InterestingJobs.org

OK, ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ is just a movie, but government, armed forces and police intelligence services are a reality and they do advertise intelligence officer positions with the tag line ‘Your skills could protect the UK’ – or the USA. Obviously, they don’t push the ‘spy’ scenario, but for highly motivated job-seekers looking for a challenge involving ‘making a difference’ – another well-worn phrase in the human resources dictionary – this could be the job opportunity of a lifetime.

Seriously though, any position as an intelligence officer in the Western world does involve seeking out the ungodly wherever they lurk, using key competencies such as reasoning with verbal information and researching using the latest computer technology. Teamwork, outstanding communications skills, resilience, total discretion and a knack for dealing with all types of people are essential skills, with ongoing and highly specific training a crucial feature of this interesting career.

Job titles vary with the public service involved – Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) refers to intelligence analysts; M15 prefers ‘intelligence officers’ and M16, the Secret Intelligence Service, uses the term ‘operational officers’ without specifying the operations involved. The CIA tells it more like it might be with ‘Clandestine Service Officers’ and the US Military employs Military Intelligence Officers – what’s in a name?

The upside of this career path isn’t just a guaranteed public service pension; it’s the flexibility and variety of the job. Successful applicants will be involved in acquiring, evaluating, analysing and assessing secret intelligence, preventing serious organised crime, counter-terrorism and counter-espionage measures and the detection of weapons of mass destruction. Jetting around the Caribbean and North Africa with a glamorous lady spy and an AK47, unfortunately, doesn’t appear in the job description!

Applicants must have graduated in an academic subject, with previous work experience in, for example, the armed forces at officer level, a great help. The selection process is complicated, taking weeks if not months, beginning with competency tests followed by a telephone interview and more face-to-face repetitions at an assessment centre. Competition is strong, with the services in both countries accepting only high-calibre applicants prior to the crucial security clearance vetting procedure. If you get this far, it’s not the time to recall your teenaged brush with the boys in blue over wacky baccy! The check can take six months to complete and is intrusive, to put it mildly, often involving your significant other, with whom you’re not allowed to discuss the job!

Given the number of hoops applicants must jump through to even get a foot in the door, starting salaries in the UK aren’t excessive, especially if there’s a university loan to be repaid. The three UK Government agencies pay £24,500 plus benefits at entry level, rising to £43,000 after five to ten years’ service. Salaries in the USA are higher, with entry-level averaging around $50,000, and benefits may include housing and family allowances for military posts. Frequent overseas travel and relocation are part of the package.