I'm really confused of what is my favorite character. However, in terms of "concept and style of work" I go for phantomthief,
since he has no jurisdiction-he can be anywhere w/out the tedious rules of the government. Also, he's like a "detective disguised as a thief" as demonstrated in Magic Lover's Club Case, Movie 10 and others. He need not worry about the huge responsibilities of an official detective. He's like batman or spiderman operating in secrecy.
In terms of abilities and character, it would be Shinichi. His deductions are as fast as intuitions, different in many ways to his fellow smart friends and enemies.
In terms of career, I would go to Yusaku Kudo - a famous novelist.