Private investigator resume examples for 2025
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All resume examples
How to write a private investigator resume
Craft a resume summary statement
Your resume summary sums up your experience and skills, making it easy for hiring managers to understand your qualifications at a glance. Here are some tips to writing the most important 2-4 sentences of your resume:
Step 1: Mention your current job title or the role you're pursuing.
Step 2: Include your years of experience in private investigator-related roles. Consider adding relevant company and industry experience as relevant to the job listing.
Step 3: Highlight your greatest accomplishments. Here is your chance to make sure your biggest wins aren't buried in your resume.
Step 4: Again, keep it short. Your goal is to summarize your experience and highlight your accomplishments, not write a paragraph.
These four steps should give you a strong elevator pitch and land you some private investigator interviews.Hi, I'm Zippi, your job search robot. Let me write a first draft of your summary statement.
List the right project manager skills
Your Skills section is an easy way to let recruiters know you have the skills to do the job. Just as importantly, it can help your resume not get filtered out by hiring software. Here is how to make the most of your skills section and make sure you have the right keywords:
- Start with the job listing. Frequently, the keywords looked for by recruiters will be listed. Be careful to include all skills in the job listing you have experience with.
- Consider all the software and tools you use on a daily basis. When in doubt, list them!
- Make sure you use accurate and up to date terms for all the skills listed.
Here are example skills to include in your “Area of Expertise” on a private investigator resume:
- Background Checks
- Background Investigations
- Video Surveillance
- Subpoenas
- Law Enforcement Agencies
- Computer Database
- Conduct Surveillance
- Conduct Interviews
- GPS
- Video Cameras
- Loss Prevention
- Conduct Investigations
- Investigative Reports
- Criminal Cases
- Video Evidence
- Court Cases
- Credit Reports
- Surveillance Operations
- Criminal Defense
- Workers Compensation Claims
- Surveillance Equipment
- SIU
- Video Footage
- Video Documentation
- Investigative Services
- Scene Investigations
- Criminal Investigations
- Surveillance Investigations
- Law Firm
- Court Trials
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How to structure your work experience
Your work experience should be structured:
- With your most recent roles first, followed by earlier roles in reverse chronological order.
- Job title, along with company name and location on the left.
- Put the corresponding dates of employment on the left side.
- Keep only relevant jobs on your work experience.
How to write private investigator experience bullet points
Your resume is not a list of responsibilities or a job description. Instead, it is your chance to show your accomplishments and show why you're good at what you do.
- Use the What, How, and Why format. Answering these questions turns a bland job description into an effective showcase of your abilities.
- What were your responsibilities or goals?
- How did you accomplish them?
- Why were your results important? (How did it impact your company? Can you quantify the results in numbers? )
Here are great bullet points from private investigator resumes:
Work history example #1
Adult Probation Officer
Lane County Waste Management Department Of Public Works
- Supervised a caseload of approximately 300 Standard and High level probationers.
- Supervised caseloads of high risk Adults and Youthful Offenders who granted probation by the Superior Court.
- Supervised approximately 300 parolees and probationers regarding their completion of Community Service hours and payment of fines.
- Supervised a caseload to not only keep the community safer, but also encourage behavior change.
- Enforced sex offender registration, obtain DNA samples and review GPS electronic monitoring system.
Work history example #2
Criminal Investigations Division Investigator
US Investigations Services
- cleared to work on various contracts to include OPM, CPS/DHS and ICE.
- Conducted a series of investigations in the San Diego area regarding fraud in the healthcare industry, especially Medicare and Medicaid.
- Researched and conducted preliminary investigation on applicants, and prepared documentation to obtain security clearance.
- Reviewed wire transfers and applied regulatory reporting and banking requirements to ensure compliance with BSA/AML and OFAC rules and regulations.
- Supervised Maine State Police Detectives in investigations of Homicide and other serious crimes against people.
Work history example #3
Investigator
CVS Health
- Completed Medicaid applications and cleared patients prior to medical procedures and surgery.
- Investigated referrals/cases of Healthcare FWA for the Health Plan.
- Reviewed reports, subpoenas, search warrants, and gave direction when needed.
- Plant-Based No Added Fat or American Heart Association Diets, Impact on Cardiovascular Risk in Obese Hypercholesterolemic Children and Their Parents.
- Mentored the investigative staff, served as a backup to the team leader as necessary.
Work history example #4
Criminal Investigations Division Investigator
United States Department of Labor
- Prepared civil cases for the Solicitor of Labor for litigation and provided ongoing investigative support as necessary.
- Served as co-administrator for enforcement of EBSA's national Employee Stock Ownership Plan investigative strategy.
- Designed country-specific intelligence and security threat briefings and presentations, adapting the information to the clearance level of participants.
- Served as key role-player in numerous high-profile investigations, in cases involving murder, robbery, extortion, kidnapping and arson.
- Facilitated periodic re-investigations for soldiers holding security clearances.
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Add an education section to your resume
Here is the best way to format your education section:
- Display your highest degree first.
- If you graduated over 5 years ago, put this section at the bottom of your resume. If you lack relevant work experience, the education section should go to the top.
- If you have a bachelor's or master's degree, do not list your high school education.
- If your graduation year is more than 15-20 years ago, it's better not to include dates in this section.
Here are some examples of good education entries for resumes:
Bachelor's Degree in criminal justice
Northeastern University, Boston, MA
2011 - 2014
Highlight your private investigator certifications on your resume
If you have any additional certifications, add them to the certification section.
To list, use the full name of the certification and the organization that issued it, along with the date of achievement.
If you have any of these certifications, be sure to include them on your private investigator resume:
- Professional Certified Investigator (PCI)
- Certified Crime Scene Investigator
- Certified Criminal Investigator
- Certified Forensic Interviewer (CFI)
- Board Certification in Criminal Trial Law