Why Is Private Investigation a Job of Tomorrow?
The country is growing more security conscious, thereby increasing the demand for law enforcement officials, especially in areas of high population density. In fact, in the 2006 fiscal year, federal, state, and local government spending for police protection, corrections, judicial activities, and legal activities increased by 5.1 percent from the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics. The trend in increased spending for law enforcement is expected to continue well into the future as the population figures continue to multiply, making it more necessary to have bigger police departments and other security forces to properly maintain the crowded communities. Private investigation will do particularly well, as businesses turn to private investigators to handle business-related and electronic crimes that are often overlooked by government-employed detectives. Employment opportunities for private detectives and investigators are expected to grow 18 percent by 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Private detectives and investigators make an average salary of $33,750 annually.

What Does a Private Detective and Investigator Do?
Private detectives and investigators work with individuals, businesses, and attorneys in finding information on any number of cases. These cases can range in a variety of natures, from computer crimes to unsolved homicide cases. Depending on the specific case that a private investigator is asked to examine, duties may vary from case to case. In all jobs, however, private investigators work to uncover and document facts that may help solve a mystery or prove a theory. Most of this work is done on a computer, uncovering incriminating emails, documents, and other files to produce a lead, and then acting on those leads to find more facts. For example, an investigator working on a business crime of leaked information would search employee computers for deleted emails, or confidential information that had been copied and work from there. On the other hand, an investigator working on a case of marital affair suspicion would inconspicuously follow the suspect and take photographs of where the suspect goes, what the suspect does, and who the suspect meets. It is important, however, that all of the methods of information gathering that the investigator use are legal, as it must remain admissible in court.

What Kind of Training Do I Need to Become a Private Detective and Investigator?
Private investigator education and training experience varies between states. Some states require at least some college education background in criminal justice, and others only have professional work experience requirements where prospective private investigators must have worked under the tutelage of a licensed investigator for a certain amount of time. Almost every state requires that private investigators be licensed before working, though the requirements for licensure varies between states as well.