Career paths in investigation

There are several approaches to choosing a career. One way to go about this is to find out what area you want to work in and then choose careers that offer you such a possibility.

Let us look at opportunities for those who want to be investigators, by which we mean finding facts and discerning the truth.

Chartered Accountant & Cost Accountant If you have a flair for numbers along with the necessary aptitude for investigation, then you can consider becoming a Chartered Accountant or Cost Accountant.

People in both these professions engage in audit work, which is a kind of investigation. In financial audits, the auditor is required to find out the correctness of reported figures, whether the financial resources of a firm have been deployed as per norms, whether there is tax compliance and the balance sheet is transparent. Ambiguities and anomalies brought out by such auditors and have to be corrected by the firm concerned.

You may register for the foundation course of Chartered Accountancy right after you finish the Class 12 exams.

For Cost Accountancy, registration in the foundation course is possible after Class 10 and the direct route is open after graduation, with conditions.

Detailed information may be found at the website of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and The Institute of Cost Accountants of India. There are several big and small firms in the audit business where you may seek employment.

Criminology studies the motives behind a crime, criminal behaviour, the modus operandi and whether something could have been done to stop the crime. It also tries to find out strategies to minimise the instances of crime.

After qualifying in the subject, you can work both in the public and private sector. You may join the police services, organisations like the Central Bureau of Investigation or work with a private detective agency.

Your role may be that of a crime scene analyst, crime investigator, private detective etc.

The subject may be studied both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Forensic science is also a potential subject suited to those wishing to be in the business of investigation. Forensic science has many specialisations such as forensic serology, forensic psychiatry, forensic pathology, wildlife forensics, forensic speech science etc.

Digital forensics is an emerging area in forensics with good opportunities. This is gradually finding more application in banking and finance to unearth frauds. The Indian Banks Association looks for forensic auditors to investigate such cases. The Reserve Bank of India too has such requirements.

There is a Directorate of Forensic Science Services under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India which engages consultants on a regular and contractual basis.

After a good qualification in forensic science, one may start to work on her own as a freelancer and offer her services as a consultant/expert for a fee. One may also work as a signature expert who finds out the genuineness of a signature on a cheque or document etc.

A job or assignment in investigation requires diligence, concentration and unbiased approach. Your professional opinion may have serious implications, so a casual approach is not an option. Working with tight deadlines is common when it comes to investigative work.

The challenges have its rewards and you may derive satisfaction from the fact that you’re involved in pursuit of truth.

(The author is with Institute of Banking Personnel Selection)