A Private Investigator (PI) is one of the best sources of money in the private investigation industry. It is highly rewarding and lucrative too. The Principal Investigator or PI is paid a predetermined sum of money by an intelligence agency which wants to hire him for spying on its clients, either government or corporate. If you have that kind of skills and ability, then getting a job as a private investigator could become your source of regular and easy income.

Private investigation is similar to other kinds of investigation, but the source of funds differs. Compared to the jobs done by cops, military personnel and bounty hunters, PI work is a lot less risky. It could be done even at home and the work is almost carefree.

You may become a PI if you have basic knowledge on computers, finance, chemistry and biology. Your educational qualification will help you get a better job as an independent private detective. The requirements of becoming an Independent Private Investigator (IPI) are quite minimal and not at all difficult to meet. You must have a genuine desire and motivation to work independently and be able to maintain professional relationships with colleagues and clients.

To become an IPI you need to have an education that qualifies you to work independently as an Independent Private Investigator. You can either go to school to obtain an IPI qualification or you could do a part time job and study at home and earn a qualification which qualifies you for a job as an IPI. Some IPI agents start their own businesses from the moment they finish their education. Others become IPI agents once they have been working in this field for a couple of years. Then there are people who are just out of college who have decided to work in this field full time.

To become a Principal Investigator or PI, you need to choose an investigation company that suits your requirements and interest. You should be prepared to research and learn about various surveillance techniques, computer forensics, business ethics, risk management and investigative methods. It is also important that you learn how to apply different types of surveillance techniques in order to gather enough evidence for a successful investigation.

Besides studying and working in this area you will also need to invest in some tools and equipment. These tools and equipment can be purchased and used online from IPI. Some of these tools include digital cameras, video cameras, GPS trackers, secret cameras, secret documents, encryption software and other investigation software and hardware. If you want to become a principal investigator then you will also need to get yourself certified. This certification will enable you to conduct private investigations on a higher level and increase your chances of getting hired by major corporations.

There are also certain steps which you need to follow in order to start your career as an IPI agent. In order to start working as an IPI you need to find a legitimate private investigation company which will take you as an employee without any formalities and arrangements. Once you have found a good investigative agency you can contact them and start the interviewing process. The agents working at IPI will be ready to work in most cases and will have good working experiences with a lot of people. You should not worry about the amount of money you will be paid as once you start getting regular work as an IPI you will be able to make sufficient money to cover your expenses as well as your regular salary.

Principal investigators are very important people in the field of private investigators and their importance cannot be ignored at any cost. If you are interested in becoming a principal investigator then all you have to do is look for IPI agencies and apply for an IPI certification. Once you complete the course and pass the exam you will become a qualified IPI agent and will be on your way to a good and stable career.