A position with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) may be right for you if you want a career that supports American national security. The CIA, the most well-known foreign intelligence organization in the world, gathers information abroad and carries out covert operations. The information is used by the President and Congress to decide on policy.
What credentials are needed to work for the CIA?
CIA officer at a glance
What you’ll do: The CIA has a variety of roles, but its primary objective is to gather information to safeguard the United States. S. from foreign threats.
All positions are based in the Washington, D.C., area. C. area but frequently require work overseas.
Education you’ll need: Bachelor’s degree at a minimum
Median annual salary: $64,610, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) main goal is to keep the United States safe, primarily by gathering and analyzing foreign intelligence and conducting covert operations. It’s crucial to remember that the CIA has no actual law enforcement role, in contrast to the FBI, Homeland Security, and other organizations within the intelligence community. The CIA offers a wide variety of positions, many of which are based abroad.
The CIA maintains rigorous hiring standards. Make sure to start by looking at the prerequisites for CIA careers, which include:
7 steps to a career as a CIA officer
Choose your degree.
A bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement for CIA officers, and some positions also call for graduate degrees. You can prepare for a career at the CIA with a variety of degrees. The most popular majors are political science and criminal justice, but applicants from all academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Some roles require specific degrees, while others do not. The CIA lists the following career options to think about: law, business, accounting, and finance; international studies; foreign languages; science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)
Find the right school.
The next step in your education is locating a school with a robust program in your field. Look into the credentials and reputation of the institution to find a course of study that will prepare you for success in the workplace. It may be worthwhile to find out if a school offers any concentrations in programs that advance different skills. To assess whether a program can meet your unique needs and preferences, it’s crucial to consider a school’s location, size, campus culture, and program schedule in addition to its academic offerings. Your degree must be obtained from an accredited college or university to qualify for federal employment. Additionally, accreditation is frequently necessary to be accepted into graduate programs or to be eligible for federal financial aid.
Apply to your school.
Most likely, a career in the CIA will start with education. To apply to a college or university, you must have a high school diploma or GED, but you’ll notice that there are some differences in the prerequisites after that. Some schools will expect you to have a certain GPA. For competitive schools, this may be above a 3. 5. Schools that are less selective will accept students with GPAs in the three 0 or even 2. 5 range. Some schools will expect to see SAT scores. Sometimes a higher SAT score can make up for a lower GPA, and vice versa.
Earn your degree.
Four years of full-time study are typically required to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Many people can benefit from part-time study, though it will take longer. Beyond a bachelor’s degree, a graduate degree typically necessitates an additional 18 to two years of full-time study. Many degrees require an internship to graduate. You can anticipate encountering these, among others, in the fields of business, accounting, law, and STEM. Additionally, students in a variety of academic fields can apply for a 12-month internship with the CIA. By working with your school, you can typically set up academic credit for the time you put in during these internships, where you can work with professionals in their field to gain practical experience in the intelligence community. The following are some of the available subjects: engineering, finance, economics, foreign languages, and information technology.
Find your first job and gain experience.
Some CIA positions require a college degree and one or more years of professional experience. Making sure you acquire the most recent knowledge in your field during this time spent working before joining the CIA is a good idea. Additionally, now is a good time to obtain any certifications that could enhance your degree and set you apart from other CIA applicants. The following are a few examples of credentials for CIA-recognized occupations: Accounting: Candidates can earn certifications as Certified Public Accountants, Certified Internal Auditors, and Certified Government Financial Managers. • Telecommunications: Candidates with network, security, and other computer certifications are sought by the CIA.
Apply to the CIA.
The lengthy and involved five-step application process for the CIA can take more than a year. The application process is summarized below: Online application: You must be physically present in the United States or one of its territories when you apply. You may briefly travel abroad during the application and hiring processes, but candidates are advised not to get in touch with the CIA in any way while doing so, including through postal mail or email. If the CIA decides to pursue your application, you will participate in phone screening and testing as well as interviews. This may include in-person interviews at a secure CIA site. It can also include aptitude and personality tests. A conditional offer of employment will be extended to candidates who pass the testing and interview process. As part of the clearance procedure, the CIA will start working on your security and medical evaluations. Evaluations: It can take between six and twelve months to finish the thorough security and medical evaluations. This part will involve polygraph examinations, a thorough background check that involves speaking with friends, neighbors, and coworkers, as well as a physical and psychological examination. If you pass all the requirements and are qualified for the position, you may receive a job offer from the CIA. Remember: The CIA expressly advises using discretion when discussing your application with family and friends and not mentioning that you applied to the CIA on any social media platforms. Additionally, the CIA is well known for having a strict anti-drug use policy.
Complete your training.
Following your hiring, the CIA will train you for your position. Some new hires might enroll in classes at the Sherman Kent School for Intelligence Analysis or the Federal Law Enforcement Training Program, while others might attend one of the CIA’s training facilities. Expect ongoing training. Certain training, like that for firearms and tactical instruction, as well as current legal knowledge, will be required. Additional training is available but optional to help you advance your knowledge or abilities.
How to Become a CIA Agent in Clandestine Services
The CIA’s National Clandestine Services program uses CIA agents as the primary sources of clandestine information about other nations. They might be tasked with gathering information on critical global developments, such as those involving politics, the military, WMDs, and terrorism.
People who want to work for the CIA in intelligence positions could pursue careers in:
The requirements for the Clandestine Service and Professional Trainee Programs must be met by individuals who wish to participate in the CIA’s clandestine services and learn how to become agents.
The Professional Trainee (PT) Program is intended for people with a bachelor’s degree who have little or no relevant work experience, such as staff operations officers and officers with specialized skills in targeting. Most candidates are between 21 and 25 years old.
The Clandestine Service (CST) Program is intended for people with a bachelor’s degree and several years of business/military experience (for core collectors, operations officers, and collection management officers). Most candidates are between 26 and 35 years old.
Candidates for CIA agent jobs in clandestine services must:
The CIA states that the following credentials are ideal for CIA agent positions:
- Arabic, Dari, Korean, Persian, Somali, Chinese, Indonesian, Pashto, Turkish, Urdu, and Kurdish are among the “critical” languages of the CIA.
Bachelor’s degrees of interest include:
The National Clandestine Service requires applicants for CIA agent positions to submit their college transcripts as well as a one-page cover letter outlining their qualifications to stand out from other candidates.
Two in-person interviews, a physical and mental examination, a polygraph interview, and a thorough background check are all part of the application process.
What the CIA Is Like and What CIA Officers Do
The CIA is divided into five directorates, each of which focuses on a different facet of the organization’s mission, such as science and technology. Through one of the agency’s numerous mission centers, which are intended to address threats to national security in an interdisciplinary manner, CIA personnel with varying areas of expertise can collaborate on projects. The director of the agency is chosen by the president and confirmed by the U S. Senate.
Robinson explains that officers who work for the Directorate of Analysis are excellent puzzle solvers who take information, frequently with missing pieces, and make sense of it. “Then, they provide written reports, such as the President’s Daily Briefing, and brief decision-makers to assist them in making well-informed decisions. “.
As an analyst, Peritz combined information that was available to the general public, such as media reports, with intelligence gleaned from human intelligence and foreign communications that had been intercepted. He says, noting that it can occasionally be difficult to distinguish fact from fiction, “The idea is that you’re trying to get the truth to the decision-maker.”
Peritz, who was tasked with watching and assessing terrorist beheading videos for the CIA at one point in his agency career and has written about it, warns that CIA jobs sometimes involve confronting “gruesome, awful” realities.
Peritz admits that it is “really, really awful to watch a person die over and over and over again,” but he also points out that there was a compassionate goal behind it: to identify the individuals captured on camera and determine how to avoid such tragedies. He continues, mentioning that he once helped with a life-saving CIA hostage rescue operation, “The best-case scenario is that you are actually protecting the United States and protecting American lives.” [.
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Peritz claims that salaries for CIA employees are frequently lower than what they might earn if they pursued a career in the private sector, despite the fact that CIA tech employees are frequently able to land extremely lucrative employment in Silicon Valley.
However, many CIA officers earn six-figure salaries. Pay within the CIA is highly dependent on where someone falls within the agency hierarchy. CIA job postings typically include salary ranges.
FAQ
Will the CIA hire without a degree?
A bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement for CIA officers, and some positions also call for graduate degrees. You can prepare for a career at the CIA with a variety of degrees. The most popular majors are political science and criminal justice, but applicants from all academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
What degree is best for CIA?
- Political science and other social sciences. …
- International studies. …
- International relations. …
- Foreign language or foreign studies. …
- Criminal justice. …
- Physical sciences. …
- Graphic design or cartography. …
- Human resources.
How hard is it to get hired by the CIA?
Reading the requirements will probably make you realize how difficult it is to join the CIA, especially if you want to be one of the 10% of officers who work as field operatives. If you’ve been upfront with yourself about who you are and what you’re capable of, your chances will be much better.
What qualifications do you need for CIA?
- Be a citizen of the United States.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Possess a bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
- Have strong interpersonal skills.
- Have a strong interest in international affairs.
- Be able to write clearly and accurately.
