Quiz – Would you make a good PI?

We all see the private eyes in the movies. It seems like such a glamorous job; staking out a suspect under surveillance, taking covert images from far away with a very large camera, swishing about in black robes and sunglasses. So cool! Unfortunately, there’s a bit more to being a private investigator than the cool outfit. Find out if you have what it takes to be a private investigator with our fun quiz!

Do you blend in?

Unfortunately, the dark sunglasses and robes thing is a myth (although some of our PI’s do stalk around in dark sunglasses, we’re looking at you, Steve!). In fact, they would just stop you from being able to see properly, and hinder your investigation. The best private detective in one that blends in with his or her surroundings. If you stick out like a sore thumb, the person you’re investigating will notice you and then your investigation is over. You need to be able to follow someone, watch them and take footage of them without them even noticing you’re there. It’s less ‘Men in Black’ and more ‘Neighbours’.

Do you have a lot of cash to start?

Being a private detective is not a cheap job. You can’t take a happy snap on your iphone and call it a job done. In order to get the right footage, you need expensive equipment, including high quality button cameras (ok, so those are real!), long range lenses, night lenses, and a whole hots of other technology to make sure you get the evidence you need. Also, making sure you are operating legally means a you need to fork out for some expensive annual fees for things like insurances, licences and memberships. Plus, you need to make sure you have a secure computer, and a LOT of storage for all this high quality evidence you’re gathering. The end result? It’s definitely not a cheap setup.

Are you observant?

Being a private eye is more than just ‘follow that man!’ Running and investigation, you often don’t have everything you need fro the get go. You need to be able to piece through the little information you have and make keen observations. If you’re watching someone, they often won’t just jump right in and do the thing you’re hoping to catch on camera. but by being observant you can pick up on little things that will give you clues as to when, where and what they will do to help you catch them in the act!

Are you willing to work long hours?

The thing about private investigation is, it doesn’t always happen during business hours. A call might come through late at night when a business owner is going over the finances, a cheating partner might meet their lover at 6am before work, and a shady deal might go on in the middle of the night. In the end, when duty calls, a private eye must answer (yes, you can imagine us as super-heroes!). Also, once you factor in the paperwork, reporting and filing that comes after each job, you’ll be logging a lot of hours at the desk as well.

Did you answer more yes than no? Then congratulations! You’d make a great PI! Maybe you should consider a career in the private detective business. If not, then maybe you should leave the investigations to the professionals. At Elite Investigations, we only hire the best, those that love what they do and are damn good at it. If you want an top private eye to help you, give us a call on 1300 721 715 or email info@eliteinvestigations.com.au.