How to Become a CIA Officer

 

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Summary: The CIA may be mysterious and secretive, but normal people are part of its ranks. Positions in many fields are available at the CIA, so the organization hires people from diverse backgrounds. And you must complete an in-depth screening process to be hired. Working for the CIA can be rewarding, but ensure you are the right fit for such an intense job.

By Lora Korpar

Think of the term “CIA.” You might imagine someone like James Bond or Jason Bourne. However, real-life CIA officers look more like you and me.

“We are very mysterious to the public,” said Theresa Randall, deputy chief of the CIA’s Talent Acquisition Office. “[Secret agent movies] are entertaining, but they don’t necessarily always represent who we are. The thing I like to tell people is that we are ordinary people doing extraordinary jobs.

“We are moms and dads, aunts and uncles going to the soccer games and going out to dinner with our friends just like everybody else. It’s just that once we are hired, we have extraordinary obligations to protect the information that we are privileged to have access to.”

A career in the CIA can be rewarding, especially if you value teamwork. But officers must also handle the weight of keeping their job a secret, which not everyone is prepared to do.

The CIA hires many positions, so it is always looking for new employees from diverse backgrounds. The broad categories of CIA jobs include analysis, clandestine, enterprise and support, foreign language, STEM and targeting.

But what do you need to apply? And what do the application and the job entail?

I spoke with Randall and Gwen Cooper, founder of Cooper Solutions and a former organizational development consultant for the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, to discuss what looks best on a CIA resume, what the hiring process is like and what to know about life in the CIA.

CIA Education Requirements

Randall said people from many educational backgrounds come to the CIA because of the various jobs they offer. Someone with a degree in a STEM field can easily cross over to a STEM position in the CIA. People with journalism degrees can make good analysts.

“We attract folks from all walks of life and I think [requirements are] entirely dependent on the occupation that folks are interested in,” Randall said. “The things that are common to all of our officers is that they all have intellectual curiosity and interest in international affairs. They have a strong drive to serve the nation and they’re looking for meaningful work.”

Cooper said the CIA likes people with a “global background,” so global business, international affairs and political science degrees are useful.

“They like to see that you’ve had some international experience,” Cooper said. “[They like seeing] you’ve spent a certain amount of time in foreign countries, like a semester abroad. And not just ‘I backpacked through Europe,’ but you really spent some time. Maybe an internship overseas or something like that.”

Cooper added that those who want to work in clandestine services should understand human behavior. They can benefit from degrees in subjects like psychology or social sciences. Technology knowledge is also important for all parts of the CIA.

“[Knowing] how technology can be used against people is really important,” Cooper said. “Not only is that important in understanding the espionage world, but it’s also important if someone goes undercover and you need to be able to create a story about what you’re doing, and how that makes sense. It can be a little difficult sometimes, if somebody is extremely public on social media, to adjust to work undercover.”

Cooper and Randall added that being multilingual is an advantage. It is useful to speak the language of a country the U.S. has tensions with. Cooper added that speaking at a “close-to-native or native level” is a “tremendous asset.”

“[Knowing multiple languages] is always an attractive quality for all agency officers, but it is not required for most of our positions,” Randall said. “In terms of which languages are most important, they really all are important. But I’m pretty sure that folks can read the newspaper, see what the trouble spots are in the world and from that determine some of the most highly in-demand languages for us.”

CIA Experience Requirements

Like with education, the most advantageous experiences depend on which part of the CIA you want to join. But Randall said demonstrating several soft skills can help you put your best foot forward.

“I think that it’s really important to have those experiences — whether that’s through your educational background or whether it’s in your current employment — in which you’re able to demonstrate strong leadership, communication and organizational skills,” Randall said. “Regardless of the occupation we hire you for, we’re going to require you to have strong critical thinking skills and excellent judgment in terms of being able to discern what needs to be done and how you can accomplish that task.”

Cooper said she was encouraged to apply for the CIA after she worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development teaching English in Jordan. So in her experience, working internationally and for a government agency helped her land the job.

Also, Randall said those looking to enter a STEM CIA position benefit from earning certifications in different technologies and programming languages. Visit the CIA’s website to read more about each position’s requirements.

CIA Physical Requirements

An action movie star’s physique is not required to become a CIA officer, but some physical requirements exist.

“I think we want to dispel the myth that we’re all like James Bond or Jack Ryan and we’re jumping out of race cars,” Randall said. “However, we do have several requirements.”

Applicants must be at least 18 years old, be U.S. citizens and must be physically in the U.S. when applying. They must be willing to move to Washington, D.C., upon hiring.

New hires must also undergo physical and psychological examinations.

“That doesn’t mean we’re looking for people who are athletic or star athletes,” Randall said. “We’re trying to understand their baseline health. Some occupations do require more strenuous activities, such as physical security officers, who guard our buildings … But everyone has to go through a physical examination prior to getting a clearance.”

Recent illegal drug use or criminal behavior can disqualify you. Also, be honest and responsive in your communications with the agency. And unfollow the CIA on social media for security reasons.

The CIA Application and Hiring Process

The online application for the CIA is similar to any other job application. It includes spots to add your contact information, past work experience and education. The only immediate differences are that you must acknowledge you watched a security briefing and complete a personnel evaluation form.

A job interview and screening will follow the online application. Cooper and Randall described the applicant screening process as “rigorous.” An employee’s hiring is contingent on them passing the screening, which includes a background check, medical exam, and polygraph interview.

“[The background check] is a big deep dive into anything you’ve ever done,” Cooper said.

Life in the CIA

Outside the physical, educational and experience requirements, be prepared for the emotional elements of working at the CIA.

“Especially when it comes to the Directorate of Operations, it’s important for folks to think about the tradeoffs,” Cooper said. “I have no regrets about the time I spent at the agency at all, but what I felt people didn’t talk about much that was really important was if you’re going undercover, what does that really mean for day-to-day life?”

Cooper said to consider whether you and your loved ones can handle the burden of keeping your job a secret.

“It’s a lot to have the burden of a secret, especially when it’s such a big part of your life,” Cooper said. “And the minute you decide to tell another family member and keep them in the inner circle, then that burden becomes theirs as well, and it’s not a normal way to live … It’s something people [in the CIA] didn’t talk about. It’s kind of this ‘everybody figured it out for themselves’ [mentality]. But I think it’s really important to consider.”

However, Randall added that you will not have to experience this alone because the CIA is more teamwork-based than movies would have you believe.

“No one works alone,” Randall said. “We really do rely on diversity of skills and experiences to help us think through the nation’s hardest problems. And it’s that diversity of backgrounds, skills and ways of thinking that give us an advantage to help the policymakers develop the path that they need to take to help keep the nation safe.”

Top Takeaways

Becoming a CIA Officer

The CIA offers a wide range of positions, so the best education depends on the field you are entering. However, it is always useful to be multilingual.
Having international experience, plus organizational, leadership and critical thinking skills will help you stand out on your application.
You don’t have to be at the peak of fitness to become a CIA officer, but physical and psychological exams are required.
Hiring is contingent upon passing a rigorous screening process including a background check and polygraph.
Consider the burden of keeping a secret, and how much you value teamwork when deciding whether to apply to the CIA.