If you are passionate about serving your motherland, become a CIA agent. A CIA agent always focuses on how the security of countrymen can be ensured. CIA stands for Crime Investigation Agency and is an intelligence agency in the United States. It is an independent agency, headquartered in Virginia, United States. The job of a CIA agent may be considered similar to a spy or a secret agent.
Though the job looks very adventurous, you should think carefully about whether you want to make your career in this field as it requires great stamina, high emotional stability, and intellectual ability.
Steps of Becoming A CIA Agent
Be Educationally Qualified
You should be a graduate in any field to apply for the position of CIA agent. But if you want to study courses that could add knowledge and understanding to your professional career, you can pursue courses in psychology, law, behavioral science, journalism, criminal justice, cyber security, etc. or other foreign languages like Japanese, German, etc. You can also apply with a postgraduate qualification. CIA also offers various undergraduate and postgraduate programs. There are internships available for college students also.
Required Skills
You need to be ambitious about your job and have dedication to the service of your country. You should be loyal to other employees in the Agency. There are various kinds of jobs in the Agency; depending on the position required skills may vary. In general, you should have good analytical skills, have team spirit, and have good perception.
Try to learn and have proficiency in other foreign languages. This would be very helpful for your job. The job requires good communication skills and also requires you to build good relations with others at work. Build a good physique and, be mentally and physically strong as the job may involve mental stress and emotional pressures.
Apply for a Job and Get Training
To be eligible for the position of CIA agent, you should be a citizen of the United States. During the screening process, your background is checked for any past criminal activity. So, you should not have such kind of record in your profile. You should also not take drugs and have an ethical work profile if you were working somewhere else before.
Thus, the pre-selection process includes medical check-ups and psychological testing also. Prior military experience is very beneficial for making a career as a CIA agent. After passing the selection process, you may be required to work on a probation period for around 6 months. This may be a conditional offer of employment and only after passing the extensive training period, you would be assigned as an official agent of the CIA.
Career as a CIA Agent
As a CIA agent, you are a part of a community or rather a family where you work with people from different domains. You are provided with all kinds of facilities like a gym, sports, food, recreational work etc. You may be required to travel frequently or stay at different locations. There are various career opportunities available within the CIA itself viz. security engineer, medical officer, research psychologist, staff operations officer, specialized skills officer, etc. You can continue your education further within the Agency, so working as a CIA agent can be a lifetime career for you.