Whether the latest rounds of the news cycle or the last Hollywood movie inspired you, not everyone has a clear idea of what it looks like to get a job with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). You might dream about being a special agent, but the FBI has a lot of jobs for cleared candidates.
About the FBI
The FBI has over 30,000 agents, analysts, and other professionals who keep the U.S. safe from threats. And they cover everything from espionage to terrorism to major criminal threats. Cyber attacks are another key focus for the FBI – especially in an ever-changing role. The FBI has played a key role in tracking down the criminals in data breaches in the past couple of years. The opportunities for to find a job at the Bureau abound.
What Does it Take to Join the FBI
There are a lot of ways to get a job at the FBI, but they do have some key requirements.
- You have to be a U.S. citizen.
- You can’t have a criminal record with felony convictions.
- You have to follow the FBI drug policy and be able to pass a urinalysis and background investigation.
- If you have student loans, your repayment plan has to be in good standing.
- You cannot skip out on any taxes.
- You have to keep up with any child support payments.
- You cannot engage with any organization out to overthrow the U.S.
- If you’re male, you need to register with the U.S. Selective Service.
Candidates who are interested should read through the FBI’s full list of eligibility requirements to see if they make a suitable match. With the FBI, it’s not just whether or not you can get through a background investigation. They have requirements in place to make sure candidates are suitable.
The FBI wants veterans and military service members to apply, so make sure you note your veteran or military status on the application process.
What FBI Careers are available?
When people think about joining the FBI, they tend to only think about the special agent role. And while that’s a worthy job to pursue, it’s not the only way to support the Bureau. So, if you aren’t in a place to be eligible for the special agent job, rest assured that there are a lot of other careers available within the FBI. The FBI offers positions for intelligence analysts, financial experts, scientists, security specialists, linguists, as well as, program support staff roles. There are many ways to work for the FBI that don’t require a background in law enforcement. You may not be part of a team to search a home or recover crytocurrency from hackers, but you can still work for the FBI and keep the country safe in many other fields.
