Table 1Transition record

private detectivetopolice detective

A private detective already meets 50% of what the police detective role asks for. The move turns on 5 required skills not yet in the profile.

From private detective

50%

Overlap1

To police detective

13 Skills carried over

5 Required, not held

49.6 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 49.6

This move: 49.6 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the police detective role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the private detective 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 13 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 private detective background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held develop investigation strategy information skills
already held examine crime scenes information skills
already held hear witness accounts communication, collaboration and creativity
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 13 carried skills, including the 9 the police detective role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 20 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 assisting and caring 1 required, 7 supplementary

required, not held form operational strategies for law enforcement required

optional, not held apply first response optional
optional, not held control crowd optional
optional, not held detain offenders optional
optional, not held ensure information security optional
optional, not held identify security threats optional
optional, not held restrain individuals optional
optional, not held use personal protection equipment optional

02 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held maintain operational communications required

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

03 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

04 information skills 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held lead police investigations required

optional, not held investigate forgery cases optional
optional, not held perform drug investigations optional

05 services 1 required

required, not held investigation research methods required

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 13 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held analyse legal evidence skill
already held conduct research interview skill
already held criminology knowledge
already held develop investigation strategy skill
already held ensure law application skill
already held examine crime scenes skill
already held handle case evidence skill
already held hear witness accounts skill
already held law enforcement knowledge
already held criminal law knowledge
already held ensure compliance with types of weapons skill
already held practice vigilance 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 investigate forgery cases optional
optional, not held legal requirements related to ammunition optional
optional, not held perform drug investigations 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 information security optional
optional, not held identify security threats optional
optional, not held legal research optional
optional, not held restrain individuals optional
optional, not held use personal protection equipment optional
optional, not held write situation reports optional

19 held skills the police detective role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role acquire licences for the use of weapons skill
not needed by the target role assist police investigations skill
not needed by the target role check methods knowledge
not needed by the target role check request legitimacy skill
not needed by the target role check subjects skill
not needed by the target role civil law knowledge
not needed by the target role court procedures knowledge
not needed by the target role develop criminology theories skill
not needed by the target role document evidence skill
not needed by the target role identify customer's needs skill
not needed by the target role identify suspicious behaviour skill
not needed by the target role interview techniques knowledge
not needed by the target role liaise with security authorities skill
not needed by the target role manage contracts skill
not needed by the target role provide information skill
not needed by the target role screen clients skill
not needed by the target role surveillance methods knowledge
not needed by the target role take pictures skill
not needed by the target role trace people skill

5 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 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 private detective

Full index of moves from private detective

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.