Handwriting analysts, or graphologists, study people's handwriting to create profiles that can describe the writers' personality, how they think and possible motives for what they do. If you want to become a handwriting analyst, you should first make sure you are naturally observant and curious about other people. You should then seek courses or books that teach the skills needed to succeed in this career. Once you know enough to become a handwriting analyst, you can open your own office for people curious about what their handwriting says about them, or you can offer your skills to those in the legal or medical fields.
You should first make sure you have the personality traits suited for this career path. For example, many of the best handwriting analysts are naturally inquisitive and analytical, both good traits considering most of their day is spent poring over documents in an attempt to learn more. You also should be interested in people, because the main point of this career is to find out more about them through their handwriting. This may include determining personality traits and psychological details to figure out what makes them who they are. Additionally, before you decide to become a handwriting analyst, you should be OK with sitting at a desk much of the day, closely looking at documents.
The next step if you want to become a handwriting analyst is to get the proper education. It is often difficult to find a handwriting analyst training course or degree program through a typical four-year college, though some criminal justice or psychology degree programs may include a brief overview of this skill. You may be better off getting a bachelor's degree in another subject and obtaining handwriting analyst training elsewhere, though a four-year degree often is not necessary for this career. If you just want to get started learning the basics of this skill, then you may consider looking for courses at your local community college and online. You can even get started by reading several books on this subject, because no specific degree or certification is required, though some formal education may increase your chances of getting a job.
Once you learn the handwriting analyst requirements through some form of education, you should consider what you want to do with your skills. You can open your own practice, charging a fee to analyze the writing of your clients, but it may be difficult to earn a full-time income this way, because this is often considered a niche career. If you need to support yourself as a handwriting analyst rather than treating it as a hobby, then you may want to consider offering your services to professionals who may need them, including police officers, lawyers and psychologists. You may be able to work full-time in their office, provided there is a high enough demand for your services; you also may work only when they need you, allowing you to occasionally help other professionals when you become a handwriting analyst.
