Interested in Being a Private Investigator? Your Dream Career Awaits.

Come on … somewhere inside the thought of being on a stakeout, tracking down a sketchy character or sleuthing to discover clues, has had you imaging what it would be like to be a PI. Right? You’ve maybe even imagined the slick car you’d drive?

Movies depicting the thrill, the chase and the catch for a private investigator can get anyone dreaming. But if your fantasy has lived past the last popcorn kernel in the bowl, perhaps it’s more of a goal than a dream. We’re here to tell you it’s a vision that can be made real, with the right considerations, education, skills training and certifications.

Private investigator training is just one of the careers you can explore in a police foundations course or a law enforcement course. If this intrigues you, you could consider exploring a police foundations diploma.

Take the “Anderson College Law Enforcement Career Discovery Quiz”

The options for taking your desire to protect and serve the public out for a spin in society are vast. But to explore how to become a private investigator in Ontario, specifically, there is essential information you’ll want to review to help you determine the optimal route to take to get you there.

What Type of PI Will You Be?

There are as many types of PIs as there are personalities, so you want to find the best, and most thrilling and rewarding, fit for you.

Here are some intriguing options for areas to work within:

• Undercover Operations (had to start with perhaps the most fascinating one)
  o Commonly conducted in the workplace to deal with employee theft, alcohol or drug use, assault, insurance or disability fraud,  harassment or discrimination
• Missing Persons
  o Can range from searching for a person who has skipped rent or a car payment, a defendant in a court case, the biological parents of adopted children to an individual suspected of criminal behaviour
• Child Custody Investigations
  o In determining the best course of action and support for children whose parents are in a custody dispute, sometimes PIs will be hired to discover evidence to provide to the judge for decision making
• Finding Missing Property or Assets
  o This covers requests for investigating assets being hidden by a spouse, a review of background information on those entering into a business deal, or checks done for investors or creditors
• Crime Scene Analysis
• Social Media Sleuthing
• Mystery Shopper, Store Investigation
• And many, many more.

What Training Do You Need?

The credibility of this high-profile career depends on the education and skills training of its professionals; those hiring need to know that their PIs are accountable and committed to acting within the law.

Anderson College offers a 42-week leading-edge police foundations online course. It is a joint initiative between the Police Learning System Advisory Committee and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to establish minimum entrance standards for police services in Ontario. It is designed to prepare you for your testing and application processes in law enforcement, special constable, customs and immigration, security and private investigations, court security or fraud departments. And for aspiring PIs, you will be prepared to pursue your private investigator license.

What Experience Will Help You Get Employed?

You want to pick a program that combines practical and theoretical knowledge, empowering you to build confidence within various areas of law enforcement work, ensuring you’re ready to perform the extra requirements necessary for each job application. Anderson’s program covers firearms and self-defence training, current laws, investigative techniques, criminal proceedings, conflict resolution techniques, and community policing principles. And the essential bonus? A 4-week practicum with on-the-job training, offsite with potential employers.

Get Prepared with Support, Get Licenced, Launch Your PI Career

As an Anderson College student, you receive the support required to prepare for your future job. You work alongside your instructors to ensure you’re ready to write the Standardized Police examination as approved by the Police Learning System Advisory Committee.
But what really sets Anderson apart is being part of a community that shares your interests and goals for creating a life-changing career path. To that end, our Career Services team, helps you hone your resume building and interviewing skills and as you navigate your way and evolve in your success, these services and support are available for life.

Learn more about this career from John, Law Enforcement/Police Foundations instructor

Your PI aspirations await! Or if this has piqued your interest in other areas of our Police Foundations and Law Enforcement program, we’re here to help you explore your options. Book a virtual appointment with an Admission Advisor today!

Quick Links to Fuel Your Success!

We want to make sure you have what you need to succeed! Check out these reference links:

• How to become a licensed private investigator – FREE Legal Information | Legal Line
• Types of investigations that private investigators are legally allowed to do – FREE Legal Information | Legal Line
• How to Become a Private Investigator in Ontario (investigativelearning.com)
• Private investigator study guide | ontario.ca