venues is a sign that all eyes are on you and your safety.

As you can tell, although privacy is a thing of the past, it can be used for good. For instance, wireless communication can allow you to be tracked anywhere on the planet, which can be advantageous if you use a GPS device and get lost in the middle of nowhere on your way to a major city. Background checks on people might seem invasive, but you will thank private investigators one day when they turn up background checks on people that you want to hire, work with, or even marry!

The implications of privacy invasion, however, extend far beyond our own need to keep ourselves anonymous for the short term. Genetic privacy is becoming an issue especially for insurance companies, which might be given genetic data that could keep people from being insured for certain diseases to which they may be predisposed. Genetic privacy may also be an issue for certain employers who would want a clean bill of health on all their employees.

There are many other privacy issues that are impacting the way we look at the world today. For instance, social networking has become a way to expand a person’s network in order to get employed in the future, find friends, and expand one’s social circle in general. It has also become a haven for stalkers and identity theft. No one is exempt from the pitfalls of a lack of privacy: celebrities have their own paparazzi stalkers, and the time-tested method of secretive photography can make or break a career as much as a connection to the Internet can.

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