Private Investigator CV example

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As a PI, you’re great at doing your research, digging deeper and providing evidence; and in order to land your next gig, you need to apply these skills to your CV.

So, as well as using the job description to help you, check out our private investigator CV example and writing guide.

Below, we’ll share a whole host of top tips and expert advice to help you effectively make your case to the recruiter.

 

 

Private Investigator CV example

Private Investigator CV 1

Private Investigator CV 2

 

Unsure of what your Private Investigator CV should look like?

Have a look at the CV example above to get familiar with the structure, layout and format of a professional CV.

As you can see, it provides plenty of relevant information about the applicant but is still very easy to read, and brief – which will please busy recruiters and hiring managers.

 

CV builder CV builder

 

Private Investigator CV format and structure

Think your CV is just about the content within it? Think again.

Your CV needs to look professional and be easy for recruiters to read, meaning the structure and format of your CV are just as important as the written content within it.

Facilitate ease of reading by using a simple structure which allows anybody to easily navigate your experience.

 

How to write a CV

 

Tips for formatting your Private Investigator CV

  • Length: Two sides of A4 makes for the perfect CV length, though one page is okay for less experienced applicants. This forces you to make sure that every single sentence adds value to your CV and ensures you avoid unnecessary  info.
  • Readability: To help recruiters quickly skim through your CV, it’s important to format your section headings with bold or a different colour font and break up lengthy paragraphs into short sharp bullet points. This enables them to easily identify important information and assess your suitability.
  • Design & format: When it comes to CV design, it’s best to keep things simple and sleek. While elaborate designs certainly command attention, it’s not always for the right reasons! Readability is key, so whatever you choose to do, make sure you prioritise readability above everything.
  • Photos: Headshot photos aren’t required in a CV by most employers, but some creative and artistic industries like to see them. If you decide to include one, make sure you look smart and professional in the picture.

 

Quick tip: Creating a professional CV style can be difficult and time-consuming when using Microsoft Word or Google Docs. To create a winning CV quickly, try our quick-and-easy CV Builder and use one of their eye-catching professional CV templates.

 

CV formatting tips

 

 

CV structure

When writing your CV, break up the content into the following key sections, to ensure it can be easily digested by busy recruiters and hiring managers:

  • Contact details – Always list these at the very top of your CV – you don’t want them to be missed!
  • Profile – An introductory paragraph, intended to grab recruiters attention and summarise your offering.
  • Work experience / career history – Working from your current role and working backwards, list your relevant work experience.
  • Education – Create a snappy summary of your education and qualifications.
  • Interest and hobbies – An optional section to document any hobbies that demonstrate transferable skills.

Now you understand the basic layout of a CV, here’s what you should include in each section of yours.

 

Contact Details

Contact details

 

Begin by sharing your contact details, so it’s easy for employers to give you a call.
Keep to the basics, such as:

  • Mobile number
  • Email address – It should sound professional, with no slang or nicknames. Make a new one for your job applications if necessary.
  • Location – Simply share your vague location, for example ‘Manchester’, rather than a full address.
  • LinkedIn profile or portfolio URL – Remember to update them before you send your application.

 

Private Investigator CV Profile

Your CV profile is the first thing recruiters will read – so your goal is to give them a reason to read onto the end of the document!

Create a short and snappy paragraph that showcases your key skills, relevant experience and impressive accomplishments.

Ultimately, it should prove to the reader that you’ve got what it takes to carry out the job.

 

CV profile

 

How to write a good CV profile:

  • Make it short and sharp: Recruiters have piles of CVs to read through and limited time to dedicate to each, so it pays to showcase your abilities in as few words as possible. 3-4 lines is ideal.
  • Tailor it: The biggest CV mistake? A generic, mass-produced document which is sent out to tens of employers. If you want to land an interview, you need to tailor your CV profile (and your application as a whole) to the specific roles you’re applying for. So, before you start writing, remember to read over those job descriptions and make a list of the skills, knowledge and experience the employers are looking for.
  • Don’t add an objective: If you want to discuss your career objectives, save them for your cover letter, rather than wasting valuable CV profile space.
  • Avoid generic phrases: If your CV is riddled with clichès like “Dynamic thought-leader”, hit that delete button. Phrases like these are like a broken record to recruiters, who read them countless times per day. Hard facts, skills, knowledge and results are sure to yield far better results.

 

Example CV profile for Private Investigator

UKPI-Certified Private Investigator with over a decade of experience in conducting covert operations and gathering critical intelligence, following a successful career working in surveillance. Proficient in utilising diversified investigative techniques and cutting-edge software to safely collect evidence-based reports for clients in various industries, including corporate, legal, and insurance sectors.

 

What to include in your Private Investigator CV profile?

  • Experience overview: To give employers an idea of your capabilities, show them your track record by giving an overview of the types of companies you have worked for in the past and the roles you have carried out for previous employers – but keep it high level and save the details for your experience section.
  • Targeted skills: Employers need to know what skills you can bring to their organisation, and ideally they want to see skills that match their job vacancy. So, research your target roles thoroughly and add the most important Private Investigator skills to your profile.
  • Important qualifications: If the jobs you are applying to require candidates to have certain qualifications, then you must add them in your profile to ensure they are seen by hiring managers.

 

Quick tip: If you are finding it difficult to write an attention-grabbing CV profile, choose from hundreds of pre-written profiles across all industries, and add one to your CV with one click in our quick-and-easy CV Builder. All profiles are written by recruitment experts and easily tailored to suit your unique skillset.

 

Core skills section

Underneath your profile, write a core skills section to make your most relevant skills jump off the page at readers.

It should be made up of 2-3 columns of bullet points of your relevant skills.

Before you do this, look over the job description and make a list of any specific skills, specialisms or knowledge required.

Then, make sure to use your findings in your list. This will paint you as the perfect match for the role.

 

Core skills section CV

 

Important skills for your Private Investigator CV

Surveillance Techniques – Conducting covert surveillance to gather evidence and information discreetly.

Evidence Gathering – Collecting and preserving physical and digital evidence, ensuring its admissibility in legal proceedings.

Background Checks – Conducting comprehensive background checks on individuals and organisations to verify information and uncover potential discrepancies.

Legal Knowledge – Understanding and applying relevant laws, regulations, and rules governing private investigations.

Interviewing and Interrogation – Interviewing witnesses, subjects, and sources to elicit valuable information and statements.

Computer Forensics – Using digital forensics tools to recover and analyse data from computers and electronic devices.

Report Writing – Preparing detailed and accurate reports of investigative findings for clients and legal purposes.

Risk Assessment – Assessing potential risks and threats to personal safety during investigations and take appropriate precautions.

Documentation and Record-Keeping – Maintaining meticulous records and documentation of investigations, including photos, videos, and notes.

Case Management – Managing multiple cases simultaneously, prioritising tasks, and meeting deadlines effectively.

 

Quick tip: Our quick-and-easy CV Builder has thousands of in-demand skills for all industries and professions, that can be added to your CV in seconds – This will save you time and ensure you get noticed by recruiters.

 

CV builder CV builder

 

Work experience

Now that recruiters have a good overview of your skills and abilities, you need to jump into the detail of your career history.

Give them a more thorough insight into what you can do by creating a detailed list of your relevant experience.

Start with your current role, and work backwards through all the relevant positions you’ve held.
This could be freelance, contract or voluntary work too; as long as it’s related to the role you’re applying for.

Work experience

Structuring each job

Lengthy, unbroken chunks of text is a recruiters worst nightmare, but your work experience section can easily end up looking like that if you are not careful.

To avoid this, use my tried-and-tested 3-step structure, as illustrated below:

Role descriptions
Outline

Start with a solid introduction to your role as a whole, in order to build some context.

Explain the nature of the organisation you worked for, the size of the team you were part of, who you reported to and what the overarching purpose of your job was.

 

Key responsibilities

Using easy-to-read bullet points, note down your day-to-day responsibilities in the role.

Make sure to showcase how you used your hard sector skills and knowledge.

 

Key achievements

Round up each role by listing 1-3 key achievements, accomplishments or results.

Wherever possible, quantify them using hard facts and figures, as this really helps to prove your value.

 

Sample job description for Private Investigator CV

Outline

Conduct comprehensive investigations for corporate clients, legal firms, and insurance companies as part of a private company that specialises in gathering evidence for litigation support and uncovering fraud.

Key Responsibilities

  • Plan and execute covert surveillance operations, ensuring discretion and legality
  • Collect and analyse evidence, maintaining chain of custody protocols
  • Conduct interviews and interrogations, obtaining witness statements
  • Utilise cyber intelligence techniques to uncover digital evidence

 

Quick tip: Create impressive job descriptions easily in our quick-and-easy CV Builder by adding pre-written job phrases for every industry and career stage.

 

 

Education section

In your education section, make any degrees, qualifications or training which are relevant to Private Investigator roles a focal point.

As well as mentioning the name of the organisation, qualification titles and dates of study, you should showcase any particularly relevant modules, assignments or projects.

 

Hobbies and interests

The hobbies and interests CV section isn’t mandatory, so don’t worry if you’re out of room by this point.

However, if you have an interesting hobby, or an interest that could make you seem more suitable for the role, then certainly think about adding.

Be careful what you include though… Only consider hobbies that exhibit skills that are required for roles as a Private Investigator, or transferable workplace skills.

There is never any need to tell employers that you like to watch TV and eat out.

 

CV builder CV builder

 

Creating a strong Private Investigator CV requires a blend of punchy content, considered structure and format, and heavy tailoring.

By creating a punchy profile and core skills list, you’ll be able to hook recruiter’s attention and ensure your CV gets read.

Remember that research and relevance is the key to a good CV, so research your target roles before you start writing and pack your CV with relevant skills.

Best of luck with your next application!