PRIVATE INVESTIGATION

WHAT DOES A PRIVATE DETECTIVE DO?

Work for their own personal firm or a Private Investigation Company

Analyze information in legal, financial, and personal matter.

Find facts Verify peoples backgrounds Trace missing people Investigate computer crimes

Protect celebrities

WHAT A TYPICAL DAY MIGHT LOOK LIKE

9:00 a.m. : Search a crime scene for evidence to use in court

11:00 a.m. : Interview a potential suspect in the crime

12:00 p.m. : Verify their employment, income, and facts in their background 1:30 p.m. : Check their computer for any computer crime involved 2:15 p.m. : Conduct surveillance (watching the suspect without them noticing) 4:00 p.m. : Analyze all the information gathered from today 6:00 p.m. : Put the facts together and solve the crime! 7:30 p.m. : Report the conclusion to the Private Investigation Company

TYPES OF PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS

Computer Forensic Investigators Their specialty is in recovering and analyzing data from computers for use in investigations. They are usually able to recover deleted emails and documents. Legal Investigators Help prepare criminal defenses, verify most facts, and track down witnesses. They usually work for a law firm. Corporate Investigators Conduct internal and external investigations for corporations. Internally they may work on tasks such as searching for drug use in the workplace or find those who are stealing money. Financial Investigators Could be hired to develop confidential financial profiles of individuals and companies that are prospective parties to large transactions. This type of investigator is usually a CPA (Certified Public Accountant).

EMPLOYMENT FACTS
Average Salary: $42,870 / year

Entry Level Education: Some college, no degree

Moderate on the Job Training Number of Jobs as of 2010: 34,700 Job Outlook (2010-2020): 21% Number of Hours Worked Per Week: Varies due to assignments, normally irregular hours Where to Work: Private Investigation Company or Personal Start-Up

SKILLS TO HAVE / WORK ON

Communication skills: Working with others and listening carefully to witnesses. Honesty: Telling the truth to gain trust of clients is huge. Inquisitive: Must have a yearning to search for the facts and truth Resourcefulness: Must work with whatever information they have, no matter how little. Problem-solving: Think on their feet and make quick decisions

WORK ENVIRONMENT
Always depends on the case you are working on

The office would be used for computer searches and making phone calls
Usually work alone Can be stressful and dangerous due to confrontation Some situations require the private investigator to be armed. Owners of private investigation companies have added stress dealing with clients Hours are sporadic

 Sherlock Holmes (Fictitious Character) Alan Pinkerton (Abraham Lincolns good friend) Francois Vidocq (Whom Sherlock Holmes is said to be based on) J.J. Jay Armes (First private investigator to be immortalized as an action figure)

INTERESTED ON HEARING SOMEONE SPEAK ABOUT THEIR JOB?

Alloy TV sits down with a real private investigator. To hear his story, click here.

SOURCES
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/protective-service/private-detectives-and-investigators.htm#tab-1

http://www.ksiu.org/history
http://www.wymoo.com/