“The CIA is very family friendly, offering flex schedules, and very accommodating if a child has an illness,” explains Jane, who went to Harvard graduate school and spent 10 years in the military.
The Agency offers great support for families, bolstering a sense of “Agency family.” The most heartfelt experience as a CIA officer? We adopted our child while on an assignment.
You Must Be a U.S. Citizen and at Least 18 Years of Age
Also, you must be at least 18 years of age to qualify for a job at CIA.
There's no maximum age limit for any role at the CIA with the exception of operations officers, which for them is 35. However, even for operations officers, its a case by case basis, and they may take you in the clandestine service beyond that age if you have in demand skill sets.
The process will almost certainly uncover your deepest, darkest secrets and use them against you. Along with you undergoing every possible assessment out there, from polygraph exams to personality tests, your family, your exes, your neighbors and your friends will all be interrogated.
It's no secret, they say, that CIA employees often date each other. "You have someone you can talk to about what you do," Dayna says. "You can share things with them. It's much easier to have a relationship with someone inside the CIA versus the outside."
Individuals applying to the CIA need to be able to deal with stress. “The issue stress tolerance is a serious one,” said Morgan. “Those with anxiety issues aren't going to be a good fit. But the CIA also wants to hire those who think before they act.
Although the CIA has historically been dominated by men, the agency has progressively become more gender-inclusive.
ADVICE FOR YOUR CIVILIAN CAREER Some federal agencies do not have strict or even explicit policies on tattoos. The CIA even notes that tattoos will NOT disqualify you from gaining employment, and all professionally qualified people are encouraged to apply still.
CIA Agent age breakdown
The average age of cia agents is 40+ years years old, representing 69% of the cia agent population.
The Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) is Australia's overseas secret HUMINT collection agency with the mission to protect and promote Australia's vital interests through the provision of unique foreign intelligence services as directed by Government.
Family Gets Only Basic Info
In order to protect sources and methods, and in the interest of maintaining national security, most CIA employees can't discuss their work, even with family.
If you are married or have a long-term domestic partner, the Agency requires that you tell your other half from day one. Along with that, there are other reasons why you would be required or are otherwise able to divulge your affiliation with the CIA.
The CIA will likely run a series of checks on your spouse to make sure they're not a spy, though. If you get married to a foreigner it is stressful with all of the accompanying paperwork. Many employees opt for the easier path, marrying an American, or the easiest, marrying another CIA employee.
Candidates need to be over 18 and under 35 years old, though under certain circumstances this upper age limit may be waived. Also, the CIA only accepts applications from U.S. citizens. If you are not yet a U.S. citizen, you must first go through the proper immigration process to obtain U.S. citizenship.
Central Intelligence Agency.
Because of the excessive secrecy surrounding CIA operations, little is known about its domestic activities. In its 1947 charter, the CIA was prohibited from spying against Americans, in part because President Truman was afraid that the agency would engage in political abuse.
Individuals interested in becoming a CIA agent need to meet educational requirements and pass several exams. While specific steps can vary by role, some common steps for landing a job as a CIA agent include the following: Earn a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, law enforcement or a related field.
The CIA has specific guidelines regarding tattoos and piercings. Visible tattoos or piercings that may hinder an agent's ability to maintain a low profile or adhere to cultural sensitivities in certain environments may impact the application process.
Ear piercing is allowed. Ear piercings however must not exceed “two per ear lobe” and must be small and inconspicuous (no stretching or gages).
employees must be in top physical shape in order to carry out the diverse missions on which they are sent. the U.S. Secret Service, must be physically equipped to meet a wide array of possible threats to the life of the Director and Deputy Director.
The CIA is headed by a director and deputy director, only one of whom may be a military officer. The director of central intelligence (DCI) serves as the chief intelligence adviser to the president of the United States.
CIA training can be completed in 18 months. Those seeking to become CIA agents must meet the requirements for the Clandestine Service and Professional Trainee Programs. The Professional Trainee (PT) Program for aspiring CIA agents: Staff operations officers.
The CIA prefers candidates with ENTJ personalities, or Extrovert, Intuition, Thinking, and Judging. You don't need to have an ENTJ personality to work in the CIA, but the combination of those traits makes you a likely candidate for advancement in the hiring process.
Having ADHD and taking prescribed medications for it is not necessarily a deal-breaker, but it's not an item in your “pro” column, either. Consider the consequences of being involved in a shooting and having amphetamines, prescribed or otherwise, show up in your mandatory post-shooting tox screen.