If you’ve ever seen a movie or television show that features a private investigator, usually, it’s in the context of tracking down a cheating spouse. However, you might be surprised to know that they do many more things than that. Private investigators are used in child custody cases to make sure that the child is being properly cared for by the primary parent. Private investigators are used by lawyers when they’re preparing for civil court cases. Private investigators are also used when in workplace investigations that are related to things like sexual harassment and theft. And that’s just to name a few things that they do.

If this sounds like something that you would be interested in doing and you’d like to know the steps that need to be taken in order to become a licensed private investigator, we have provided you with five tips below:

Assess if you have the kind of characteristics that are needed. Before going into the investigator field, the first thing you need to think about is if you have the kind of characteristics that are required to be successful. You need to be discreet, an analytical thinker, professional, patient, able to deal with all kinds of individuals, a bit spontaneous and yes, even friendly. Your clients need to feel comfortable with you as they are dealing with such sensitive information and scenarios.

Look into getting some professional training. Although it is not necessarily mandatory that you have a college degree in order to work as a private investigator, it is recommended that you take some training courses. The good news is that there are several available that you can take. For instance, Louisiana State University has a 40-hour training program that’s available while Texas A&M International University offers an online legal investigation certification course. For a list of other schools that have reputable training programs, visit Pinow and put “private investigator training and education programs” in the search field.

Consider interning for a licensed private investigator. As you are taking courses to prepare for your investigator career, something that you might want to consider doing is interning for someone who is already a licensed private investigator. It is one of the best ways to see what it’s like to work in the field. Plus, it’s not uncommon for businesses to offer their interns a job if they feel that they would be a good fit, long-term.

Get your license. If you were to ask the New York Intelligence Agency about what you need to do in order to have a successful private investigator career, they would probably say that the next thing you need to do is get your license. Providing details on this step is a bit more complex being that each state has its own requirements when it comes to an individual’s background, education and levels of experience. However, if you would like read what your state expects in order for you to become a licensed private investigator, visit Pursuit Mag and put “private investigator license requirements” in the search field.

Start looking for a position. Once you have your license, you are now ready to look for a licensed private investigator position. There are jobs listed in popular job search engines including Indeed and Career Builder. For more information on how to be successful in the field of private investigation, visit PrivateInvestigatorAdviceHQ.com.