Individuals completing private detective education and training can choose from a variety of specialties. One of the most common types of private investigation work is investigating cheating spouses. Private investigators perform surveillance on suspected husbands or wives and provide any relevant documentation as part of the divorce proceedings. Other types of investigative work include workers compensation and insurance fraud cases, where companies or agencies may suspect an individual is “faking” their injuries or disabilities. Private investigators also perform services such as background checks on individuals to obtain information on prior arrests, employment and residential histories.

Private investigator education and training does not require any formal education, however is it common to find private investigators with a law enforcement or criminal justice background, as this is a field law enforcement officers tend to seek employment in upon retirement. To see if a career in private investigation is for you, perform the following:

1. Look for any private investigator education requirements.

2. Find private investigator schools that will teach you the skills you need.

3. Look for online private investigator training programs to study in your spare time.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Research private investigator education and training requirements

There are no formal education requirements to complete private investigation education and training, although some individuals possess bachelor's degrees in criminal justice, computer science, accounting or other field where they have an interest in performing investigative work. It is important to note that in order to perform investigative work, one must possess a valid private investigators license.

I recommend: The Bureau of Labor Statistics and Career Overview provide information regarding education and training for a private detective.

Research private investigator schools that offer investigative training in a classroom environment

Contact schools that offer private investigator classes in a classroom environment to get an overview of their private investigation education and training. For beginners, make sure they offer private investigation courses pertaining to civil and criminal law, surveillance, fraud investigations, workers compensation investigations, marital investigations and testifying in the courtroom.

I recommend: The Discovery Detective Academy is a private detective training school that offers their Private Investigator Master Course in a classroom environment. Contact the United States Association of Professional Investigators for more information on private investigation training schools offering classroom instruction.

Research private investigator schools that offer investigative training online

There are private investigator schools that offer online Private Investigator Master courses that one may complete as their private investigation education and training. For beginners, in addition to verifying that the curriculum offers courses related to surveillance, marital, insurance, fraud and workers compensation investigations, one should also verify before enrolling in a program that the program has received accreditation.

I recommend: The Detective Training Institute and Penn Foster Career School offer online private investigation training that may be more accommodating to the schedule of those students with jobs, family and other responsibilities.

Private investigation education and training can open new career doors for you if you are willing to pursue the right private investigation courses. Although no formal training is officially required, being a private investigator requires obtaining a license in most states.

Private investigation education and training can lead to a great second career for those who retire relatively early in their lifetimes. Careers such as the military, police work or government agencies usually offer retirement pay after only 20 years, so a little bit of private investigator training can put you well on their way to mid-life second career.

To find the right investigative training for you:

1. Determine to what extent you want to take your private detective training. Pursue basic knowledge that you can look up online, or earn a certificate through a private investigator school.

2. Figure out how much time you can commit to your training. If you are already retired from your first career or you are right out of high school, you can commit more time than someone who has to work full- or part-time through the process.

3. Budget your detective training accordingly.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Familiarize yourself with the career path before jumping into detective training

Be in-the-know about the pay and the requirements of being a PI before you invest in detective training.

I recommend: Find out industry information from U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. The description includes nature of the work, training, licensure and more. Find out more industry information at All Star Directories, Inc.. You can learn even more about being a PI from CareerOverview.com.

Obtain your investigator education through an educational facility

Obtain your investigator education through a PI school or trade school.

I recommend: Take the Private Investigator Training Course from Secrets of Top Private Eyes. Take the Principles of Private Investigation course from Gatlin Education Services. Obtain free course info from Train4PrivateInvestigation. Obtain your private investigator education from the Penn Foster Career School. There you can learn investigative and reporting techniques, where to find sources of information and run background investigations, about surveillance equipment and techniques as well as what ethics rule the PI industry.

Pursue continuing education private investigator classes

Even if you are a seasoned PI, go after private investigator classes to find out the latest techniques that might be of use to your business. Technology has changed dramatically even in the last two years, and you might find out about a tool or resource that could cut your work in half or double your business quickly.

I recommend: Look at the continuing education course from CompassPoint Investigations. Check out the continuing education in Private Investigation Training from the University Louisiana at Monroe. Pursue continuing education through Private Investigation for licensure through California State University East Bay. Take PI continuing education through the Kansas Association of Private Investigators.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  An investment into your investigator education should pay out over time in the quality of service that you can give to your clients as opposed to someone who jumped into the field with no formal training. If you are going to do it, do it right.

Private investigation education and training is vital for anyone wanting to break into the field of private investigation. Investigative training will teach you how to work effectively without being seen, accomplish a job in a short time frame, gather important information and learn how to work successfully undercover.

Education and training for a private detective will teach you detective training skills including time management, job focus, safety, weapons training and the laws that govern the practice of private investigation. As you look for private investigation education and training advice and ratings, consider the following:

1. Getting a safe and thorough private investigator education is an important first step to embarking on your career.

2. Finding detective training that will teach you how to keep clients happy is paramount.

3. Private investigator classes taught by the best in the field are imperative to your success.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find advice about private investigator schools that offer detective training

An effective private investigator school will teach you skills to help you work as a private detective safely and efficiently so you know how to stay safe on a job and still produce the results or information your client wants. Take private investigation courses at a school or online to learn weapons safety, privacy rights that affect your investigative training, and surveillance skills.

I recommend: Secrets of Private Eyes offers a private investigator training course, and also gives advice to prospective detectives about how to break into the industry. "Become a Private Investigator" is a guide written by experienced private detectives on the best investigator training and important training topics.

Get detective training that will allow you to legally work as a private detective

There are no official requirements for working as a private investigator, but most detectives get private investigator training and courses in criminal justice, forensics or police training. It's important to obtain investigator education and learn to operate legally and safely and protect yourself and your clients. Get advice about entering the field of private investigation.

I recommend: Private Investigation Advice offers help and advice about how to get proper education and training for a private detective, how to get a job in certain states and stay safe when working. All Criminal Justice Schools rates private investigator training programs and gives advice about getting detective education and training.

Get private detective training and advice

It's important to get a thorough private investigator education, but it's also helpful to listen to advice and ratings of seasoned professionals to learn tips for handling cases, advice on gear and equipment, and ratings of investigative software or education programs for detectives. Learn investigator skills and get advice from professionals.

I recommend: Career Overview gives advice on how to get trained as a private investigator and provides school resources. Subscribe to Professional Investigator Magazine to get advice on investigator work, ratings of equipment and continuing education programs for private detectives.

Private investigators have a variety of career opportunities available to them. Individuals with computer skills may find employment as a computer forensic investigator, those with a background in law enforcement may work as a legal, insurance or store investigator and financial gurus can use their expertise as a financial investigator.

Possible career paths of a private investigator include investigating possible illegal activities performed on a computer, financial, insurance and worker’s compensation fraud, theft and adultery.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Private investigators

Private investigators, sometimes referred to as private detectives, offer a variety of services such as providing security detail, running background checks, investigating fraud and performing surveillance. Private investigators typically possess a college degree or have a background in law enforcement in addition to holding proper licensing.

I recommend: Refer to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics for private investigator educational requirements and career opportunities.

Computer forensic investigators

Computer forensic investigators work to protect organizations' computer assets by utilizing techniques to determine the cause of a computer hack, tracing illegal activities being performed on a computer and recovering deleted data.

I recommend: For more information on computer forensic investigator education and training, refer to Infosec Institute.

Legal investigators

Legal investigators education and training consists of ethics, report writing, human relations, professional notes, statements, skip tracing and investigative photography. Advanced training may consist of personal injury fraud, surveillance, child abuse investigations, criminal investigations and accident investigations.

I recommend: Refer to the Investigator Academy for information on basic and advanced legal investigation training.

Financial investigators

Financial investigators perform fraud audits and compliancy assessments, detect fraud and financial crimes (such as embezzlement), and present such finding in courts of law.

I recommend: For more information on financial investigation training, refer to the Investigation Training Institute.

Store investigators

Store Investigators, also known as loss prevention agents, conduct on-site inspections of retail stores and identify areas of the stores that are prime shoplifting areas and offer solutions that the store can implement to deter future theft from occurring and in turn increase store profits. Store investigators may also work undercover at a retail store to apprehend shoplifters.

I recommend: Refer to LPAgent's website for more information on the education requirements to become a loss prevention agent.

Surveillance

Private investigators use surveillance as a discrete method to gather data in cases such as insurance fraud and adultery. Various types of surveillance include vehicle surveillance, foot surveillance, electronic surveillance and surveillance photography.

I recommend: For information on surveillance education and training, refer to the Detective Training Institute.