What Makes A Good Private Investigator?

What Makes a Good Private Investigator? 

We have all thought we could be private investigators at some point, right? The image of sharp-dressed men chain-smoking cigarettes whilst they investigate a simple case that spirals into a world of corruption, femme Fatales, and gangsters! The media has idolised the world of private investigations, so we decided to take a look at what actually makes an excellent private investigator? To see what skills and qualities are needed in the real world of private investigations. 

Important Traits of a Good Private Investigator 

We spoke to David Kearns, CEO of Expert Investigations whose passion is being a private investigator, to see what he thinks are some of the most important traits for a private investigator to have. Here are the ones he mentioned: 

Determination and Perseverance

Not all cases will spiral into a trail of corruption and crime like the movies would have you believe, so an important part of private investigations is staying committed to the case. You can spend hours, days, months trying to find the smallest pieces of evidence to build your case. This can be a long process where not much happens, so it takes a lot of perseverance and determination to stay committed to the task at hand. 

Analyst and Problem Solver

The reality is, if this information was easy to find or acquire, if the person being investigated advertised their entire life to the public, then there would be no need to hire a private investigator. 

A private investigator is hired when normal people can’t find the information they need, so you need to be able to think outside the box and solve issues that the average person cannot. Every job is different, so you can’t rely on the same tricks every time; it’s about thinking fast to solve problems that are always changing. Especially with the internet being a huge part of private investigations, you need to be a great analyst to assess the situation and solve the problem no matter the case.

This is a vital mindset for any investigator. 

Discretion 

The very title of this role suggests the information you’re dealing with, yes, private information. A private investigator must handle their work with discretion. Even when your shift is over, you cannot talk about the case. 

You can be dealing with seriously confidential information that could really damage peoples credibility, so you need to always keep the case between you and the clients involved. 

Professionalism 

It can be easy to allow your own judgement or feelings to influence how you handle a case, but a good private investigator stays professional at all times. You are hired to do a job, and you should complete it the same as any other job. The best private investigator will always be professional first and foremost. 

As you can see, a good private investigator needs a lot more than a nice suit. It’s a tricky job that requires a lot of quick thinking, problem solving, professionalism, perseverance, and discretion to be successful, but with the right skills, they can help you solve problems that nobody else can. Having the right person for your needs is essential, so always make sure you’re hiring the right investigator for the job!