What Is It Like To Be A Detective?

Pursuing a career in law enforcement as a detective or criminal investigator is an appealing way to make a living. Being a detective may not be as glamorous as Hollywood and prime time TV make it out to be, but it is certainly a rewarding career. If you’re keen to become a detective, you’re probably wondering what is it like to be a detective?

Well that’s a great question. A detective’s primary goal is to solve crimes. They find clues and gather facts to find out what really happened in murder cases, burglaries, cold cases, and other crimes. It’s a challenging job where you have to solve puzzles and fight crime. At the end of the day, you’ll get paid to protect lives and property in your community.

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One cool thing about being a detective is that no two cases are the ever the same. That means you won’t get bogged down with boring, tedious work. There’s always something fresh that’s happening in your day to day work schedule.

Now that we have a basic understanding of what a detective does, let’s answer the question: What is it like to be a detective? Detectives will spend their days doing the following things:

• Visiting a crime scene
• Collecting evidence
• Gathering facts
• Watching crime scene footage
• Examining documents and records
• Participating in raids and arrests
• Conducting surveillance
• Talking to crime lab technicians
• Documenting case progress
• Interviewing witnesses
• Testifying in court
• Solving crimes

Detectives often juggle multiple cases at a time. They usually work in teams to solve crimes and make the world a better place. Some days may be action packed, while other days may be a bit more traditional. Either way it’s nice to know that your career is helping to make your community safer.

According to the BLS.gov, detectives and police officers make $60,270 per year or $28.97 per hour on average. Detectives usually start as police officers at the local police station or they find job opportunities with government agencies like the FBI, DEA, ATF, or other law enforcement groups.

Now that you know what it’s like to be a detective. Is this the right career for you? Learn more about detective jobs on JobMonkey.com or browse through law enforcement career opportunities on the JobMonkey JobBoard. Best of luck!