Home Private Investigator Resume template
Private Investigator resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what private investigators actually do day to day, not generic filler. Download and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details.
Which resume format should you use?
Reverse chronological
You have a steady work history. This is the format almost every recruiter and ATS expects by default.
Functional
You're changing fields or have gaps in your employment. Leads with skills rather than a job-by-job timeline.
Combination
You're early career or have worked consistently but for only a few employers. Blends a skills summary with a shorter chronological history.
This template uses the reverse chronological format: the one most private investigators should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Private investigator with a current state or territory licence and experience in surveillance, interviews and record searches for legal, insurance and corporate clients. Skilled at producing clear, factual reports and statements that support informed decisions and court proceedings. Works independently, manages multiple deadlines and adapts to schedules outside standard office hours.
Key skills
- Legal research
- Regulatory compliance
- Case management systems (such as ECINS)
- i2 Analyst's Notebook
- LexisNexis
- Google Earth Pro
- OSINT platforms such as Skopenow
- Attention to detail
- Written communication
- Problem solving
- Time and deadline management
- Digital literacy
- Client relationships and advisory
Experience: example bullet points
- Conducted covert surveillance on insurance and legal matters, recording observations and preserving evidence for client reports.
- Interviewed witnesses and subjects to obtain signed statements, cross-checking accounts against documentary records and legal requirements.
- Searched public records, databases and online sources to locate people and assets, reducing the need for clients to conduct manual enquiries.
- Prepared factual reports and court statements within tight deadlines, ensuring each document was accurate, clear and admissible.
- Served legal documents and located individuals across a wide geographic area, coordinating schedules to meet court timelines and client needs.
- Managed a caseload of up to 15 active files, balancing surveillance, interviews and reporting to keep clients informed and cases moving.
Education
Certificate III or IV in Investigative Services (or equivalent state or territory licensing qualification), plus a current National Police Check. Some roles also value a diploma or degree in legal studies, criminology or a related field.
Keywords an ATS is likely to scan for
Applicant tracking systems match your resume against terms in the job ad before a person ever sees it. Only include the ones that actually apply to your experience, but if a term below matches something you've done, use the same wording the job ad uses.
- Private Investigator Licence
- National Police Check
- Certificate III in Investigative Services
- Surveillance
- Factual Reporting
- Witness Statements
- Process Serving
- Locating People
- Asset Searches
- OSINT
- ECINS
- i2 Analyst's Notebook
- LexisNexis
- Google Earth Pro
- Skopenow
- Legal Research
- Regulatory Compliance
- Privacy Act 1988
- Australian Privacy Principles
- Surveillance Devices Act
- Evidence Act
- Work Health and Safety
- Client Advisory
- Case Management
Getting past ATS screening
- Match the specific skills, certifications and terms used in the job ad, not just your own wording for the same thing.
- Keep formatting simple: no tables, text boxes, columns, headers/footers or graphics. Parsers frequently drop content placed in these.
- Submit as .docx or PDF unless the job ad specifies otherwise.
- Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) rather than creative alternatives.
- List your core skills and technical competencies in their own section so a keyword scan can find them instantly.
This is a starting point, not a guarantee of interviews. Tailor every bullet point to your own real experience and the specific job ad.