| You have seen them on your favorite CSI TV show. | | | | specific educational training. However, you are |
| They are the meticulous forensic document examiners | | | | expected to be board certified by the American Board |
| who scrutinize paperwork such as forged money, | | | | of Forensic Document Examiners (ABFDE). You must |
| ransom notes, and suspicious handwriting. Have you | | | | meet their standards by earning any college degree |
| ever wondered what a forensic document examiner | | | | and acquiring on-the-job experience in the field. If you |
| does and what the educational requirements are to | | | | have a college degree in chemistry, any other |
| become one? | | | | laboratory science, or forensic science, your education |
| In this article, I will explain what the job description of a | | | | can be of great benefit to you. Chemical testing is at |
| forensic document examiner entails and what kind of | | | | the heart of the job of a forensic document examiner. |
| educational training that candidates must undergo to be | | | | To gain hands-on experience, you must seek |
| successful in this profession. | | | | employment in the questioned-documents laboratory |
| If you love reading magazines, books, and letters, the | | | | where you can learn everything you need to know as |
| highly specialized job of a forensic document examiner | | | | an apprentice. Several federal law enforcement |
| may be the career for you. The job responsibilities of a | | | | agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and |
| forensic document examiner are to study documents | | | | Firearms (BATF); the CIA; U.S. Postal Inspection |
| and other handwritten and printed materials with a | | | | Service; U.S. Secret Service; IRS; and any of the |
| knack for determining their legitimacy, age, and | | | | branches of the military maintain a |
| authorship. A successful candidate must be able to | | | | questioned-documents laboratory. Many state and |
| have good eyesight, lots of patience, extreme attention | | | | local law enforcement agencies also have |
| to detail, and enough intestinal fortitude to work long | | | | questioned-documents sections in their crime |
| hours by himself. You must have good language and | | | | laboratories. |
| grammar skills. You must know how to use a camera | | | | Experts such as forensic document examiners use |
| to take photographs of the documents you are | | | | many scientific procedures to help solve a crime. Their |
| studying. Finally, you must have working knowledge of | | | | efforts help bring an offender to justice and bring |
| current laboratory testing procedures. | | | | closure to the families of the victims. |
| To enter in this field, it is not required that you have | | | | |