Private Investigator

As a Private Investigator, you track people down, observe behavior, collect data, verify facts, and provide information. You may specialize in one area, such as surveillance, or perform a wide variety of paperwork and hands-on duties. Private Investigators are commonly hired by Lawyers, insurance companies, businesses, or family members.

Private Investigators often contribute valuable information to criminal investigations. Expensive cameras and binoculars assist you in observing the actions of a suspect. Private Investigators monitor a person, or group of people, and make careful records of their actions.

For example, you may be hired to find out if a person is having an affair, or whether an employee is selling industry trade secrets to the competition. You may also assist in searching for missing persons or other criminal investigations.

Your job isn’t all high-action, Magnum P.I. work though. You often specialize in areas that keep you at a desk, investigating files. For example, you might evaluate cases of computer crimes, in which you search for evidence deep within a laptop. Deleted emails, files, or financial records are reproduced and used in court against the defendant.

Large companies often employ Private Investigators to investigate employee fraud, theft, or activities outside the office. You also provide background information and pre-employment data.

In any of these cases, you might work inconsistent hours, find yourself in dangerous situations, and be called to testify about your findings in court. You may or may not carry a weapon, depending on what type of jobs you accept and where you work.