If you find yourself longing to become a private investigator, there is a series of steps that you will have to take before you get clients willing to give you mysteries to solve. This is true for any professional career, so knowing what you have to do to pay your dues ahead of time will save you some grief down the road.



1. Find out what your state requires of private investigators. It might be necessary for you to take a course or a licensing exam, and you will definitely need a background check. You will need to look at a state agency for this such as secretary of state, department of justice, and so on. If you wish you could get some assistance, call a general number and they will point you in the right direction.

2. Procure information about standard law and legal practice. If you have no knowledge in this area, either reconsider career choices, or get some. Take some courses in Criminal Justice at your local community college. Some classes on Civil Procedures will be important as well. If you have taken an actual private investigators course, you should already have some basic knowledge about these subjects.

3. Be prepared to work for someone at first. The reason for this is that this will help you network and increase your credibility. Establishing experience and a good track record are key to successful careers in this business, so working for someone else for a little while will go a long way in terms of getting your own clients down the road.

4. Set a budget. The reason for this step is initial pay packages are quite low, ensure you can survive on about $15.00/hr. In your budget include hours you will not be paid for. This is a career with a lot of empty overtime, so bank on that.

5. Establish a fantastic resume and cover letter play up all of your skills and put any extra reading you do on your "hobbies" section.

6. Look for some investigators in your area and send them your resume. You may find some directories on the Internet, or you can simply look in the Yellow Pages. An investigator who is open to moving will be hired more often.

7. It is necessary to always have access to the following equipment: camera with telephoto lens, video camera, car, computer, fax, and cell phone. These are all standard private investigator tools, and you will add to your marketability to be employed if you already own them. Since they will be work related, you can write them off on your taxes.

8. Try to find a job in a Federal Agency such as the FBI, Secret Service, CIA, etc. This is challenging, and applying is a job all in itself, but they are all very good career choices. Now, you will have gained in credibility and will be sought after private investigator.