Is attendance mandatory?

Yes

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What are the job opportunities for a Private Investigator?

There are numerous job opportunites in the Investigative field. Some of the tasks of a Private Investigator are as follows: Conduct background investigations of individuals, such as pre-employment checks, to obtain information about an individual's character, financial status or personal history. Conduct private investigations on a paid basis. Confer with establishment officials, security departments, police, or postal officials to identify problems, provide information, and receive instructions. Monitor industrial or commercial properties to enforce conformance to establishment rules, and to protect people or property. Observe and document activities of individuals in order to detect unlawful acts or to obtain evidence for cases, using binoculars and still or video cameras. Obtain and analyze information on suspects, crimes, and disturbances in order to solve cases, to identify criminal activity, and to gather information for court cases. Perform undercover operations such as evaluating the performance and honesty of employees by posing as customers or employees. Question persons to obtain evidence for cases of divorce, child custody, or missing persons, or information about individuals' character or financial status. Search computer databases, credit reports, public records, tax and legal filings, and other resources in order to locate persons or to compile information for investigations

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Where do Private Investigators work?

Private Investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases or on behalf of a defense attorney. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims. Many private investigators are hired to search out evidence of adultery or other illegal conduct within marriage to establish grounds for a divorce. Private Investigatos also undertake a large variety of work that is not usually associated with the industry in the mind of the public. For example, many Investigators are involved in process serving, the personal delivery of summons, subpoenas and other legal documents to parties in a legal case. The tracing of absconding debtors can also form a large part of a PI's work load. Many agencies specialize in a particular field of expertise. For example, some PI agencies deal only in tracing. Others may specialize in technical surveillance countermeasures, or TSCM, which is the locating and dealing with unwanted forms of electronic surveillance (for example, a bugged boardroom for industrial espionage purposes).

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How much can an Investigator Earn?

Median annual earnings of salaried private detectives and investigators were $32,700 in 2005. The middle 50 percent in the state of Florida earned between $29,000 and $44,600. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $22,200, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $61,500. Earnings of private detectives and investigators vary greatly by employer, specialty, and geographic area.

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What is the job outlook in the Investigative Industry?

Employment of private detectives and investigators is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2014. In addition to growth, replacement of those who retire or leave the occupation for other reasons should create many job openings. Increased demand for private detectives and investigators will result from fear of crime, increased litigation, and the need to protect confidential information and property of all kinds. The proliferation of criminal activity on the Internet, such as identity theft, spamming, e-mail harassment, and illegal downloading of copyrighted materials, will increase the demand for private investigators. Employee background checks, conducted by private investigators, will become standard for an increasing number of jobs. Growing financial activity worldwide will increase the demand for investigators to control internal and external financial losses and to monitor competitors and prevent industrial spying.

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What does it take to be a Private Investigator?

For private detective and investigator jobs, most employers look for individuals with ingenuity, persistence, and assertiveness. A candidate must not be afraid of confrontation, should communicate well, and should be able to think on his or her feet. Good interviewing and interrogation skills also are important. Because the courts often are the ultimate judge of a properly conducted investigation, the investigator must be able to present the facts in a manner that a jury will believe.

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Are Student Loans Available?

Yes. Funding is available to those who qualify.

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