Page 12 - WORKING DRAFTApril 2021 PPIAC Newsletter Draft

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TRAINING

Most careers have a definitive point that you can say,” I’m all trained up- I know what

I’m doing.” Professional Investigators don’t often have that luxury. Despite the fact that

you may be good at your job, or have worked for an extended period of time, there is
always more to learn. If there is one take-away from being VP of Training, it is this: no
matter the training topic, there is always something to add to your investigator toolkit.
Skills from one field may often overlap with another field. Such skills will not always
provide an earth-shattering “eureka!” moment, but it may be something to give that
little extra touch to make your investigation or report stand apart from the rest. To
disregard these opportunities is to short yourself of an extra edge that might gain you a
new client, or help you resolve a case, or let you help a colleague in a slump. 2020
encouraged many associations to pivot and shift with the times, broadening their reach
with both live and recorded educational opportunities.

Live training events give you a chance to speak with the instructor; to bounce ideas off
of your fellow attendees, and to glean impromptu gems of information through
conversation and networking that a recorded venue would not provide; the downside to
live events is that you may not be available at the scheduled time (or if it is a distance
away, you may not have the time/funds to attend.)

Conversely, recorded/online events don’t provide the interactive elements that live
events contain- but recorded events are appealing to individuals with hectic schedules
and may provide a means of contacting the instructor with questions.

Either way, the necessity to maintain training is a good idea. The realm of professional
investigations is vastly dependent upon understanding and being able to work with the
latest technology, the latest app, the latest software, the latest vernacular, and
understanding and working with the latest trend that the subject of your investigation
may be following. To put it another way: if you don’t continue with your education, you
will quickly become obsolete and may often be working harder than necessary. The next
time you see a training event, don’t be so quick to dismiss it! It could very well give your
business the extra edge to bump you up to the next level.

Tan Smyth—VP of Training, PPIAC