A Very Private Career Plan

Career Plan takes an odd turn

1. Shhhh...I have a very private career that I'd like to share with you.  Few people know that in addition to all those office jobs I've held, I also have a job writing reports for a Private Investigator.  Because of my love for writing, I started by writing my first report as a favor for a friend.  He knew exactly what he was doing and I knew nothing except how to convert his dictation into legible sentences.    Now, almost 14yrs. later, that favor has turned into my “private career”.   My primary duty is to write accurate, detailed professional reports.  Writing 'just the facts', in this capacity, I have to make a complete about face from my usual form of creative writing.  Although the format may change with different investigative companies or with individual Investigators, the requirements are rigid; there is little room for error on the page.  These reports may wind up in legal proceedings and this makes my task especially challenging.  Confidentiality is key.  Human behavior is fascinating.  It's my job to document the activities of those subjects under investigation. I must be able to tell each story exactly as it happened, without embellishment.  I'm not allowed to stray away from the facts that pertain to the case.

Assignment topics:  domestic surveillance to Workers Compensation

There is an assortment of assignments I write about that cover the spectrum from a simple Workers Compensation claim to a complex domestic surveillance case.  I could speak for days about the situations I've scribed for reports, but I can't because then I'd have to kill you.  Just kidding.  Fact is, though, my report writing job keeps me sharp.   I've used this discipline as a job tool to enhance the all the various daytime positions I've held.  I consider this facet of my career as invaluable experience that will last as long as the world needs the services of Private Investigators.  And because people will be people, it should last a long, long time.  Documenting human nature gives me plenty of fodder for my fictional work and that makes report writing fun, too!  Maybe my “private career” could lead me to be the next famous African-American detective novelist.  You keep reading, I'll keep writing! 

Categories: Changing Jobs or Careers, Career Management & Transition