Many investigators work with companies to conduct thorough background and legal investigations, often before large business transactions.
Searching for the Maltese Falcon they arent.
My name is Brian Willingham, and I am a licensed private investigator.
I have been working in the business 15 years this month (happy anniversary to me!).
I am the owner ofDiligentia Group, which has been in business for more than six years.
We also specialize in locating hard-to-find people.
How did you go about getting your job?
What kind of education and experience did you need?
I took a bit of a circuitous route to the profession.
I, on the other hand, kind of fell into the profession.
There are no specific education requirements to be in the profession.
It wouldnt hurt to have a criminal justice degree, but by no means is it a requirement.
What drove you to choose your career path?
My father was a private investigator, so it was certainly something that was always on my radar.
What kinds of things do you do beyond what most people see?
What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?
Researching, reading, and writing are probably the three things that I do most.
What other misconceptions do people often have about your job?
Let me count the ways.
A lot of investigators relish these misconceptions; I, for one, think that they hurt the profession.
What are your average work hours?
Typical 9-5 thing or not?
This is not a business in which you are going to find that many 9-to-5 jobs, though.
Personally, I am a morning person.
What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?
If I am done looking through it or have responded, I archive it.
I also use a combination of technology and pen and paper to keep me organized with my tasks.
What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession?
Private investigators as a group hold things pretty tight to the vest by keeping their secrets to themselves.
I dont really believe in secrets.
I am also extraordinarily honest with my clientsand sometimes brutally honest, which probably costs me some cases.
I also think I have a unique skill set.
I was a bit lucky with regard to the timing of when I joined the profession.
Information that may have taken weeks to develop can now be uncovered in just a few hours.
Ive been lucky enough to have been involved extensively in both kinds.
Whats the worst part of the job, and how do you deal with it?
One of the biggest frustrations about this business is that the work can be inconsistent and extremely time sensitive.
I go through periods of time where I work 80 hours a week and those that arent so busy.
And those busy versus slow moments can happen from week to week or even day to day.
I have been in business long enough to know that the work will come.
Whats the most enjoyable part of the job?
Two things come to mind.
First, from a professional perspective, I am enormously satisfied when I uncover information about a fraud.
What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?
And there is everything in between.
Is there a way to move up in your field?
Hard work and hustle, which you might pretty much say about moving up in any business.
What do people undervalue or overvalue about what you do?
On the other end of the spectrum, I think we are also undervalued.
I was once told that private investigators were just an expensive Google search.
Maybe that attorney just used the wrong private investigator, but nothing could be further from the truth.
I am a practitioner in my craft and spend thousands of hours a year perfecting it.
Its my job to know that criminal record checks have gaping holes and how to fill those holes.
What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?
The investigative community is a small, tight-knit community, and getting into the business is notoriously challenging.
You really have to know the right people in your community.
I would follow them on social media and attempt to establish a relationship with several of them.
I would also join message boards in the investigative community and actively participate in the conversations.
