We’re pleased to share another student spotlight! John Lynch, a recent NITA graduate, first learned about the National Investigative Training Academy, Inc. (NITA) through his colleague and friend, Chris Cavallo. You may remember that Chris, Managing Partner of Cavallo Associates, the parent company of CSI Secure Solutions was featured in our 2015 affiliate spotlight.
Today, John works with Chris at CSI Secure Solutions, a security, investigations and consulting firm and also a NITA business partner. The company has referred several team members to NITA with great success. John spoke with NITA about his experiences with the program and how it has benefitted him in his new career.
“I started working with Chris, who has been a friend of mine since high school. I spent 30 years in the radio management business, most of it with Cox Broadcasting in South Florida, but needed to transition into a different field when the 2009 recession brought cutbacks.”
After a successful career in broadcasting, John hooked up with an advertising agency that had their own online advertising platform, selling marketing campaigns to clients who wanted to try new media. “Even working in the digital space today is becoming what radio has been, in that each entity is indistinguishable, with few contrasting features. It became time for me to find an activity that was not just new and interesting, but one that serves other people, rather than just myself,” he said.
John eventually applied for his process serving license and now serves as a Process Server for the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.
“Chris recently reached out to me and asked, ‘What would you think about trying to help me out on the sales and marketing end at CSI?’ He encouraged me to explore the field of Private Investigations specifically and began involving me in some of his projects. I became increasingly intrigued.”
“My favorite part about the field of Private Investigations is that no two scenarios are exactly alike,” he added. “It certainly keeps things interesting.”
In regards to NITA’s program specifically, John said he found the course to be exceptionally informative and the expectations manageable.
“The best advice Chris gave me was that the exam was going to be comprehensive in nature, focusing more on common sense ideals and doing the right thing. While it’s important to have an understanding of the minutia -- the statues and everything else – implementing the law of logic will ultimately be the most valuable way of determining the right conclusion.”
When asked what advice he would give to others who may be thinking of enrolling in NITA’s Florida Investigator "CC" Intern Course, John advises the following:
“Don’t try and consume it all in a really short period. 40 hours is a long time, so it’s better to do a couple hours at night, when you can. If you have to break it up over the course over a number of weeks, that’s okay, too.”
As Cavallo Associates continues to expand, John says he’s always followed three pillars when evaluating whether or not a potential client or candidate might be a good fit:
- Empathy – Do they have the ability to understand what it feels like to walk in somebody else’s shoes? Can they be patient with the process and its timeline?
- Personal Ethics – Do they abide by basic principles of honesty and integrity? Do they understand that we’re always going to do things right, first and foremost, even if nobody is there to watch what we’re doing?
- Personal Responsibility – Will they take personal responsibility for their actions and decision-making?
“If you find out early on that it’s not a good personality fit, then it’s better to cut ties up front,” he suggests. “It’s just better for everyone that way.”
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.