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Psychic and paranormal investigators seek to uncover whether or not hauntings and poltergeist phenomena are genuine. Some are sceptics who want to disprove phenomena. Others may carry out ‘psychic clearings’. They use a variety of methods ranging from the scientific and cynical to the use of self-proclaimed mediums and psychics, depending on the organisation. Research and university-based organisations require scientific training. Independent companies are not necessarily accredited.
Alien/UFO Investigator -
There are a number of independent and scientific organisations researching stories of aliens, alien abduction and UFOs. In a similar vein, investigators of crop circles, cattle mutilations and other phenomena are also popular. Curiosity is clearly a must. Scientific knowledge would theoretically be useful. A related career requiring greater training is astrobiology - these scientists investigate the origin of life on planets.
I want to get to grips with evidence
One appealing area for those who want a cool career that gets to the bottom of things is forensics. The word ‘forensic’ comes from the Latin forensis, meaning a court or forum. A forensic practitioner is someone who gives evidence as an expert in court proceedings. These careers combine an ability to get to grips with evidence, a concentration on detail and skill as a good public speaker.
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Computer Forensics Specialist – This is a growing profession because of the need to protect businesses from a range of computer abuses, including intellectual property theft and fraud. A computer forensics specialist recovers deleted, encrypted or damaged files, tracks internet files, and investigates illegal, inappropriate or threatening email communications. The evidence may be used for litigation in civil and criminal cases involving areas such as embezzlement or pornography, or in workplace theft investigations.
Forensic Speech Consultant – Forensic speech consultants analyse speech and voice to identify who the speaker is. This career may involve carrying out voice line-ups and voice identification, comparison and elimination in criminal cases. They may also get involved as an expert in verifying transcripts of speech.
Forensic Pathologist – The forensic pathologist epitomised by the TV character Quincy carries out autopsies for the coroner as part of investigations into sudden, violent or unexpected deaths. In the UK you need a background in histopathology and forensic pathology and legal training. Further details about the training path towards forensic pathology can be obtained from the Royal College of Pathologists (www.rcpath.org).
Forensics Explosive Expert – Forensics explosives experts provide evidence in legal cases and insurance work in areas, such as accident reconstruction and crime and terrorism cases. They provide testimony to lawyers and prosecutors as well as government agencies. Forensics experts exist in many areas, for example, maritime accidents, workplace accidents, medical claims and fires. Their work includes reviewing documents and records, site reviews, fire cause and origin investigations, among other areas. Common to these jobs is the ability to analyse evidence, communicate an argument in court and apply scientific techniques practically to an investigation.
Forensic Medical Examiners – Forensic medical examiners carry out routine work, such as the effect of drink and drugs on detained people, and look at victims of assault. They need to be able to present evidence in court and also be expert in examining wounds and other evidence. More details can be obtained from the Association of Police Surgeons (www.apsweb.org.uk). They are also known as forensic physicians or police surgeons. If you like the sound of this, look also at lawyers specialising in medical negligence or medical defence.
Forensic Anthropologist – Forensic anthropologists apply anthropology to the law. As an example, if the police were to find skeletal remains they might ask a forensic anthropologist to identify the deceased. They are also used in human rights abuses, such as war crimes where mass graves have been found, or in cases of other buried evidence.
Criminal Justice Expert – A criminal justice expert will have an investigative agency or legal background and will be involved in writing, consulting and acting as an expert witness in legal matters in areas such as terrorism, drug enforcement, military justices and intelligence cases. They may run training or speak at academic events.
Forensic Psychiatrist – A forensic psychiatrist is a psychiatrist who understands mental disorders and has a working knowledge of the law. They may work in an outpatient capacity in prisons or provide psychiatric reports, and comment on medical and legal issues for the criminal justice system and the Home Office. Some work in the high security hospitals such as Broadmoor. They may also provide advice to adult psychiatric services. Most forensic psychiatrists work in the NHS, although psychiatric patients are also found in the private sector. Similar careers are to be found in forensic psycotherapy, forensic learning disabilities and forensic adolescent psychiatry.
Forensic Botanist – Forensic botanists deal in environmental evidence. They carry out analysis of both plants and soil. For example, they might sample pollen and spores from an object or suspect’s clothing to match a particular crime scene and particular geology. These professionals were used in the investigation of mass graves in Srebrenica in the 1990s.
Forensic Accountant – A perfect way to change a so-so career as an accountant into a cool career. Forensic accountants use accountancy, investigative and auditing skills to look at financial evidence for the courts. They are employed by the police, insurance companies, banks, government agencies and independent organisations, and may be used as expert witnesses.
Forensic Psychologist – A forensic psychologist combines an understanding of people with an application to the law. Would you like to know what effect a witness has on a jury or if a defendant has the mental capacity to be tried? You could become an expert witness in court and may even study the law as well to help you develop more expertise in your work. Most forensic psychologists in the UK work for the prison service. However, they can also be found in academia, probation, police and social services. This is also referred to as investigative and criminological psychology.
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Forensic Linguist -
Forensic linguists carry out written and spoken textual analysis. For example, they might have to decide whether or not the author of a text is the same as a person who has been accused of a crime, or they might check for plagiarism. They may also be asked to carry out psychological profiling of the author, for example, deciding on the mental state of the author, for criminal, terrorist or insurance fraud purposes.
Phonetician -
This is a related career to a forensic linguist but (forensic) phoneticians analyse only speech. They make comparisons of speakers by accent, dialect, voice quality and other speech features to identify the speaker or to carry out profiling. They also provide evidence on disputed utterances in court and carry out analysis of speech on black box recordings. Police and the secret service need phoneticians, but they are rare in the UK at present - there are less than 50 - though there are more in other countries. Contact the International Association of Forensic Phonetics and Acoustics for more information.
