The goal of any private investigation is to collect information. However, the type of information collected, and the clients involved, vary significantly depending on the Private Investigator’s specialty. The private investigative field covers a wide range of opportunities, and many Private Investigators focus on becoming experts in one or multiple specialties of the field.
If you are a Private Investigator looking to advance your career or maximize your effectiveness, consider differentiating yourself by becoming an expert in a popular private investigative specialty. Here, we’ll examine some of the most widespread specialties of Private Investigators and what you can do to develop them.
1. Surveillance
Surveillance is a high-demand specialty that a significant number of Private Investigators and firms count as their primary specialty. It involves detailed and close observation of a person or place to gather information to support a case. Private Investigators may be hired to perform surveillance in cases with missing persons, marital investigations, corporate fraud, workers’ compensation, and more.
2. Background Checks
Research demonstrates more than 33% of investigative professionals specialize in checking backgrounds. Companies or individuals are frequently hired to examine a person’s financial, professional, or individual history relevant to a wide range of investigations.
3. Civil Investigations
During a civil investigation, Private Investigators collect evidence to support their clients’ court case that may include:
● Missing persons
● Domestic surveillance
● Workers’ compensation
● Asset searches
Similar to checking backgrounds, investigating civil disputes matters is a primary specialty that about 33% of Private Investigators focus on in their practice. Additionally, a large number of Private Investigators consider civil investigations their secondary and tertiary specialty.
4. Insurance Investigations
A substantial number of Private Instigators specialize in various insurance investigations, including those that involve:
● Car insurance
● Home insurance
● Health insurance
● Life insurance
● Workers’ compensation
Insurance fraud may include lost paperwork, wrongly denied disbursements by contractors overcharging, corrupt insurance companies, or organized criminal organizations. Insurance fraud impacts everyday consumers by raising premiums and making the system as a whole more expensive.
5. Corporate Investigations
This type of investigations involves internal business processes where Private Investigators may verify:
● The legality of a business partner
● Lost or stolen proprietary information
● Identifying possibilities of a damaged reputation
While corporate investigations are not as commonly selected as a specialty for Private Investigators, those focusing on this specialization consider it their primary or secondary specialty.
6. Domestic Investigations
Domestic investigations as a specialty spans over a broad range of circumstances that may involve child custody, divorce investigations, cheating spouses, and other issues that affect families. The work may involve:
● Background checks
● Security
● Investigating drug abuse
● Investigating physical or sexual abuse
While only about 12% of Private Investigators concentrate on domestic investigations, those that do consider it a primary or tertiary specialty.
7. Accident Reconstruction
This specialty of private investigations involves examining the location, cause, or circumstances surrounding an accident. Lawyers often hire Private Investigators for this type of work to strengthen their clients’ cases by reducing or establishing liability, answering questions of the parties involved and collecting evidence to present in court. This type of investigation is often a tertiary specialty for Private Investigators that they do in conjunction with other primary specialties.
Learn New Specialties With NITA’s Online Private Investigation Courses
There are countless specialties in the private investigative field that you can focus and become an expert in. The National Investigative Training Academy, Inc. (NITA) provides a wide range of online courses for Private Investigators, from Surveillance & Fraud to Social Media Training. Expand your knowledge and specialize in the field that interests you most, all from the comfort of your home.
All private investigation courses offered by NITA are developed by industry experts and created to further your private investigation career. Enroll today and access course material instantly from your computer or mobile device 24/7, from anywhere in the world. Our priority at NITA is student satisfaction. To enroll in NITA’s online private investigation courses, call 866-730-NITA (6482) or fill out our online contact form today.
Our enrollment counselors are here to answer any questions you might have about our state- and board-approved status, pre-licensing training, or professional development programs.
