Detectives & Criminal Investigators

evidence enterprising law information investigation suspect record crime scene witness

Criminal Investigator, Detective, Investigator, Special Agent

What they do:
Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes.
On the job, you would:
  • Check victims for signs of life, such as breathing and pulse.
  • Obtain facts or statements from complainants, witnesses, and accused persons and record interviews, using recording device.
  • Secure deceased body and obtain evidence from it, preventing bystanders from tampering with it prior to medical examiner's arrival.

Knowledge

Safety and Government

  • law and government
  • public safety and security

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Business

  • customer service
  • administrative services

Math and Science

  • psychology

Skills

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • talking to others

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Social

  • understanding people's reactions
  • changing what is done based on other people's actions

Abilities

Verbal

  • listen and understand what people say
  • communicate by speaking

Ideas and Logic

  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
  • notice when problems happen

Visual Understanding

  • see hidden patterns
  • quickly know what you are looking at

Attention

  • do two or more things at the same time

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Integrity
  • Self Control
  • Dependability
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Attention to Detail
  • Adaptability/Flexibility

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Graphics or photo imaging software

  • Adobe Photoshop Hot Technology
  • Graphics software

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology

Data base user interface and query software

  • Microsoft Access Hot Technology
  • Structured query language SQL Hot Technology

Education

Education: (rated 3 of 5)
high school diploma/GED or
associate's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Below Average
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about detectives and criminal investigators.