Having qualified as a private investigator, the next logical step is to find yourself a job. If you’re just starting out, the best place to look for private detective jobs is detective agencies.

However, you can also approach credit reference agencies, banks, charities or other organizations of the sort for work – all of them employ investigation stuff in-house. Alternatively, you could offer your professional services on a freelance basis.

Association Of British Investigators (ABI)

However, if you decide that you want to work for a detective agency, the first place to look for private detective agency jobs is Association of British Investigators (“ABI”). The ABI is a regulatory organization that’s been representing private investigators in the UK for over 100 years. The website of the organization contains a list of businesses you can contact about private investigator job vacancies and training. You should bear in mind that the more relevant experience and skills you have, the more jobs will be available to you. A valid driving license is a vital requirement for the job.

Going Undercover

There is no such thing as a “typical day” for a private investigator. While quite a large amount of time would be spent on a computer running digital searches on your subjects, you will most likely also get involved with surveillance – spending hours at a single location or going undercover to learn more about a suspect is not uncommon. Some of the jobs private investigators can do include background checks on physical or legal persons, tracing of subjects (search of missing persons or parentage for adopted individuals), investigation of fraud, debt recovery, and process service. There are quite a lot of referrals and outsourcing to other firms in this business, in cases of computer fraud for example.

Traveling And Gathering Information

Private detective work is not for everyone. For starters, the working hours of a private investigator are often unpredictable and can take up even nights and weekends. If you are not the type of person who likes legwork and don’t like the idea of having an element of danger to your occupation, the job of a detective investigator is probably not the best fit for you. The occupation involves quite a bit of traveling and gathering information on your subjects. Strong observation skills and ability to approach logically are two very important qualities in a private investigator. Being patient and tenacious is another particularly important job requirement – long hours can sometimes be grueling. A good private detective also needs to be able to strike a balance between being logical and empathetic, because customers can be distressed by certain findings.

Being a private investigator is not easy, and can sometimes be frustrating. However, if you are positive that you are the right kind of person for the job and truly believe that you can deliver excellent results, you will find that the occupation of a private detective is interesting and rewarding.