Table 1Transition record

criminal investigatortopolice detective

A criminal investigator already meets 26% of what the police detective role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.

From criminal investigator

26%

Overlap1

To police detective

8 Skills carried over

10 Required, not held

68.9 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 68.9

This move: 68.9 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the police detective role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the criminal investigator profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 8 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A police detective role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a criminal investigator background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held investigate forgery cases information skills
already held perform drug investigations information skills
already held examine crime scenes information skills
already held handle case evidence communication, collaboration and creativity
already held criminology social sciences, journalism and information
already held present evidence communication, collaboration and creativity

All 8 carried skills, including the 4 the police detective role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 25 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 information skills 3 required

required, not held lead police investigations required
required, not held analyse legal evidence required
required, not held develop investigation strategy required

02 assisting and caring 2 required, 9 supplementary

required, not held form operational strategies for law enforcement required
required, not held ensure law application required

optional, not held apply first response optional
optional, not held control crowd optional
optional, not held detain offenders optional
optional, not held ensure compliance with types of weapons optional
optional, not held ensure information security optional
optional, not held identify security threats optional
optional, not held practice vigilance optional
optional, not held restrain individuals optional
optional, not held use personal protection equipment optional

03 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held conduct research interview required
required, not held hear witness accounts required

optional, not held apply knowledge of human behaviour optional
optional, not held conduct public presentations optional
optional, not held write situation reports optional

04 services 2 required

required, not held investigation research methods required
required, not held law enforcement required

05 business, administration and law 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held legal use-of-force required

optional, not held legal requirements related to ammunition optional
optional, not held legal research optional

06 health and welfare 1 supplementary

optional, not held first response optional

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a police detective role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 8 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held criminology knowledge
already held examine crime scenes skill
already held handle case evidence skill
already held maintain operational communications skill
already held criminal law knowledge
already held investigate forgery cases skill
already held perform drug investigations skill
already held present evidence skill

15 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held first response optional
optional, not held legal requirements related to ammunition optional
optional, not held apply first response optional
optional, not held apply knowledge of human behaviour optional
optional, not held conduct public presentations optional
optional, not held control crowd optional
optional, not held detain offenders optional
optional, not held ensure compliance with types of weapons optional
optional, not held ensure information security optional
optional, not held identify security threats optional
optional, not held legal research optional
optional, not held practice vigilance optional
optional, not held restrain individuals optional
optional, not held use personal protection equipment optional
optional, not held write situation reports optional

18 held skills the police detective role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role analyse blood patterns skill
not needed by the target role assess contamination skill
not needed by the target role clean crime scenes skill
not needed by the target role comply with legal regulations skill
not needed by the target role crime scene preservation knowledge
not needed by the target role detect finger prints skill
not needed by the target role document evidence skill
not needed by the target role evaluate forensic data skill
not needed by the target role forensic intelligence knowledge
not needed by the target role perform forensic examinations skill
not needed by the target role perform laboratory tests skill
not needed by the target role perform risk analysis skill
not needed by the target role photograph crime scenes skill
not needed by the target role promote human rights skill
not needed by the target role restrict access to crime scene skill
not needed by the target role undertake inspections skill
not needed by the target role use different communication channels skill
not needed by the target role write work-related reports skill

6 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held investigation research methods required
required, not held law enforcement required
required, not held legal use-of-force required
optional, not held first response optional
optional, not held legal requirements related to ammunition optional
optional, not held legal research optional

Index

Other moves recorded from criminal investigator

Full index of moves from criminal investigator

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.