FAQs

Are your courses suitable for people with no experience?

Yes, absolutely. Our courses do not require any prior knowledge. The course content is delivered by experienced and practising private investigators with a deep knowledge of the industry.

Do I need a licence to be a private investigator in the UK?

There is currently no need to hold an investigators licence in the UK. There has been much debate over this subject for over a decade. The ABI continues to campaign for regulation within the industry. For more information on this please click here. When licensing comes into play you will have to be able to demonstrate your ability and knowledge, some of this may come from prior learning and others from educational courses you have undertaken.

Will your course mean I can open a detective agency straight away?

You can but there are lots of expensive mistakes that can be made with running any business. Indeed, having traded for over 35 years we have made most of them! We will help you avoid the pitfalls. If you do our Advanced PI course we will provide you with support to open your own agency and help you over the first crucial 12 months to start your career as a private investigator.

Isn’t it only ex-policemen who become private investigators?

It’s true that ex-police and military usually make excellent private investigators because of prior learning. But it is not only them who can make great investigators. We have many students who have attended our training courses and gone on to have very successful PI businesses. We have trained publicans, television producers, social workers and limousine drivers!

What does a private investigator do?

There is no typical day in the life of a PI, the work is diverse and you can choose what areas of private investigation you want to work in. At Bluemoon we regularly complete all types of investigation including background enquiries, tracing individuals, serving court papers, conducting marital surveillance, investigating fraud and employee investigations, to name a few.

How much can I earn as a private investigator?

Your earnings will depend on many things, including your ability to market yourself and your business. A competent investigator should be earning a minimum of £30,000 per annum. Many investigators earn much more.

Do you offer work experience opportunities?

Unfortunately, due to the sensitive and confidential nature of the majority of our investigations we are unable to offer work experience placements. You might want to consider our PI Experience Day where we give a great insight into our work and lives.

Can I become a PI without quitting my day job?

It depends on your personal circumstances but in general terms yes. Many PI’s starting out work part-time until their work load and earnings are high and consistent enough to leave their existing jobs.

Why is it so hard to get a job as a private detective?

The answer is quite simple. The majority of investigators in the UK are sole operators, who work for themselves and have no interest in sharing their methods or technologies. They generally have small businesses so don’t want to take on employees. They also view new-comers as competition or a threat to their business so their attitude is “why should we share our knowledge?” All is not lost when you understand how the industry works. This is explained further in our free 14 page booklet that explains much more about the industry. You can get a copy by entering your email address at the top of this page.

Will I gain any recognised qualifications by completing your courses?

You receive learning certificates for all courses you attend with us. With our advanced course you will receive a BTEC level 3 in foot surveillance and complete the BTEC level 3 course in Professional Investigation.

If you have any other questions please contact us on 0203 006 2689 or email us on info@bluemooncollege.co.uk