If you're really smart,ready to serve your country, and ambitious, and you've a desire to perform clandestine and routine work to protect and help fellow citizens, becoming a part of the CIA might be a future career option for you. Provided you're a U.S. citizen, and you meet all the required qualifications and background checks, you are eligible to apply for a job with the CIA. Read through this article to see if you still wish to pursue this career once you understand the requirements. Keep in mind that the process is competitive, as with all government positions, and that there are many reasons for turning down applicants. In spite of that reality, it's important to give it your best shot if it's your dream career – and it's
also worth being very persistent,and never give up always believe in yourself.
Steps
1 Understand what is involved in a CIA career before seeking to join the CIA. While the spying side of the CIA might be the seemingly glamor filled side you're hankering after, the Directorate of Operations (or "clandestine service" where the spies are located), is but one part of the CIA and a small part at that. The majority of CIA employees work in analytical positions, language positions and science, engineering, and technology positions. Matching your skills and aptitude to what you're best suited for may not see you working in the clandestine service positions at all, so be ready for this possibility. In addition, be prepared to become part of a "family" when joining the CIA, with expectations to uphold deep loyalty to others, and with possible ramifications on your outside-work socializing and relationships.
- Whatever your position, a role in the CIA means that you're part of the first line of defense in warning and protecting your fellow citizens. You will be working with people possessing high integrity, perception, analytical ability and intellectual curiosity.
- You'll be expected to work in teams on many occasions, so you will have to have strong team skills.
- You'll be able to pursue career goals within the CIA and it's hoped that you'll remain with the CIA for the duration of your career.
- The Agency has its own community. The reason for this stems from the academic environment, as well as the nature of the work performed and mission of the CIA. The CIA's George Bush Center has its own food court, fitness facilities, formal gardens and walking paths, company store, recreational and activity clubs, and artwork on display. In addition, there is a museum, a library, and the usual offices.
- The Agency considers its community a family, employing people from nearly all fields of study, united in their work and their service to the country.
- Before even embarking on the process of becoming an CIA officer, do some thorough background reading on what the CIA is about, what CIA officers do (not just spying!), as well as finding out about how much of the spying isn't what you'd gleaned from movies and TV shows!
- Do not have a criminal record. Naturally, this includes not having participated in any activities against the USA's interests, whether or not these were criminal in nature.
- Don't take drugs. The CIA states that you cannot have used illegal drugs within 12 months of your application or background check process. Illegal drug use at any time in your past can hurt your chances, however, so it's best to avoid any illegal drug altogether. In addition, don't abuse legal drugs, like alcohol or prescription drugs, as these can provide evidence of your character and future likelihood of re-abusing.
- Be financially sound. This means that you don't gamble, over-invest, have a poor credit repayment record, or have bankruptcy in your background. No intelligence service wants to take a risk on a person who has poor financial management skills and is potentially open to bribery.
- Have a good work track record and ethic. Whatever jobs you've had already, ensure that you've always given your best, being honest and ethical, and worked hard. Demonstrable loyalty and accountability in any work environment is an asset to your application.
- Be highly trustworthy, reliable, and faithful. Background investigators will ask questions of people in your circle of acquaintances including family and friends. If they feed back positive information about you, this is good for you, as their assessment of your character builds.
- Understand the importance of maintaining confidences and confidentiality. If you love to gossip, being in the CIA probably isn't a good choice for you; you'll need to be able to demonstrate that you can abide by regulations regarding the use, handling, and protection of sensitive information.
- Have excellent strength of character, integrity, honesty, sound judgment, and loyalty to the United States. The CIA recognizes that "no one is perfect". Security officials will consider the blemishes in your background according to their nature, extent, seriousness, and recency. They weigh the risk and benefit of each individual - the whole person - with the utmost care. If you've got everything else needed, the Agency won't necessarily turn you away if they consider you have important contributions to make to the nation's intelligence efforts.
- Have squeaky clean parents and friends. While this may not always be possible, it's enormously helpful because any family member or friend with shady leanings could be a source of weakness for you if they fall into a spot of bother (aka "potential for coercion"). If there are issues surrounding this, talk to a CIA careers agent about your options, and always be truthful.
- Have excellent grades through high school and college. Have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
- While there is no specific major to study, having studies with emphases on international relations (most internationally focused studies are likely to be of interest to a recruiter), law, political science, security studies, economics or finance (including international finance), mathematics, journalism, science (behavioral, physical, or computer), languages, sociology or psycology, and anything requiring analytical skills, can be to your advantage.
- Take serious, rigorously tested courses and perform well.
- Learn what makes people tick; learn people skills including how to make people like you and good conversation skills. You'll need to know how to "shmooze" and build rapport with people from all walks of life, in order to be able to spot, assess, develop, and recruit assets. You'll need to know how to feign interest in other people's interests and hobbies in order to build friendships or relationships with them to obtain information.
- If you have a problem with being likable, being a CIA officer is probably not a good option for you. Equally, arrogance, egoism and inflated self-importance will soon see you dropped from training.
- See life's gray areas. If you see life in absolutes ("he is wrong, I am right"), then it's likely you're not going to be a good choice for the CIA. Inquiring minds, openness to discussion and possibilities, and the ability to see the more nuanced and complicated elements of every situation are an essential trait when you need to analyze things. Sometimes you will be asked to finesse things for the good of your national security that don't necessarily produce the best results for people in other nations. Is that something you can handle?
- Expect continued checks throughout your career with the CIA. You will be expected to undergo regular re-investigations (updates on your lifestyle, connections, etc.), and to continue taking polygraph tests.
- Be ready to maintain high standards of professional conduct at all times, both at work and outside of work, for the duration of your CIA career.
- Do not underestimate the stress on your personal life. If you're the type of person who wants to come home at 5 every day and be regularly available to raise your family, work as an agent is not likely to provide that ease of child-raising and family togetherness for you. If you can't abide this thought, consider looking for a different career. Many other CIA careers, however, do offer this type of stability.
- Make sure to follow the application deadlines and instructions to the letter. If you miss one thing, your application will be rejected.
- Spruce up your resume, as this will need to be submitted along with the online application.
- Job listings are updated regularly. This means that if you don't see something of interest, check back again frequently.
- Don't write or call to check. You won't get a response.
- As a general rule, if the CIA is interested in your application, they will contact you within 45 days.
- Don't give up. Keep trying – it may be that you selected a position that you weren't cut out for, or that had too many other highly qualified people competing with you and one small flaw in your application had yours rejected. Just keep trying for a reasonable time and your persistence may pay off. In some cases, it may mean they'll take you when your experience improves, so get that PhD, go for that military position, or do something else extraordinary that will catapult you into their notice.
- Undergo a medical exam and psychological exam. The medical is designed to ensure you're in adequate physical condition for the needs of the job, and also to test for drug use. The psychological exam assesses your intelligence, judgment, and mental stability.
- Wait for your background check to be completed. The background check is extremely thorough and often lengthy (it can take two years). The CIA website states: “The investigation addresses comprehensively one's loyalty to the United States, strength of character, trustworthiness, honesty, reliability, discretion, and soundness of judgment. In addition, it examines one's freedom from conflicting allegiances, potential for coercion, and willingness and ability to abide by regulations governing the use, handling and protection of sensitive information.”
- Pass the polygraph test (discussed above).
- Participate in job training. For some positions, particularly those in the clandestine service, you may have a probationary training period during which you must successfully complete training for your specific position. You may have to relocate during your training period (about six months), and the Agency will usually not pay for relocation of your family during this time.
- You will not be an official case officer until you pass the rigorous training, which, depending on the position, can be very difficult.
- The CIA usually won't hire anyone who is over 35 for the National Clandestine Service.
- The Agency does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, or sexual orientation in granting, denying, or revoking security clearances.
- Becoming a scientist is helpful. Spy organizations sometimes recruit scientists because of their special skills.
- The CIA has a number of programs available for college students, including internships for both undergraduate and graduate students. The selection criteria are quite rigorous for these, and completion of a program doesn’t guarantee a job, but if you perform well during the internship you’ll have a good chance at a job offer.
- Consider joining the military first. Although the CIA offers no hiring preference for veterans, candidates with relevant prior military service, especially in military intelligence, have a leg-up. You still need a college degree.
- The CIA frequently recruits at top colleges and universities in an effort to lure qualified candidates before they accept a position in the private sector. Be sure to attend career and job fairs at school.
- You will be required to keep things confidential. People skills are a plus for operations officers (spies), but if you have trouble keeping secrets, this is not for you.
- You will be placed in a position you are qualified for, which may not be the one you initially applied for. The salary depends on your grade. There are regular increases over time. The starting salary is around 40k. However, the perks are really great! Some benefits are: Paid Time Off, Federal Health and Life Insurance, Retirement, Education and Training, Health Services, Child Care Centers, and Credit Union.
- Some other languages currently in high demand include: Greek, Indonesian,Japanese,Korean, Serbian, Croatian, and Turkish.
- 1 Do not lie on your application or at any time during the hiring process. The background checks are extraordinarily rigorous, and should they discover a lie, in most cases you'll be disqualified unless it's a clear misunderstanding. Be aware that the different departments in the intelligence community communicate with each other. Being disqualified/fired from one will make it harder to get a job with any other agency. Indeed, this can also travel to less security intense agencies within Government, so be on your best behavior at all times.
- 2 Be prepared to handle emotional stress. Training, as mentioned, is very intense (and at times, overwhelming). Once you're in for training, especially for the clandestine service, you'll be tested to your limits because they want to know your breakpoint (if at all) before you're out on a job where others' lives are at risk. And if that comes sooner, rather than later, then you're less likely to succeed.
- 3 Be aware that salaries in the CIA are usually lower (sometime a lot lower) than those offered in the private sector for positions requiring similar education and experience. On the other hand, your job security is often better, provided you maintain high standards of personal conduct.
- 4 CIA training can result in making you a colder and more calculating person.
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