Let’s establish this right out of the chute. I absolutely love being a private investigator. There are so many things I love about the job and about being in business for myself. It’s flexible, does not limit my creativity or ambition, challenges me, and keeps me sharp. But there ARE a few things I don’t like about my job and that’s what I’m going to share in this blog post.
There are many people who hold the belief that private investigators are generally a sneaky, law-breaking, heavy-handed lot of unprofessional ex-law enforcement types. I don’t like having to fight my way out of this label, but I sure as heck will for as long as it takes. I hate it for my profession and I hate it because it’s generally not true. Like some other jobs out there, private investigators sometimes have to start in the negative and work just to even out the playing field. I have many private investigator colleagues who are some of the hardest working, upstanding, smartest, above-board people I know. They do their jobs and they do them very well.
I also don’t like when other private investigators out there are close-lipped and completely disinterested in helping other private investigators out. This really goes for any profession. I have built a terrific group of private investigator colleagues who are open, helpful, and share ideas all the time. We spur each other onward. We root for each other. We rejoice in each other’s successes and encourage one another during setbacks. This is as it should be. The private investigators who alienate themselves build up walls to their own detriment and usually don’t make it in the business longterm.
I am disappointed in private investigator state associations as a whole. There are definitely some stellar associations out there that do a great job with training, information output, industry news, and opportunities. But there are, unfortunately, many that seem to exist just for the sake of existing. They offer little or no training opportunities or industry news/helpful information. It’s just as easy to move a mountain as it is to get an email reply from some of them. I would love to see this change because many newer investigators like myself are breaking our backs trying to find quality training, helpful articles, worthwhile webinars, and updated laws and regulations for the private investigations industry.
Lastly, being a private investigator who opened her own business… this is hard work! It’s not for the faint-hearted. As is true of only the best things, though, it is turning out to be the most rewarding, most enjoyable and worthwhile endeavor of my professional life. I will continue to do my part in changing the unflattering reputation of private investigations. I will always be known as an investigator who helps, shares, and is kind to my colleagues, especially the new ones. And I will continue to be a part of my industry’s associations, stepping in when I can to shape them into better resources for fellow investigators. If we all start making these commitments, we’ll continue to develop our profession into a more attractive, welcoming, and supportive one. And that should be an end goal for all of us.