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FEATURE

Teaching provides both the teacher and the trainee with multiple introduction. This extra step adds a layer of courtesy to your good
benefits. Investigators ultimately glean the most benefit by having deed and gives you a great excuse to keep in touch with your
a strong professional network. Connecting with colleagues in this contact. Next, they advise that your brief email describes your
manner helps you build that network. Another key benefit is that you connections’ background and mutual interest, along with some
will get smarter by training someone else. The process of teaching advice on moving forward, even if it’s a simple “I’ll leave it to the two
is proven to enhance information retention. This is known as the of you to connect.”
protégé effect. Additionally, the recipient of this knowledge also
benefits by learning something new they can apply to their work The importance of opportunity in this industry cannot be
immediately. The resulting knowledge empowers both teacher and overstated. As a newly minted criminal justice degree recipient
recipient. Everyone wins! (Chelsea) and an English teacher (Rina) looking for investigative
opportunities, we quickly learned the challenges facing new
So, what are the specific steps we can take to implement this? By investigators. We found that it was difficult to get a job in the
engaging in a process of continuous learning and personal growth. investigative field without experience, yet it was impossible
By attending training sessions in our field and learning the latest to get that experience without a job. So called “entry-level”
advancements and technologies. Then, upon return, by showing positions in the United States required two to five years of
and telling colleagues what you learned. If you are like us, after experience. As a recent graduate, you often lack experience. So,
attending one of these events, you are energized and eager to what do you do? One option is to work for free, or low pay, as an
apply what you have learned. Have you considered capitalizing intern. This is the path that we took. But that path can also be
on this energy and leveraging your knowledge by channeling it to challenging, since there aren’t too many of those opportunities
others? Have you consider approaching a colleague, particularly an either – at least, not publicly posted anywhere.
intern or someone junior in the field, to share what you just learned?
Or you can offer to give a talk in your organization, such as a “brown We have the power to provide these opportunities. As investigative
bag” event or a “lunch and learn.” You can also offer to conduct experts, we hold the proverbial keys that unlock the doors for the
a webinar, mentor a junior colleague at your firm, or establish a new people looking to enter our line of work. We can also recall
mentorship program. what it was like starting out ourselves and know how much we
can offer to a new candidate. We also know the value of work
There are also potential latent benefits to these sessions. These experience in this profession - that so much of what we learned
forums provide key opportunities to open communication channels professionally happened while on the job. We also know the
with colleagues. Perhaps they have helpful suggestions or ideas value that new candidates can bring to our investigations – they
to share with you, but the opportunity didn’t otherwise exist. Once, can offer a fresh perspective, to include recent education, diverse
during a training session with a student, he noticed we were not knowledge gained from working in other fields, and a unique sense
using the latest technology when managing our own personal of excitement and energy for their new career. Sometimes a bit
calendar. He made some key recommendations that completely of energy is all it can take to solve that nagging case that’s been
transformed the way the teacher organized her schedule that have haunting us, or plow through that backlog of background checks.
continued to provide benefit to the present day.
In the spirit of new beginnings, perhaps we can consider hiring a
Another way to power up is by providing opportunities. One career candidate with less experience, but a lot of potential? To that end,
expert, Bec McFarland, refers to this as “lifting your colleagues,” have you ever thought about contacting a professor at a local
which demonstrates ones’ personal leadership skills which is college, or your alma mater, and offering internship opportunities?
recognized by countless others. McFarland suggests several ways We are always delighted when contacted by someone who
to lift colleagues, such as teaching them a new skill, providing social wants to give opportunities to our students. We have rare insight
events for people to gather, such as a morning tea, asking someone when it comes to their skillsets and can make helpful
to take an active role in one of your projects, or seeking feedback on recommendations. While these candidates may not have conducted
an initiative, such as a case you are working on. surveillance or interviews, they can have soft skills that could make
them an asset. It can be beneficial to have a worker who is a
Here’s another idea for how you can provide opportunities. In a June “blank slate” and hasn’t been trained in someone else’s process.
2024 interview with People, legendary fashion designer Diane Von This person might take a little more work to develop, but a little
Furstenberg described her altruistic morning ritual: “Every morning training goes a long way. Before you know it, you could have your
I try to introduce one person to a person they would’ve never met. ideal employee.
You don’t have to speak – you can just write a thoughtful email.”
Von Furstenberg finds it empowering to have personally formed Don’t forget to share opportunities with colleagues too. That
networks of people that “make things happen.” can also be very empowering and mutually beneficial. We truly
believe that uplifting the fellow members of our field, in turn,
Her considerate contribution is one that anyone can emulate. But uplifts ourselves. Doing a good deed is its own reward. Whenever
what’s the best way to proceed? Forbes provides some helpful we hear about a colleague doing some amazing work, it’s great if
etiquette around implementing this process. They suggest reaching you can give them the ability, if you have it, to share their story with
out to your contact separately first, to notify them of your intended others. Maybe you know someone looking for an author to write

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