Before you start your private investigator career, there are a few basics you should be aware of. Private investigators watch over individuals and institutions for work to ensure that those people or entities do not commit any crimes, from fraud to theft. They often go undercover and are intimately involved in the job, as well as frequently handling sensitive information. According to the Association of Licensed Investigators (ALI), a U.S.-based business association, there were about 12,000 private investigators working in Canada in 2014 — just shy of 1% of the total number employed workers in Canada at that time.
Becoming a private investigator in New Brunswick Canada
A high school diploma is a prerequisite for becoming a private investigator in New Brunswick Canada. If you have already got the start of your education under your belt, then you’re well on your way to working as an investigative professional. Those who are just starting out, however, may need to earn post secondary educational credits. When it comes to the business aspect of becoming a private investigator in New Brunswick Canada, you will need to earn the specific licensing that is required for this line of work in your province. The Licensing Branch of the Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General is charged with enforcing the laws that pertain to licensing within New Brunswick Canada.
Private investigator salary in New Brunswick Canada
When it comes to an income, a career as a private investigator in New Brunswick Canada is not one that is overly well paid. According to the ALI, private investigators earn less than the average annual income in Canada. In the first two years of working as a private investigator expect your earning potential to be between $31,100 and $37,600 per year. After that period of time has passed, however, it will become more lucrative to work as a PI with an income of approximately $42,500 per year if you’re doing what most PIs do as their jobs with investigations and security operations – not just watching people. For more information about the salary you can expect work as a private investigator in New Brunswick Canada, please visit our article titled “What do Private Investigators Earn?”
Private investigator license requirements in New Brunswick Canada
As a private investigator in New Brunswick Canada, you will need to be licensed if you don’t already have one. You are required to have some sort of license in order to work as a PI whatsoever, giving you the right to defend yourself against any legal troubles or conflicts with the law. Before starting your job as a PI, you must ensure that you complete a number of classes and obtain the necessary licenses that are needed for this career.
Private investigator education requirements in New Brunswick Canada
Obtaining a license for the first time as a private investigator in New Brunswick Canada will require you to complete courses. In order to obtain your PI license, you must take a course that is at least 100 hours long and contains relevant information about the law, licensing procedures and much more. Even if you already have a PI license, you must be recertified every two years or it will lapse. To do so, however, requires that you go through another training course or program. This can be done by taking study courses at university or taking part in webinars or conferences. For more information about the education requirements of a private investigator in New Brunswick Canada, please visit our article titled “What are the Education and Training Requirements for Becoming a Private Investigator?”
Private investigator jobs in New Brunswick Canada
If you’re interested in becoming a private investigator, you should be aware that there is a conflict between those who have been trained and licensed to be PIs and those who are self-taught. Employers generally prefer to hire those with earned licenses over those who are self-taught. In addition, they prefer hiring applicants with formal educations over those who lack such. If you lack these things it may be difficult for you to find work as a PI. While the majority of private investigators work as independent contractors, there are a number of private investigative agencies out there that employ PIs as staff.
5 Steps to Becoming a Private Investigator
When you’re thinking about taking the plunge into the world of private investigation, you’ll want to consider your options and what it would take to become a private investigator in New Brunswick Canada. Some people start with classes and they go on from there. Others may work as an independent contractor before going full time. Perhaps you have a background in criminal justice or law enforcement and are looking for an opportunity that can pay the bills while meeting your needs for experience? Whatever your situation, here are five steps to help get you started.
1. Find a school or online course
The first step in your journey to becoming a private investigator is finding the right school or course to use as your training ground. If you don’t plan on going that route, then browse the internet for videos, books and web resources that will help get you started. While you may not need all of that information when you start out, it can prove useful if you plan on growing your business later on.
2. Finish the education requirements
Becoming a private investigator in New Brunswick Canada requires that you learn the laws of your state or province as well as how to properly apply them. You will also want to become familiar with the framework of criminal law, as that is part of what you’ll be applying to defend yourself against potential criminal charges. Familiarize yourself with how a private investigation works and how you would react if you were hired by a client to do that investigation for them. If you’re interested in pursuing the course from home, then by all means do it, but if you’re thinking about joining an academic program then at least look into getting yourself some certifications or upgrading your degree qualifications.
3. Become a private investigator in Canada
Becoming a private investigator is not as hard as you may think. All that you need to do is ensure that you’re properly licensed and then have your licenses checked by the Professional Standards Unit of the Law Enforcement Services of New Brunswick. Once this has been completed, you will be able to get an investigation license and start working with clients. This may take some time, but once it’s done, you’ll be ready to become a private investigator.
4. Become a professional investigator
Once you’ve done all that is required to become a private investigator, the best thing that you can do is learn how to become a professional. This means polishing your resume, doing extensive research on your target market and finding out what types of clients are going to hire you. While you may not be making any money at first, it will pay off in the long run.
5. Grow your private investigation business
Once you’ve become a private investigator in New Brunswick Canada, do everything that you can to grow it into a successful business. By performing well for your clients, getting referrals and doing a good job at what you do, you can turn this into a full-time career that will provide the income that you’re looking for.
