Being a Private Investigator

Written by:  Barton Archer

Many people have glamorized visions of what it is to be a private investigator.  Car chases, beautiful women, and blazing gun fights capture the imagination.  And the imagination is where such notions belong.  Books, TV, movies and other media reinforce these images.

Real private investigators are basically fact-finders.  Their job is to locate information for clients who would not be able to locate it themselves.  Sometimes it involves researching records, examining documents, or conducting surveillance.  Surveillance operations can involve several hours of boredom in search of maybe a few minutes of activity.

Private investigations can cover a wide range of activities.  The insurance industry employs investigators to look into possible fraud, such as false worker's compensation claims.  Corporations use investigators to research potential business Partners, also known as due diligence investigations.  Lawyers often have investigators, either on payroll or on retainer, to work on their cases.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there are actually several different types of investigators who work in the private sector.  Traditional private investigators are essentially freelance fact-finders who offer their services to a variety of clients, ranging from lawyers to suspicious spouses to corporations.  More...


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