The Investigator
Finds out what is actually true and can show the working
What this way of working is
The Investigator is drawn to work where the point is finding out what is actually true. The satisfaction is in the answer — the one that holds up when you test it, and that you can show your working for. Investigators are the people who are not satisfied with the easy explanation, and who follow the evidence wherever it leads. The work is often solitary and behind the scenes, and it is driven by a question rather than a task. A good Investigator is sceptical, careful and honest: they test their own assumptions, they look for what would prove them wrong, and they report what they found even when it is inconvenient. They are comfortable with uncertainty at the start and with the discipline of checking their work. What pulls them is the truth itself — the moment a pattern becomes clear and the evidence lines up. The Investigator's direction is inward and rigorous: they want to know, and they want to be able to show how they know. If that sounds like you, the paths that reward it are the ones where finding out what is true is the whole job.
Example roles
Six roles that point in this direction, with task lines drawn from O*NET.
- Detective 33-3021.00
Gathers and tests evidence to establish what actually happened.
- Forensic Science Technician 19-4092.00
Analyses physical evidence and reports what it shows.
- Market Research Analyst 13-1161.00
Designs studies and analyses data to find out what is really going on.
- Environmental Scientist 19-2041.00
Investigates environmental questions and reports the evidence.
- Compliance Officer 13-1041.00
Checks whether rules are being followed and reports what it finds.
- Survey Researcher 19-3022.00
Designs and runs surveys to find out what people actually think and do.
Skills this direction leans on
- Asking the question that matters
- Gathering and testing evidence
- Checking your own assumptions
- Showing the working behind a conclusion
- Following a lead wherever it goes
- Reporting honestly, even when it is inconvenient
- Staying sceptical and careful
What this direction values
- The truth
- Honest, testable answers
- Rigour
- Showing the working
Two directions near this one
Shared: Both work with evidence and care about what it shows.
Differs: The Investigator finds what is true; the Analyst reads pattern in quantities of information.
Shared: Both build meaning from material and care about the shape of it.
Differs: The Investigator shows the working; the Storyteller builds meaning in words and image.
Not sure this is you?
The quiz shows you which direction your preferences point toward, and the two nearest to it. It takes about three minutes.
This site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This site is not endorsed by or affiliated with USDOL/ETA.
Common questions
- What is the investigator?
- The Investigator is one of twelve career archetypes — a way of working, not a job title. It sits in the Ideas & Analysis concourse, which is work where the question comes first. Finds out what is actually true and can show the working.
- Is the investigator a job I can get?
- No. An archetype is a direction, not a job title. The example roles on this page are drawn from O*NET and show the kind of work that direction points toward — they are not a promise of a job, a particular income, or a role.
- Is this an aptitude test?
- No. This site is a preference inventory — it asks what you would rather do, not what you are good at. It does not measure ability, and it does not give a score that claims to.