Do you live in Alberta, Canada? Do you feel stuck in your current career? Are you looking for a great job opportunity? If you’ve said ‘yes!’ to any of these questions, you might want to consider becoming a private investigator. In Alberta, private investigators work on many different types of cases including background checks, locates, surveillance, asset searches, and more. However, in order to start your private investigation career, you need to first earn your private investigation license. If you aren’t sure where or how to get started, don’t worry. The Smith Investigation Agency is now offering private investigator training in Alberta! So, you’re in good hands because we’ve got all the information you need right here.
Become a Private Investigator
To become a private investigator in the province of Ontario, you must have several qualifications including:
- No criminal record
- Eligible to work in Canada
- No outstanding criminal charges
- Over 18 years of age
- Fluent in English
- Not the subject of a criminal investigation
If you have all of the above qualifications, you can find and sign up for a private investigation training course. To earn your private investigator’s licence in Alberta, you must successfully finish a provincial approved private investigator training course. You must also score 80% or higher on the exam. In addition, Alberta operates two types of approved private investigator training courses. You must take one to successfully earn a PI license. These course types include:
- The Professional Investigator Training Course
- The Accredited Investigator Training Course
To earn and receive a valid private investigator license in Alberta, you must train with an approved training provider. You can find a list of approved training providers through the Government of Alberta’s website.
FYI: Characteristics and Traits of a Good Private Investigator
Before you dive too deep into the world of private investigation, it’s important to take a moment and evaluate. The reason why you’ll want to do this is to really figure out whether or not a career as a private investigator is right for you. After all, the last thing you need is to pay course fees only to find out that you really don’t enjoy any of the work!
To help you decide whether or not a career as a private investigator in Alberta is right for you, here’s a brief list of some of the services a private investigator offers:
Communication: Interviewing People
A private investigator will need to ask the right questions to get information from witnesses and clients. A good private investigator will also have the right social skills to get people talking. If, for example, someone has a rough demeanour and starts demanding answers, a witness won’t want to cooperate. Therefore, if you enjoy speaking to people in a way that puts them at ease, a career as a private eye is likely a great option for you.
Research: Records & Reports
Some of the services a private investigator offers includes background checks. Other services include locates for missing people, items and property. In these situations, records and reports become a PI’s best friend. Knowing how to research and search through records and reports for key information will make you effective at your job. Also, knowing the right places to look for information will help you to piece a case together.
Patience: Conducting Surveillance
Surveillance is a private investigation technique. Many movies and TV shows depict a private investigator watching a suspect from a discreet distance. While exciting on screen, in real life the action is much slower paced. A private investigator requires patience when it comes to surveillance work. They must remain in one position (quite often in a vehicle) for hours at a time, without anything to do other than keep an eye on a suspect. A private investigator’s goal is to capture the activity of an individual in real-time. If you believe you possess the right kind of patience for surveillance work, then a career as a private investigator is likely right for you.
Problem Solving: Collecting Information
Private investigators work many cases where they don’t have all the information. Whether they need to uncover the truth about who caused a car accident, or uncover missing assets in a divorce case, a private investigator must know how to find and collect information. Collecting information helps private investigators put reports together. So, if you’re someone who loves to problem solve, then signing up for the private investigator training course is a great option.
Train with the Best in the Business
You can do a quick Internet search to get a list of all the private investigation training courses in your area. Once you create a list of eligible PI training courses however, you’re going to need to start thinking like a private investigator. Don’t just call and sign up with the first place you find. You want to work and train with the best private investigators in the business. This will only help you to develop your private investigator skills and find a great job after you earn your private investigation license.
What you need to do in order to find the right private investigator training course is to make a few phone calls. Speak to a private investigator that works for the private investigation company. Ask questions about the type of training that’s provided. Also, ask questions about the accreditations that the instructor or company has earned. You will also want to know if the private investigation agency offers hiring opportunities after you earn your private investigator’s license. If you prove yourself to be capable, you just might find yourself with an employment opportunity straight out of graduation.
An Example: Private Investigation Training in Alberta
The Smith Investigation Agency, for example, offers private investigation training in Alberta. We only work with the best private investigators in the industry, and our instructors are no different. Our private investigator training programs have won many awards including Consumer’s Choice from 2017 – 2019. The Smith Investigation Agency is one of the only companies in Ontario with a 5-star guardcourse rating and maintains an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, The Smith Investigation Agency is keen to offer Albertan students safe and reliable training opportunities. This is why we offer online private investigation training.
Private Investigator Training Courses in Alberta
In Alberta, Canada, the private investigator training course is regulated by the government of Alberta. The course material covers:
- Basics of the Private Investigation Industry
- Surveillance techniques
- Communications
- Report Writing
- Ethics
- Professionalism
- Use of Force
- Specialized Investigations
- Canadian Legal System and Law
- Health and Safety
The private investigator training course in Alberta is 60 hours in length. Currently, due to COVID-19 restrictions, your best option is to find and take a training course online. This is a great choice, one that has been available to students for years. It still ensures that you receive the best training with the best instructors. It also ensures that you earn your private investigation license and start your new career sooner rather than later.
Well, there you have it! Everything you need to know about the private investigator training course in Alberta. If you live in Alberta and think you have what it takes to earn your private investigator license and start a career as a private investigator, good luck! We look forward to meeting you.
Do you have any questions about the private investigator training course in Alberta? Contact us today for more information!
Toll Free: (888) 950-4113 or email: Info@SmithInvestigationAgency.com
About the Author
Whitney Joy Smith
Founder of The Smith Investigation Agency in 2014, Whitney Joy Smith’s extensive background as a private investigator is matched only by her passion for the role. A graduate of several respected institutions, including Northwest Florida State College and George Brown College, her early years in life were spent between Canada and the United States. This education, along with her formative years as a private investigator in various agencies, informed much of her knowledge of private investigative laws, regulations, and operating standards in both countries.
The recipient of numerous industry awards and accolades, including the Consumers Choice Award, Best in Ottawa, and many others, Whitney takes pride in working closely with her ever-growing agency to raise the bar, maintain compliance, and meet the investigative needs of clients. Whitney is active in various membership and supporting roles, including the CPIRC, CBN, CAPI, Canadian Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and many others. Her experience-driven, thought-provoking articles have been featured in everything from Readers Digest to Business News Daily, and she strives to continually redefine standards for those in the private investigative and security fields. Learn more about Whitney and the team at The Smith Investigation Agency today.
