A Career With The FBI

Do you have what it takes to become an FBI special agent? Do you have a sincere desire to enforce federal laws and investigate crimes?

This job requires hard work and can often times be dangerous and stressful. You'll undoubtedly be in close contact with crimminals and victims of crime. But a special agent's job is rewarding if you enjoy serving the public. Long before applying for a job as an FBI special agent, you'll need to plan carefully what you need to do to qualify.

The FBI Special Agent

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agents are the Government's primary investigators, who investigate criminal violations of over 260 statutes not assigned to another federal agency. Agents may conduct surveillance, monitor wiretaps, examine financial records, or participate in undercover assignments, just to name a few.

The FBI investigates organized crime, white collar crime, such as health care fraud, counterterrorism, copyright infringement, civil rights violations, bank robbery, extortion, kidnapping, terrorism, espionage, violent crimes, drug trafficking, and other violations of Federal statutes.

The following was adapted from The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Facts and Figures 2003, FBI Priorities (http://www.fbi.gov/priorities/priorities.htm)

The FBI's priorities are to:

Protect the United States from terrorist attack.

Protect the United States against foreign intelligence operations and espionage.

Protect the United States against cyber-based attacks and high-technology crimes. Combat public corruption at all levels.

Protect civil rights.

Combat transnational and national criminal organizations and enterprises.

Combat major white-collar crime. Combat significant violent crime.

Support federal, state, county, municipal, and international partners.

Upgrade technology to successfully perform the FBI's mission.

Entry Requirements

Be a U.S. citizen, or a citizen of the Northern Mariana Islands
Be at least 23 of age but under 37
Be available to work when and where needed
Pass hearing and vision tests, including a color vision test
Possess a valid driver's license.
Be in excellent physical condition
Possess a national or regionally accredited 4-year degree in a foreign language, law, accounting, or another field plus three years of full time employment.

The FBI looks for job applicants who have skills in interrogation, report writing, surveillance, and giving testimony. The selection process also includes cognitive tests, an interview, background check, polygraph test, and drug test.

The FBI also looks for individuals with character traits, such as honesty and sound judgement.

Physical Training Requirements

An example of a requirement would be the PRT, a 1.5 mile run test, passed with scores of 14 minutes 10 seconds or under for females and 12 minutes 40 seconds or under for males.

Forensic Science

The candidate for a scientist position must first qualify under an existing entry program and have a degree in physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, nursing, bio-chemistry, Forensics, Medical specialties, or related field. The candidate for a Forensic Scientist position should major in biochemistry, biology or biotechnology. The Forensic scientist analyzes evidence such as hairs, firearms, DNA, photographs, fingerprints, and handwriting examples and testifies verbally and in writing.

Advice from a former FBI profiler

John Douglas, a former FBI profiler, offers the follow advice for aspiring FBI special agents:

Seek leadership opportunities.
Develop skills the FBI desires.
Do community service.
Maintain a clean record--no jail term or felony and good credit.
Maintain good grade point average.
Consider ROTC.
Complete an internship.

Don't major in a course you dislike, such as accounting, because you think it will help you to become a special agent. "Make sure your primary focus is finding a career you enjoy," says Douglas.

For more information on employment as a FBI Special Agent, check your phone directory for your state FBI office. Or visit the FBI online.

Sources

The Occupational Outlook Handbook 2002-2003, US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Federal Bureau of Investigation (www.fbi.gov)

John Douglas's Guide to Careers in the FBI,1998, Kaplan Books, Simon and Schuster, New York.

About The Author

Diana Clarke has taught job search skills to students in Silicon Valley. Her career and business articles have appeared in publications including the San Jose Mercury News, Cupertino Courier and the Saratoga News.

www.yourskinandsun.com; dianaclarke2001@yahoo.com

CAREER TOPICS

Dissatisfied With Your Job? Stop Putting Your Attention on What You Dont Want!
If I were to ask you the percentage of time you spend thinking about what you don't want, what would it be? And the percentage of time thinking about what you do want?Experience with my clients has shown me that most of us spend a lot more time thinking about what we don't want. Some examples when it comes to our job include:-I hate my commute.

Career Change Is Not For Wimps! 3 Powerful Steps to Do Work You Love
Tough words..

Resume 101
Whether you've been downsized, are looking for a career change or are just starting out, your resume speaks volumes about you. If your resume doesn't make it past the first cut, you're doomed; no matter how qualified you are.

How to Reach Outside Yourself to Advance Your Career
When flipping the channels of your TV, you are bound to come across a Public Service Announcement (PSA) endorsed by a celebrity asking children to approach their parents, teachers, or someone they trust when they are at a crossroads. Through these PSAs, children are told that asking for guidance, encouragement, and support is a sign of strength.

Kick-In-The-Pants Job Search
Believe it: three obstacles will hold you back from your ideal job -- your résumé, you, and your job-search methods. There's no hidden formula; there's no bribery needed; there's no one standing in front of employment - other than YOU!You've probably heard all the excuses, or used them yourself.

Free Resume Template: Beware!
Downloading a free resume template can be so alluring. No work to do! You just download it, fill in the blanks, and get the job of your dreams!If you buy that, I've got lots of other things I'd like to sell you.

How to Think Like a Headhunter to Find Your Dream Job!
In this ever changing world, we need to think out of the box to get ahead. This true for anything you do in life.

Focus On White-Collar Crime: Accounting Fraud and Computer Crimes Creates Need; Qualified Investing
An epidemic of white-collar financial crime has resulted in the development of specialized education programs focused on economic crime investigation and fraud management. These college-level degree programs attract students who are interested in law enforcement and are attracted by the very unique nature of these types of crimes and the special investigative techniques required to solve them.

Ode to a Spoon
"Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have." --Rabbi Hyman Judah Schachtel (1907-1990)I have to admit it, I love spoons.

Discover What You Really Want To Do
Are you doing what you really want to do or did you just fall or wander into the job you now have. As a friend of ours once said,' I am one of twenty two doctors in our family.

Where Do I Go From Here?
Making Your Future Work Better For YouIt's the commonest concern people have about their careers. Where am I heading? Is this the right direction for me? How can I tell what will suit me best? Making good career decisions doesn't have to be agony if you clear away a few misconceptions.

Job Security Is Dead! Are You?
Job security is an out dated concept. The idea is nice: The longer an employee works for a particular company, the more valuable that person becomes to the company in question.

Tales From the Corporate Frontlines: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
This article relates to the Job Security competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. After a large scale cut in personnel, this particular group of employees needed some extra support.

Job Interviews -- What Your Pre-Interview Research Should Cover
When you go in for a job interview, you're not just a candidate seeking a job. You're a potential problem solver and contributor.

Skills Make Labor More Valuable
As you know by now, if you have been a long time subscriber to our weekly E-zine, I'm a very big proponent of activity, labor and discipline. In fact I devoted one of the five major pieces to the life puzzle (in my book under the same name) to the subject of activity and labor.

Build New Habits -- Payday Will Come --
Feeling that it never works is not a good excuse. You may even remember last year not getting past February.

Dont Quit Your Day Job! Convincing Your Boss To Let You Telecommute, Part 1 of 2
Are you desperately trying to find a telecommute job so that you can quit your current one? Hold on! Your job just might have the potential to be done from home.With the right approach, a little research and a good proposal, many employees are selling the idea of telecommuting to their employers.

Stepping Stone Jobs
What we name something matters.It sets a tone that alters our attitude.

Sample Resume Objectives: Read, Dont Copy
The resume objective statement is typically something that trips people up.Confronted by the silent challenge of the blank page, most folks Google for "sample resume objectives".

Ask For That Raise!
For nine years Jeff worked for company G as an engineer. Flying airplanes was his first love.