So many PI fields to chose from

[Chuck Baringer]

I am really exited that I have ran across the add to allow me to become a PI trainee.
I have always been fascinated by the old PI shows on TV. I am sure we have all at one time or another did a little PI work when we were little(Christmas) or hiding out watching friends or neighbors, I know I did peeking through bushes over fences, trying to find those hiden Christmas present. I know they are a little on the glamorous side, but they were always looking for the hidden facts...and that excites me. Always having a new chase to investigate and solve.
I am so exited I cannot wait to get my trainee manual so I can get started. I just really never knew there were so many different fields to chose from. How do I chose which one will be right for me? Can I have only one field of expertise or can I chose more?

[David Copeland]

Welcome to the forum. We're glad to have you here!

Just a few years ago there were 16 areas. Now it's over 50 and growing.

The best way is to take all of the areas you have an "interest" in and place them in order. Then start with the ones near the top of the list, but still keep your eyes open for the lower areas, as they will surface sooner or later.

Most private investigators choose many to start with, and end up specializing in a handful. But that's okay.

Other areas you may not be interested in may at some time become interesting to you. I know of PI's 30 years ago who hated divorce investigations. Now they love it because of the equipment they can use.

But just keep it fun, and the money will follow.

David

[Thomas J Nicol]

.

[Matthew Baran]

Is there a place where I can find out more info and descriptions about the over 50 areas that are available to PIs?

[Sara E Pickett]

Over fifty areas of concentration available to PI's. That's amazing.
I know when I read the profile, skills sheets I was surprised to see so many areas of choice. Can't wait to learn more about them so I can decide which areas to try.
Have a great day everyone.

[Sara E Pickett]

When looking over the skills sheet and areas of interest, I was wondering if (as PI trainees) we would be only exposed to the areas of choice.
Or does that pretty much depend on the agency that we are working out of, ie. assignments available etc?
It would be good to get some exposure to as many areas as possible so down the road one would be more qualified to make that decision.
Thanks in advance for any feedback. :)

[Mr Jose Bonavich Jr]

Sarah,

From the information I've gathered, and questions I've asked, it seems that you can get all the experience you would like by keeping your eyes open for available jobs. Different agencies offer different types of experience/training...so it may take some time but ultimately you can explore many if not all of the available fields of investigation. :)

[Don Menard]

Leisl,

Great information! I suspect there are many like myself who would like to try numerous areas to see which one or ones we would like to follow up on.

[Sara E Pickett]

Leisl,

Thanks for the information. That does make sence. Eyes and ears
ALWAYS open. :)
Have a great weekend.

[Robert Smith -]

Everyone here is right, I know that I have an interest in at least 5-6 different types of investigation. I would really like to learn them all, and I know that it is all up to the person wanting to do something that makes it happen. I will be content with learning only a couple, but my mind would always wonder about the other area I could have tried and learned. So I am going to make it a goal of mine to learn all I can.

[Michael Harris]

With 50+ areas of PI work, which 25 do I want to learn?

[Barbara Holtzman -]

I became a social worker becasue the possibilities were endless. I like having too many options, being open to new ideas, and having a road that stretches too far to see where it goes in front of me. Miracle of miracles - I found another profession like that!

I can't wait to get started. Reading all this is interesting, but so frustrating! But i guess, what doesn't kill you (and waiting won't, I know, I know) makes you stronger....;)

[Michael Harris]

Barbara,

You have led an interesting life (your web page would not open). I dislike having bosses and offices and too much structure.

I see that you are a cat person. I have, or rather my daughter has, one cat. This beast is a 13-year old female who has gone into heat 4 times since we moved to a new place in March of this year.

My estranged wife had to give up one of her cats - a 14-year old tom who is terrified of my house - he moved in this afternoon. WE have had as many as seven (not counting kittens) at one time. Cats take time and effort. My daughter ws not ready for them.

Anyway, it is nice to have you in the forums. :) :D :cool:

[Robert L Shipley -]

Hello Michael

Can you give me the location of the list of the 50 different types of PI's?

I would greatly appreciate it.

[Michael Harris]

Robert,

I will be nice this once. You need to learn to use the Search function.

http://www.ipiu.org/forums//showthread.php?s=&threadid=8536&highlight=accident+reconstruction+investigation

[Robert L Shipley -]

Hello Michael,

Thank you for your help. I will keep search attached to my computer.

Thanks for the Tip.

[James Goers]

As for the types of PIs, I'm really interested in music piracy. I've worked for 18 years at a onestop wholesale, that sold records, tapes and cds to record stores. A lot of my friends own small record stores and are forced out of business because they're trying to sell cds for $15.98 and there's somebody bootlegging and selling that same cd for six bucks out of his trunk. Gas stations are buying bootlegged cds for dirt cheap and underpricing. Honest store owners don't stand a chance. The police either can't or won't help enforce copyrite laws. I think that a good PI could help some of these "Mom & Pop" record stores stay in business. I know that there is money to be made from several record lables, like Sony, WEA, Polygram, CEMA just to name a few. That's a possibility worth checking into.

[Michael Harris]

James,

I see that this is your first post (and only one at the time). Welcome to IPIU and the IPIU forums.

You do need to go to the Introduction's Lounge and post there. When the forum members know that you are running loose in the forums, they will send you all kinds of great advice. Follow it!

Read, read, read, reread, post, and have fun.
:) :D :cool:

[Richard Greiner -]

I didn't know there where so many types of Investigations, wow! Thanks for the web site Mr. Harris. I just can't wait tell I get my application and fell it out so I can get started on learning. I am in enrolled in PCDI PI School and I am learning alot from it. Thanks!

[Michael Harris]

Richard,

We are all here to learn and teach and encourage.

[Richard Greiner -]

I know I just hope I get accepted into the IPIU, so I can get my Licensess to be a Private Investigator. This something I always wanted to do.

[Eric Cohen-]

Aloha:)

After reviewing the 52 different catagories, I do not see any that I would not be interested in.

Eric Cohen:cool:

[Robert Jessup]

It seems a lot of people want to do bounty hunting. Please enlighten me on why. I may be watching too many cop shows but I have the picture that chasing bail jumpers require knocking down doors, getting into shoot outs and dodging bullits.

I know it can't be that risky so can someone tell me what bounty hunters actually do?

Thanks,

Rob

[Richard Greiner -]

Rob,

Well I don't know where to start, There is good Bounty Hunter's and Bad Bounty Hunters. Use to be anyone could become a Bounty Hunter and that is where the Bad ones come in ex-cons use to do this kind of work just earn money and lot of them went at it the wrong way. Doing killings,arresting the wrong person,Really Beating the wrong person up what they where money hungrey because there would'nt be anyone who would hire them because of there bad record. See it changed alot since the 1800's it was a nice job lot of them would just give in and let the Bounty Hunter take them in. Know days lot of Bounty Hunters end up Dead if they get to the Bail Jumper. It's a very riskey Job know it not like it use to be. Yeah lot of people do it because of the money there is money in that kind of work. But it's not worth loseing your life over. I even half to say it's more dangrous then being a cop,FBI Agent,etc. I couldn't tell you why people dose it Rob! Maybe look up Bounty Hunters on your search engine and go to one of there web sits and ask them.

[Glenn N Klipp]

Originally posted by Michael Harris
Robert,

I will be nice this once. You need to learn to use the Search function.

http://www.ipiu.org/forums//showthread.php?s=&threadid=8536&highlight=accident+reconstruction+investigation


Oh, come on Michael, you are always nice! :D

[Dragos Sfinteanu]

Originally posted by Glenn N Klipp



Oh, come on Michael, you are always nice! :D


Right, Glenn. I totally agree.

Dragos

[David Tallia]

As a newbie, is it better to specialize or not to specialize? :)

[David Leonard]

Originally posted by David Tallia
As a newbie, is it better to specialize or not to specialize? :)

I also want to know what others think about David's thoughts. I have looked over the list and I have experence in a couple of the things that are listed. Would it be better to study just a few things and become specialized in them or have a good working knowledge of a lot of them?

[Mary A Young -]

David:


My thoughts on specialization are to first eliminate the things you KNOW you would not want to do. The thread for indicating your interests is here:

http://www.ipiu.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8536

I have a lot of interests but, for example, I'm not real interested in bounty hunting. So I eliminated that one. Your interests would be different than mine, I'm sure.

I have some definite areas of interest and will look into those first. However, I am keeping an open mind. Those are my thoughts on this day after the holiday.
:)

Mary

[David Leonard]

Thank you for helping me out with that Mary!!

[Dragos Sfinteanu]

David,

Remember the proverb "Knowledge is power"?

I think that in order to choose a PI field (or more!), you have to be very well informed. You could find a lot of information related to your question by visiting the forums, reading a lot , posting and asking specific questions (that will be professionally and friendly answered).

Also, you could widen your horizon by visiting the IPIU bookstore (books@ipiu.org). They are offering discount prices for IPIU members, starting from "Associate Members" (that applies to you). As a suggestion, you could try an interesting book for future PI (I ordered it myself): "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Private Investigation".

After all of the above, it would be much easier to find out the answer to your question.

[Tina M Phillips]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by David Copeland
[B]Welcome to the forum. We're glad to have you here!

Just a few years ago there were 16 areas. Now it's over 50 and growing.



David,

I thank you for your information. It is very encouraging. Where can I find a list of areas to choose or narrow down my interests?

Thanks,

Tina P!

[Michael Harris]

Dragos,

My coat of arms comes with the following motto:

Scientia et patientia sund potentia which means that Knowledge and patience is power.

I have a tatoo of the scientia on my wrist (can be covered with a watch band.

[Dragos Sfinteanu]

Michael,

I mentioned only "Knowledge" as a fact that I got it tatooed first. The "Patience" did not get enough place on my wrist, to be covered by a watch band. I had to wait a while to find a tatoomaster to engrave it on my (fore)head. Since then I wear a big basseball cap. :(

[Michael Harris]

Dragos,

My scientia is a gold key. The patientia is a gold hedgehog. The hedgehog goes back to my Norman ancestry in the mid-900s. We were the smart ones, we left France in 1066 with William the Conquerer.:)

[Dragos Sfinteanu]

Michael,

Indeed, your ancesters had a lot of patience. They had to wait more than a hundred yers before the Saxons finally accepted them... England was so traditional that they used to say when the storm was blowing around: "The continent is isolated!" (that was probably before the tunnel Dover-Pas de Callais was opened).

Considering those times, I was definitely in the "Saxon" party ....
remember Ivanhoe and Robin Hood ?

....
In about two hours the clock will sound midnight

Happy New Year, 2004!

[Tina M Phillips]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Michael Harris
[B]Robert,

I will be nice this once. You need to learn to use the Search function.

I found the areas of investigations to be overwhelmingly delightful. I have alot to choose from to narrow down the options.

Tina Phillips

[Michael Harris]

Dragos,

One of my ancestors was a Sheriff at Nottingham.:eek:

[Dragos Sfinteanu]

Michael,

This was probably the reason I mentioned Robin Hood ;)

[Michael Harris]

Dragos,

Most of us have a rogue or two in our family tree. Most of us also have slaves in our family tree. Almost all ethnic, tribal, cultural, or national groups were someone's slaves at some time.

My wife's Slavic grandfather worked on a barony in Bohemia around the turn of the last century. He was not called a slave, but he went with the land.

[Dragos Sfinteanu]

Michael,

If your wife's Slavic grandfather went with the land , he was a
serf (the slaves in Europe generally dissappeared after the fall of the Roman Empire); they became serfs.

What means the "turn of the last century"? I suppose 1800/1900.
The serfdom in Bohemia was abolished, to the best of my reccolection, in the middle of the century (1848).

Anyway, I am impressed by your "family-tree" knowledge (it is not very common). What were your springs of research in this very difficult domain?

[Michael Harris]

Dragos,

My wife's grandfather did not die until I was almost 30. I met him many times and we talked about his past.

He was a serf in the early 1900s. His wife had an even stranger background, but I will go to the Chit-chat thread for that.

My own grandparents were born in 1863, 1873, 1877, and 1884. The Harris family has an extensive family tree posted at FamilyTree.com. Others in the family have done years of work tracking down the details.

[Richard Greiner -]

Michael not to long ago I just finished my Family Tree and I also found out that I am a Relative of the Great Civil War General Robert E. Lee which is a very Great Man and also found out that I have a lot of ancester's who fought for the Confederate States of America and also have Native American Ancestry which I already knew about it my Great Grandmother was a Black Foot and Cherokee, and I have a Harris Line also which comes out of West Virginia where alot of my Ancester's came from, if you would like I could make copy's of it for you? if your intrested in my Harris Line.
I also found out things I wish I never found out, but when you do your family tree there is going to be Skeletions in the Closet waiting on you to open the door,lol.

[Michael Harris]

Richard,

I have a great-grandfather who fought on both sides of the War of Northern Agression, but not at the same time. He, like almost every other young man of the time had no clue to why he was fighting - he got paid and that was it.

Most Australians whose ancestors were among the first colonists take a reverse pride in the infamy and crime of there ancestors.

I had a great-grandmother whose face would stop a clock, but Great-Grandpa Francisco did not seem to mind. When Luigia died, my great grandfater withered away and died.

A toast to the skeletons who make life so interesting.

[Dragos Sfinteanu]

Michael,

Serfdom was abolished in Europe before 1900. I will perform a research with regard to Bohemia, which at that time was incorporated in the Austrian-Hungarian empire (collapsed in 1919, after WW I).

I enjoyed very much the bits of the branches of your tree in your last post, as well as your first-quality black humour :)



Originally posted by Michael Harris
A toast to the skeletons who make life so interesting.

[Michael Harris]

Dragos,

He was a serf, regardless of what they may have called him. He was born on the land and was tied to it. He read and wrote several languages and worked as a valet ini the manor house.
I need to find out what year he left Bohemia - it may have been before 1900.

I know that his eldest son was born just after the first world war. And he was in this country for many years before he got married. He could have come to America before 1900, but not much before.

He was a brilliant man and had a very prosperous farm for half a century.

I am a little fuzzy on the great grandfather. The great gradmother is naother story - see the After-Hours forum for that story.

[Michael Harris]

Dragos,

I have done so much research because of responses to comments. It is great that we can get so motivated to learn just by trying to communicate.:cool:

[Dragos Sfinteanu]

Michael,

You was right. It is also true than some can get so motivated to communicate just by trying to learn...;)

[Michael Harris]

Dragos,

We can mix the words up all night and they will still result in something meaningful.:eek:

[Dragos Sfinteanu]

Michael,

I disagree. The night is made in order to.... dream:)

[Tina M Phillips]

Originally posted by Dragos Sfinteanu
Michael,

I disagree. The night is made in order to.... dream:)

Ahh...

Dragos and Michael,

It never fails, you two are neck to neck!! (in a good way of course). Thanks for your encouragement.

[Dragos Sfinteanu]

Tina,

Thank you for state it precisely (n.a. the "way").

[Nathaniel Hernandez -]

Wow!!! It's amazing how many diff fields there are. I'm so confused on which ones to take, I think I'll do like most and just learn all that I can... Like they say "knowledge is power" the more we learn the better off we'll be... :)

[Michael Harris]

Nathaniel,

The ones that are suited to you - and you to them - will work their way to the surface before too long.

There are a few PI disciplines that most us do not understand yet. There are those that help the helpless - and most of us want to work in those.

For now, read and read and reread and comment and read some more and have some fun doing it. :) :D :cool:

[Nathaniel Hernandez -]

Thanks Michael,

I will definitely take your advice, I'm reading all I can and commenting too... And it's definitely fun... :)

[Michael Harris]

Nathaniel,

You are really part of the family now. :) :D :cool:

[James Cary Jr]

Originally posted by Michael Harris
James,

I see that this is your first post (and only one at the time). Welcome to IPIU and the IPIU forums.

You do need to go to the Introduction's Lounge and post there. When the forum members know that you are running loose in the forums, they will send you all kinds of great advice. Follow it!

Read, read, read, reread, post, and have fun.
:) :D :cool:

Thank you.