| It could come to pass that for one reason or | | | | must not know that they are under surveillance, |
| another, you are forced to hire a private | | | | because that would be the easiest way to bungle |
| investigator. It could be the occurrences in your | | | | the whole operation. It is therefore ideal to avoid |
| business that force you to think in this direction, | | | | having a particularly conspicuous investigator. |
| like where wares in your store seem to develop | | | | A good private investigator has to be a persistent |
| feet and just disappear from counters! Or it could | | | | person. Chances are that he or she will, at some |
| be the occurrences in your personal life, where a | | | | point, lose trail of the people or situation they will |
| connection of the dots seems to suggest that | | | | be investigating. In such cases, only persistence |
| your significant other could be seeing someone on | | | | and ability to follow even the weakest of links |
| the side. So you decide to hire a private | | | | would make the difference between success and |
| investigator. And as you do so, you know that | | | | failure in the whole operation. If you are |
| this is likely to be a sensitive operation, one that | | | | interviewing an experienced investigator (or |
| you simply can't afford to bungle up. So you don't | | | | someone who is presenting themselves as such), |
| just want a private investigator but, specifically, a | | | | you would need to ask them of past investigative |
| good one. And you are now wondering as to | | | | situations they have been in, and listen carefully |
| what goes into the making a good investigator. | | | | for hints of persistence or lack of persistence in |
| Well, one thing that goes into the making of a | | | | their stories. If you are scoring the candidates of |
| good private investigator is creativity. He has to | | | | various things, the one thing that should carry a |
| be someone who can connect the dots, and a | | | | very heavy score weight should be persistence, |
| person who can think along the same lines as the | | | | because it is very important in an investigator. |
| people he is assigned to cover - so as to be able | | | | An ideal private investigator should be well trained |
| to anticipate their moves and prepare accordingly. | | | | in security matters. It is worth keeping in mind |
| This is a tall order, in terms of creativity. There | | | | that the whole investigative operation is a high |
| are a number of ways through which you can | | | | risk venture. The people being investigated might |
| test the creativity of a prospective candidate for | | | | learn that they are being followed around, and |
| the job. You can, for instance, have them visualize | | | | you can be sure that they are not likely to take it |
| and tell you a story about a particular hypothetical | | | | kindly. An attempt at physical confrontation may |
| investigative situation, and then check their story | | | | not be off-limits for them, and you need to have |
| for creativity, logic and consistency; which can | | | | an investigator who can handle situations as they |
| give you a lot of insight into their thinking. | | | | come. In any case, the training involved in the |
| A good private investigator should be discreet. He | | | | security services and the discipline it imbues on |
| needs to be a person who can easily 'blend in' | | | | those who go through it would be very handy |
| with any crowd. The people being investigated | | | | tools for a prospective private investigator. |