I want to get into investigative work - missing persons etc.

[FindingPeople]

For the past few years I've been thinking about getting into investigation. I have no idea if its too late for me to get into it or not. I would prefer to stay away from certain services such as tracking cheating partners/chasing up people in debt. I would like to be able to help track down missing people, reunite long lost relatives etc.

Does anyone have any experience in the field and know a good way to get into this?

I suppose you have a background in investigative work ? Police or other agency ?

What about working for a private detective agency but stating that your skills are especially tailored to missing persons. Do you have these skills ?

If you don't have a investigative background you may find it hard to get foot in the door as there are so many retired/ ex police who can do that job without any specific training.

I have no experience in the field at all unfortunately. I'm 23 and have a few years to do any relevant qualifications though.

Seems to be a lot on the internet for example

here

Go and find a local detective agency and speak with them . To be an investigator you need to show some initiative

As a private investigator, you would be lucky if you could pick and choose which types of investiations to get involved in.

You could contact an agency close to you and see if they are hiring / what qualifications they would recommend given that you dont have prior police experience.
You need an indepth knowledge of investigative law, but there is a distance learning Btec I think.

The Red Cross offer a service called "international messaging and tracing" It is basically helping people who have been separated by war. The scenario which you may find yourself working in is working with Asylum seekers/refugees who have been separated from their families - your job would be to take as much information from someone who is in this country, that informatiom would then be relayed to volunteers in their own countries to see if their families can be located and a message got to them about their loved on. That would provide you with good experience as well as being a very worthwhile thing to do - you do have to be completely unprejudiced though as the Red Cross helps everyone, independant of who they are and what their background is.

I did have the opportunity to become involved in this but couldnt take it up as i had some paid work, I am thinking about picking it back up though

Thank you very much.

I've found an investigator nearby, so I will email him to see what qualifications are really needed. I will have a look at the red cross as that seems like brilliant experience.

Hope it works out. Let us know

Maybe you could do some voluntary work with Missing People, the Charity?

Offer to do casual work for investigators at piecemeal rates, stuff like trawling thru electoral roll or phoning up homeless shelters. You can prove yourself that way.

Old family friend is a PI; she was a probation officer before that. A lot of her work has to do with detecting when people are BSing.