Hi,
I'm a new investigator just going thru my training, i have a background in management in retail jewellery, insurance and debt collections (Skip tracing)
I'm looking to start my new career as a PI very soon and was wondering if anyone had any advice for where i should go in my career.
I currently live in inner sydney but am looking to get my license for QLD, NSW, VIC and will also work ACT.
I was thinking that i would be good with factual investigations due to my exposure and dealing within insurance, debt collection and most importantly compliance over so many years
But don't wish to limit myself as there are so many amazing paths for a PI out there.
Can anyone offer any advise please
TJ

Hi tjsteele

Your background indicates you have experience interacting with people at retail level, so very likely you know how people respond and how to win their confidence. Your background in skip tracing indicates you'd also be smart enough to know when someone is trying to con you.

If on top of these skills you also have a friendly personality and confidence, then I suggest factual investigations is the way to go. There are many fascinating and challenging aspects to various surveillance, but I found that the challenge and satisfaction of doing a complex factual investigation far exceeds this. You investigate openly, as it were, meaning there is no need for pretexts and subterfuge. You dress neatly, you don't have to suffer inside very hot or freezing vehicles for hours and you get to go many places, all kinds of organisations and interview a great variety of people. And generally people treat you with respect and if you are frank and open, they show you goodwill.

An added benefit is also the higher hourly rate you will get. I also think that when work is a bit scarce, it is the surveillance people that suffer more. Somehow I had never been short of factual investigations work.

Good luck

Big George

Hi Big George, Can you please tell me if its better for me to relocate to VIC as there seems to be many factual jobs there and I was thinking similar to yourself as far as my abilities go, I enjoy dressing in a suit and have worked in a professional environment for a long time so would suit factual investigations and I really enjoy setting a goal and accomplishing it, I think factual has very clear outcomes so its an easy indicator of a win or loss

Hi tjsteele

Not sure that relocating to Victoria is a pre-requisite for getting into factual work. I did most of my work in NSW and the workload was always heavy. Whether that means there was/is more or less work in Victoria is a matter of subjective view and probably not facts.

I also think that the best place to open a hamburger joint is next door to McDonalds. Lots of competition gives you the opportunity to stand out by the quality of your work.

Anyway, that's how I see it.

BigGeorge

Thanks BigGeorge,
Yeah quality of work is always the best option.
I know with doing what i do now in tracing/ collections and with all my sales/ management experience the quality of the job from start to finish and the bottom line makes the biggest difference to standing from the others.
Thnaks again
TJ