My top 3 tips to guarantee you will fail to get a start in Private investigations:
1) Do a Fast Track Course and put your hand up about it. You got the interview. You have a chance to impress your future employer with evidence of your skills and knowledge. She or he has worked in the industry for 25 years and established a powerful brand that her / his Client’s depend on. You innocently mention “Fast Track”. Your potential employer has been an investigator for a long time with no short cut to her or his success. When you appear as a quick solution taker to a hard boiled employer paying out hundreds of thousands of dollars to professional investigators each month, your application will die a “Fast Track” death at that point. Every one has had a “Quickie” satisfaction in this career is about “Stamina”. Investigations is high paying hard work and no paying easy work!
2) Carry a Private Investigator Badge – Ok you have your PI Badge. It cost $69.00 on the Internet. Your future employer will take into account these factors when considering employing you:
a) Past Investigators she or he knew who had PI Badges. Clang – your future employer has been around, they were not born yesterday! They know baggage when they see it and excess baggage does not get on board in this industry.
b) Their Client’s Service Level Agreement expectations regarding pretexts. You show your Badge, the employer loses $3,000,000.00 in annual turnover and 100 other investigators are out of work.
and c) where are you going with your Badge? Will your next internet purchase be a sexy police uniform, handcuffs, (Kinky) or a set of red and blue flashing lights for your vehicle? Are you determined enough to get your hands on an actual “Freddie”? Do you like firearms? What is your boundary in relation to your powerful purporting accessorising activities? Oh dear!
3) Weigh in or be sucked in on social media forums. The simple screen shot will be your downfall. Investigation Agencies gather intelligence for security reasons. That takes many forms and can include prevention. You may always wonder why you never got interviews or opportunities. That has been your own undoing. Being a Licensed Private Investigator means all three words by definition and PRIVATE is paramount. Who you gossip with, what groups you join, what you imply, or purport and participate in can serve negatively against you. You could actually be a real life James Bond, but your social media sabotaged your career and allowed an Austin Powers to get all the work. Think about that? IT CAN GET WORSE:
Imagine being in court sworn in and under oath in the witness box and being asked “Are you professional and proficient?” You ANSWER “Yes” then the next 50 exhibits tendered are your social media posts made during the same time as the matter you are in court on!
What not to do is equally important as what to do in your activities as a licensed Private Investigator. Stay professional and stay employed!
Michael Evans is a Licensed Private Investigator, and owner of the Australian Security Academy. He interacts with Investigation employers around Australia on a daily basis. He speaks at Industry Association meetings and is a drier of continuing professional standards in the civil Investigation Industry. You can contact Mike at michael.evans@