Detectives & Criminal Investigators
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 leading, making decisions, and business.
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 Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Graphics software
Presentation software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
Data base user interface and query software
- Microsoft Access
- Structured query language SQL
Education
Education: (rated 3 of 5)
high school diploma/GED or
associate's degree
usually needed
associate's degree
usually needed
Job Outlook
Below Average
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
Explore More
- First-Line Supervisors of Police & Detectives
- Intelligence Analysts
- Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers
- Police Identification & Records Officers
- Private Detectives & Investigators
You might like a career in one of these industries:
See more details at O*NET OnLine about detectives and criminal investigators.