CIA Employment

Hello everyone,

My name is Geo, and I'm a high school student. To put it frankly, I'm interested in employment with the CIA. I was wondering if anyone here might provide any help regarding classes to take and clubs to join etc. Basically, what can I do now (I'm entering 11th grade) to help better my chances. I asked the CIA itself, but I got a runaround pre-written (fill in name here) kinda thing. I'm particularly interested in clandestine and paramilitary operations. I know there are many knowledge people here, and maybe a few of you could possibly point me in the right direction. Thanks.

The NSA, which oversee the CIA, has in the past taken in high school students for training if they score high on a competitive academic examination. The technical training is equivalent to a couple of years community college tech degree. However, the NSA has never admitted publically that they are the source of the competitive exam, only that the high school's examination is for a "federal" position.

Usually, CIA recruits at the college level. You must apply. If you want information on this, go to www.cia.gov and click on "careers."

www.onealclan.com

^Good info..also see NSA.org

[edit on 24-6-2004 by Plato986]

I don�t know what you want to do in the CIA, but the book "Spy Dust" by Antonia and Jonna Mendez provides a good idea of what everyday life is like for a clandestine operative. The book itself wasn�t that good, but for someone who is considering a career in the CIA (me!) it provided some valuable insight.

I�m not sure how the NSA �oversee[s]� the CIA. I was under the impression that the two worked together, with the CIA providing human intelligence and the NSA providing more electronic/signals intelligence.

When you graduate, you might want to ask the CIA about the "student trainee program", if your interested in clandestine operations, try the military first. If you can cut it and like it, your training and field experience will be an asset to the agency. How ever you should consider other options before deciding on the CIA or any career. What is the key factors in your choice, why and what were your inspirations. If it is glamor and hollywood bling bling, your looking at the wrong thing.

Make sure you look(and understand) before you leap, the real world isn't like the media makes it out to be...it's worse.

There are three paths you can take to substansially improve your chances of getting a job with the C.I.A.
The first would be to study linguistics especially by majoring in arabic. The number of arabic language speakers the C.I.A. needs far outweighs its resources.
The second would be to enlist in the military after college and opt for military intelligence, If while in college you got a degree in arabic, tuareg, or other middle eastern languages it would be most helpful. make sure however that you enlist after college though as the C.I.A. is less likely to hire a former grunt.
The third is to major in criminology and work as an undercover officer for a few years first, the C.I.A. has been hiring a lot of undercover policemen as the two jobs (intelligence officer and narc) are virtually identical.
Good Luck

the economist magazine, aside from being a generally good current affairs news weekly, frequently has employment ads from the cia in its classified section. they usually list languages as being their #1 priority, particularly arabic, urdu, farsi, and mandarin, as well as some others. each ad usually lists that months hot languages, but these 4 always make the cut. speaking other languages also helps in many other employment fields, too.

their current ad can be found at (you need adobe acrobat reader to see it):

www.cia.gov...

good luck!

koji K.

Never mind..

[edit on 25-6-2004 by Plato986]

Thanks for all the help, I've been talking to some military recruiters, and I think that's the way I'll go. I'm not great with languages, so that's a no. I am going to try to get into one of the academies, either naval, or air force. Any suggestions before I get in depth with the propaganda, "my service is the best" sprouting recruiters?


Thanks again.

[edit on 25-6-2004 by JRambo8576]

This is all purely speculation, but:

I imagine if you want to be a paramilitary, it doesn�t really matter what branch you join. I would bet that if you get into a special operations branch, be it SEALS, Delta, Force Recon, etc., your chances of Agency employment would be much higher.

As for being a clandestine operative, I don�t know that one service would be better than the other, I think that they would just work to your benefit during the hiring process.

Graduate high school, and then see where you stand.

If your still interested after then, current events may dictate situational requirements. Going by that, you should be able to make a better choice.

Until then though you shouldn't worry about it, as doing good and completing in your education is your primary objective.

Text Yellow yal are all oysters! go team mego!

Be born into a privileged family then go to Yale.

the hardest part is to keep YOUR NOSE CLEAN, when all your friends are out drinking and smoking pot you somehow have the be the oddball not to. I wish i could have done it all over. Nothing related to drugs but fighting or anything else will also nix your chances of joining the CIA. I know because i tried and got pretty far into the process. They want someone who has little to no criminal record, is educated, and preferably has some sort of military or police background.

also good luck if you think your going to hide something from them... they really do have a way of knowing you better than you know yourself.

Originally posted by hiii_98
They want someone who has little to no criminal record, is educated, and preferably has some sort of military or police background.

Seeing as how the CIA is a criminal organization, I find that statement mildly amusing.

OP: If you did not think to go to the CIA website before coming here, I'd say your chances of making it as an operative are slim. No offense. I imagine they require individuals with exquisite resourcefulness.

If you go into the AirForce during basic training you will have a couple people come to you and ask you in basic training if you want to join special forces to talk to them.

You will be given a series of tests and if you pass you then go to their "basic training" and it's similar to the seals in the fact that chances are you will wash out.

I worked with a guy who washed out. He was crazy physically fit, could beat anybody at anything on the base. He washed out because he couldn't swim fast enough is what I was told. I know he could tread water all day long but apparently wasn't a good enough swimmer.

But that's how the AirForce recruits their special forces. Oh I was enlisted when they came and asked and your TI will tell everyone don't do it. Ours actually threatened us if we did and said that sort of life sucks.

If it was me I would go for FBI and work my way into the CIA from there but if you could get into a special forces unit chances are you could easily get into the CIA if you prove yourself there.

You might want to double think the whole CIA thing though. Retired CIA agents or at least the one I met was pretty messed up in the head jabbering on about what we don't know about our country and hoe we don't want to know.

Originally posted by ADVISOR
When you graduate, you might want to ask the CIA about the "student trainee program", if your interested in clandestine operations, try the military first. If you can cut it and like it, your training and field experience will be an asset to the agency. How ever you should consider other options before deciding on the CIA or any career. What is the key factors in your choice, why and what were your inspirations. If it is glamor and hollywood bling bling, your looking at the wrong thing.

Make sure you look(and understand) before you leap, the real world isn't like the media makes it out to be...it's worse.

Yeah this is good advice, and let me add that you want to make
sure and go in as an officer if you can.

The pay is a LOT better, and so is the treatment.

The Advisor gave you the best advice you'll ever get.

Finish high school, and then chart your college career. If you are a mathematical genius, you'll likely be recruited by the NSA in college.

Get your degree, hopefully with a language such as Mandarin Chinese, Farsi, or Arabic.

Fill out your application, and don't be too wordy. And don't get your hopes up.

They recruit from many disciplines, many sources. Generally, they find you.

And it's not the fascinating, romantic notion many have. Intelligence is boring beyond belief. A bit of a challenge, but you are always paralleled. Another or two are trying to get the same intelligence that you are, using their own methods. Cuts down on wild speculation, and insures more accuracy.

Most field operatives have come from a special operations background.

You will be given a job with an international company, complete with business card and phone number. Of course, you aren't the one who answers the phone, and you are always in a meeting, on a project, or traveling, and a message will be taken.

You can never tell anyone when you do well, never list any accomplishments, and again, the tedium is beyond boring.

Very special folks. And many don't even exist.

[edit on 2-2-2009 by dooper]