Dream job... CIA agent

[2012Cadet]

....if they want some high-speed, low-drag types, there's lots of those available coming out of places like SEALs, Delta, and the like.

Well I can't speak for others but I posted to answer the question as to if I was fortunate enough to be SOF, would chances be good for going in as a CIA paramilitary officer after retire?...

 

[devildog55]

I would rather be a Marine officer than a CIA agent any day.

I was fortunate enough to be SOF

A lot of people in USMC bootcamp who want infantry and have the PFT and ASVAB to take the recon indoc and make it. Most of those who go into USMC bootcamp wanting recon get infantry.

My point is stop saying your going to be SOF. Get their first then say you want SOF.

And if you were SOF you would be better suited for a SWAT team or blackwater. Not necessarily a CIA agent.

 

[Zaphod]

Well I can't speak for others but I posted to answer the question as to if I was fortunate enough to be SOF, would chances be good for going in as a CIA paramilitary officer after retire?...

Well, let's just say that your chances would be just as good as any other person who has a valuable skillset which, as an SPECOPS type, you would definitely have.

As to what "good" means, it means "good", not "guaranteed". I would say, however, that if your long-term goals included CIA, then SPECOPS or Intel would definitely be tracks I would recommend while in uniform.

 

[Zaphod]

And if you were SOF you would be better suited for a SWAT team or blackwater. Not necessarily a CIA agent.

That depends. Lots of former SPECOPS types fit into segments of the CIA you don't hear about on CNN.

However, "not necessarily" still applies, as you might be a great soldier, but a lousy spook.

BTW, I agree 100% with your comment on getting there first before making all these plans about AFTER getting there. I made that mistake myself with nuclear power.

If a career dream track looks something like: USMA - Infantry - Ranger - SF - CIA Spook, and you are still in high school, your attention better be focused 100% on USMA, or the whole chain will fall apart.

 

[Zaphod]

If you ever met my cousin who is up there (4 star equiv) you would be shocked.

I don't suppose he's hiring?

 

[Pima]

Yep they are hiring, actually they are probably starting the search for his job right now because he will hit 30 yrs this October. Maybe will retire and maybe not, it all depends on the economy.


We have a couple of friends who fly the CIA jets, ret AF, but it took them a long time to get in!

 

[Zaphod]

That's OK. I couldn't afford the pay cut anyway.

 

[morningdark]

QUOTE:::I think you should re-evaluate your career decisions. One of the big things they (should) impress upon candidates is that if you're only joining to use the service as a springboard for some other job, you're in it for the wrong reasons.::: QUOTE

I agree with you entirely

QUOTE:::While a lot of people do go five-and-dive, the Academy is really looking for the people who intend to stay in for the long haul.::: QUOTE

The sad reality is that the Academy doesn't bring in people necessarily always interested in a career of military service. What I did discover is that the sons and daughters of career military service members tend to be very interested in career service. The first generation military cadets coming from civilian backgrounds tend to be unsure about making the military a career military decision. This is understandable though. Many seem to have their hearts already set on 5 and fly. If I was on an admissions board, the first type of candidates I would scout out would be the sons and daughters of military service members (of course they'd have to meet the basic requirements for admission).

There was a cadet who honestly admitted that he was using the Academy as a springboard for other career opportunities. He was grossly disrespectful to the very idea of career military service as well. I challenged him by asking him if this was indeed what he put down in his application for admission into the academy. He was quiet after that.

 

[Zaphod]

There was a cadet who honestly admitted that he was using the Academy as a springboard for other career opportunities. He was grossly disrespectful to the very idea of career military service as well. I challenged him by asking him if this was indeed what he put down in his application for admission into the academy. He was quiet after that.

Turn him in for lying on his application.

No, I'm not kidding.

 

[bcom]

My cousin is very very high up (basically a 4 star gen equivalent, and so high that his actual title is classified). It took him many yrs of applying to get into the CIA. You will need to get at least a masters before entering. My cousin had a masters, ph.d and law degree before he was accepted. It took him 8 yrs to finally be accepted. Your military background will help, especially since you will have a security clearance.

I also do agree, the acknowledgement of doing a five and dive before you enter does grate on many people, since many applicants want to do 20, and then they don't get accepted, but the person who states I intend to do my time and leave does, it is upsetting to them. People do the 5 and dive a lot, but there is a difference of knowing that is your intention at BCT and 9 yrs later after BCT, you decide you have had enough

Sorry but I respectfully disagree.... I was just a 20 year old with a BA in econ and working in the oil patch of Bolivia. My only military experience was USMC PLC my junior year. I decided to quit my job suddenly and had you jump though a lot of hoops to do it quickly, and stealthily get out of the country,,,,,,,,lots of details I don't want to bore you with. No one knew I was leaving. Within one day of arriving at my girlfriend apt in the USA, I had a letter in the mail addressed to me in her mail box from the CIA. It stated I appeared to be the type of person they were interested in interviewing if I was interested. To make a long story short I did two interviews, took a test and then decided it wasn't what I was interested in. It would have been what they called the career officer program and would have been two years over seas and two years in Washington. Believe or not I ended up going to the other CIA (culinary institue of America). They called once more and drive by when I was walking to class and snap a picture from time to time. This went on for about a year. I quess they could believe it either.

 

[bcom]

Forgot to mention, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't secretly go after a lot of USMMA guys. They fit a profile that was similar to mine.

 

[LineInTheSand]

CIA? Bleh, not quite what it's made out to be (from what I hear). They provide a valuable service to this country, but it's not all Mission Impossible/007 stuff.

 

[Pima]

Bcom,

Maybe it was based on your specific background...Bolivia and OIL, especially since you have a child now applying for college, taking a guess, this was probably around Gulf I, that would make your insight to oil and Bolivia very important since we did not know the future for the Middle East sources.

There will always be fast trackers getting into the CIA, but even our friends, who we are supposed to pretend we don't know they fly for the CIA, still took them 1 yr+ with an inside contact before they got their hiring papers and that was with security clearances.

Additionally, don't you think being 20 with a BA in ECON, said something about you regarding your drive and achievements. Last time I checked to graduate with a BA, that would mean you went yr round starting at 17. If you did the traditional 4 yr., 120 credit, no summer courses, you had to start at 16, thus, you graduated HS very early since the avg student graduates hs at 18 and with a BA at 22.

Back on topic, we are talking about traditional tracks. Traditional tracks from the military means, commission, possibly specialty school, 1st O1-2 assignment before they can make the leap. I think it is important that candidates/cadets/lurkers understand you can do it easily, but like you they need VERY unique experience to do it easily.

My cousin, who decided ly to stay because they gave him a promotion, was not unique. He was the traditional candidate. I also would like to point out even as a traditional candidate he did get in and he is living proof that you can get one of those outer offices too

 

[usna1985]

About 15 yrs ago, a military colleague applied and was accepted to into the Operations side of the CIA. He ended up turning it down for the following reason -- and this was before the current wars. He was pretty much guaranteed to be in 3rd world countries for the early part of his career. He was married and wanted to start a family and didn't want to subject his wife and children to 3rd world medicine and living conditions for a decade or more or, worse, to leave her/them at home for long periods as he'd already done that during his military time. Had he been single, he probably would have done it.

I should note that he only had a B.A. and also applied only once. The application process was somewhat lengthy -- maybe 6 months or more -- but not impossible.

He ended up attending law school and, last I heard, is now an attorney for a defense contractor.

 

[fly boy]

You will need to get at least a masters before entering.

Um, according to the CIA website, under general requirements is says "Having an undergraduate degree is not mandatory, but is highly recommended. Life experiences are taken into consideration. However, a standard requirement for overseas officers, intelligence analysts, and other non-clerical positions is a college degree, preferably an advanced degree."

 

[Pima]

There is a difference between mins and what will be needed to be offered the job. You can have a hs diploma, but that does not mean you will be offered a GS-7 or above. That is why I stated you want at least a masters, because I would assume you want to enter at the same level you leave the military at, and you don't want to take a salary cut. Even if you look at the last part of the statement it says preferably an advanced degree. In other words, your best shot in is with the advanced degree.

Anyone who has worked around the beltway also knows that every time there is a job opening they are required to advertise it for 30 days, but most of the time that position already has their candidate lined up. Due to our connections Bullet was offered a position with the CIA without ever interviewing, but he rejected it because the salary was 35K less than what he was offered for his Pentagon job. With the offer they also told him that it would take them 6 months to get him in for his first day of work even though he had high security clearances.

Without a doubt if you want the CIA you should go for it, I am just saying that how the CIA website or recruiters say it works and how it actually works can be two different things. Remember both the website and the recruiter have the same goal...they want you to join.

 

[Pima]

TPG, I agree with your 3 points of experience, knowledge and need.

However, I also believe if that we want to have an open and honest discussion, we need to be realistic about those 3 points.

Experience as an Intel officer at Mt Home AFB or Cherry Point NAS as a young officer(5 and dive) with no Masters will make you less likely to get the job if you are going up against the young officer who spent a yr at Bagram and has a Masters. The hs graduate who was born and raised in Afghanistan, can speak, read, write and knows the culture maybe more desirable to the CIA than either of the first two candidates.

My position has been, and will be, don't enter the military thinking that it is your hook regarding the CIA. As you stated it is a big picture issue and if you only have 1 piece to picture it is not going to get you in.

IMHO, it is important than any cadet who wishes to make the CIA their career goal utilizes their time in the military to fill the squares so they are the most competitive candidate that the CIA has to select from. Being an intel officer who can speak German probably should have spent the same time learning how to speak Mandarin Chinese to make them standout more for recruiting purposes.

We can all say it can happen without the degrees, but it is more important to me that we acknowledge that like any other employer what you bring to the table gives you a higher chance of obtaining the dream.

I find it interesting that people are pushing back about the Masters issue. I got my MBOM, with a dual HR Masters when I was a military wife, with a DH deployed and 3 children under the age of 6. If you really want it you can do it. Additionally the beauty of the military compared to me was two fold. 1. They allowed on line courses. 2. They pay 75% of the cost. I had neither, and on top of that since Bullet was deployed I had to pay babysitters!


I am referred to as Janie Raincloud here, but I take that as a compliment. I am Janie, because I believe if we throw out the negatives as realism, then those who truly want to go that route will continue to follow the route, those who don't will fold their hand and walk away. If you walk away then you never wanted it as bad as you thought you did. If you stay, then you are more enlighted from anecdotal experiences and that will help you obtain your goal.

I have never claimed to be the HR person at the CIA. I only have anecdotal advice. TPG also has great anecdotal experience/advice. It is up to you to decide how to decipher the differing anecdotes. Neither are right, neither are wrong.

 

[Emeraldcoastbeachservice]

My cousin is very very high up (basically a 4 star gen equivalent, and so high that his actual title is classified). It took him many yrs of applying to get into the CIA. You will need to get at least a masters before entering. My cousin had a masters, ph.d and law degree before he was accepted. It took him 8 yrs to finally be accepted. Your military background will help, especially since you will have a security clearance.

I also do agree, the acknowledgement of doing a five and dive before you enter does grate on many people, since many applicants want to do 20, and then they don't get accepted, but the person who states I intend to do my time and leave does, it is upsetting to them. People do the 5 and dive alot, but there is a difference of knowing that is your intention at BCT and 9 yrs later after BCT, you decide you have had enough

Hmmmmmm

 

[Capt MJ]

This is a 2010 thread. There are more recent discussions about careers with an “ABC” agency. Junior military officers can and do apply to these programs with success, both as analysts and agents.

 

[Pima]

This is a 2010 thread. There are more recent discussions about careers with an “ABC” agency. Junior military officers can and do apply to these programs with success, both as analysts and agents.

Sorry @Emeraldcoastbeachservice but you actually made me kind of laugh. As @Capt MJ this thread is a decade old. My thought was how hard did you have to dig in the search to find this thread. My cousin has LOOOONNNNGGGG since retired. I mean, like years retired.

The other reason I am laughing is only old posters like me and Capt MJ will remember a poster I referred to in my post. UGGHHH!