You can train as a private detective or private investigator with Wilsons Consultancy
Life of a Private Detective
We thought you might like to know what it is really like to be a Private Detective as opposed to what is portrayed in the movies and on TV. So we are going to let you in on the realities of a private eye’s life and what a typical day might be in the life of a Private Detective.
To start off, there are many misconceptions floating around about being a private detective.
The main one being that it is a glamorous profession. When people think about private detective the image that often springs to mind is Benedict Cumberbatch creating the mystique that surrounds the series of Sherlock Holmes. TV, cinema and literature have painted the way we think about private investigators with characters such as the affable Jim Rockford from the Rockford Files and therefore the reality has always remained veiled.
So what is the reality?
According to Franck Durand, investigator with wilsons consultancy and spokesperson for the Council of Private Investigators: private detective spend about 60 per cent of their time in the field and the remaining 40 per cent writing up reports.
And if they’re doing surveillance, it could mean sitting in a car for 14 hours a day waiting for the person being investigated to do something. This includes doing several hours of research online before the private detective even leaves their house. It can mean driving several miles to follow someone or sitting for hours on end waiting at a particular site for something to happen.
Not exactly glamorous. And not exactly what was portrayed in Charlie’s Angels.
So why do people want to do it?
Well, eventually the ‘pay off’ happens. After many hours of waiting for something significant to happen and thinking that the day has been wasted, the private detective finally catches the subject in the ‘act’. The moment that has been recorded on film and the time spent on observation leads to a result for the client. This is what any investigator will tell you makes the job worthwhile and motivates them to pursue private investigation as a career, as lacklustre as it may sound.
At Wilsons Consultancy Private investigations, we pride ourselves on operating ethically and discretely, handling every case with care and professionalism. Unlike other private detectives, we do not operate on a fixed-fee basis. That’s because we believe that every case is unique. However, no case is unsolvable! Our agents use an effective combination of traditional and modern methods to get fast, effective results.
Every client is assigned their own private investigator or team of investigators, as well as a dedicated personal adviser to keep you abreast of any developments.