Skillsets That Transcend

One of the things I tell people when I provide training in investigations, is that the skillsets you have developed previously, can transition well to investigation work. Sometimes in ways that can surprise you.

Like mine....

At 16, during the summer, I started working my first job. Cleaning up, moving lumber, digging, and other assorted tasks, at a house that was under construction.

I worked by myself at the job site, so I had to get stuff done without having someone nearby. I had to figure out what needed to be done, and then get it done on my own.

Despite being my first job, it gave me the chance to develop a fundamental skillset that being self-employed (as an investigator) required.

At 18, my father asked me to spend a couple of weeks at his law firm interviewing nazi labor camp survivors over the phone. He had been asked to assess the possibility of bringing a reparations lawsuit against Germany on behalf of those in the forced labor camps, and getting these survivors stories was fundamental to that process.  

I'd been to Yad Vashem when I was 9, and of course in Hebrew school we watched all the Holocaust films. But hearing the stories directly from the people who experienced them first hand taught me the importance of humanity in the face of man's inhumanity to man. It taught me the power of empathy, and how to listen.

Again, these skills translated well to the many thousands of interviews I conducted in my career, and my ability to make connections with people experiencing difficult circumstances.

Throughout my college years, and the next few after, I spent working in building. After graduation, I worked for a small construction company, but was soon leading a crew. The builders I worked for went through a series of lead carpenters and each time they'd get fired or quit, I'd be asked to run the project and crew.

I ended up with having to shoulder a lot of more responsibility, and worked well beyond my actual experience level. This too served me well as an investigator, and as someone self-employed.

At 24, I built a spec house. I did most of the construction work, as well as handled the business end. It was my first run at being self-employed. And I kind of learned by the seat of my pants. Or as other people might say, learning from my mistakes. Of which I made many.

But on the positive side...

I learned how to systemize things, think in terms of patterns, and most importantly how to step out of my comfort zone (and that with some effort you can self-learn a lot).

During the 30+ years I worked as an investigator, I developed even more skills that served me well even beyond the world of investigation.

I learned how to sell services. I learned how to gain the know, like, and trust of witnesses and clients. I learned how to assess information, and to determine what did and did not matter during an interview. I learned how and where to find pretty much any type of information, and to cultivate people whose help you needed.

And on top of that, I learned situational awareness, and de-escalation skills that later translated into teaching personal safety, and workplace violence prevention.

And the list goes on.

What types of skills have you developed over the years?