What does it take to build a career spanning nearly four decades inside the CIA? And what can today’s cleared professionals learn from someone who has experienced the intelligence mission from just about every angle?
On this episode of the Security Clearance Careers Podcast, we sit down with retired CIA officer Susan Miller to talk about the people, skills, and career paths behind the Intelligence Community.
Miller spent nearly 40 years at the CIA, building a career that included HUMINT, counterintelligence, overseas assignments, leadership positions, and serving as a Chief of Station. But like many intelligence professionals, her path into the field may not look exactly like what aspiring IC employees expect.
During our conversation, Miller discusses how she got her start in intelligence and the qualities that help professionals succeed in HUMINT and counterintelligence. We also dig into the wide range of career opportunities available across the Intelligence Community and how candidates can determine whether their strengths are better suited for operations, analysis, counterintelligence, or another mission area.
And, of course, we talk about working overseas. Miller shares some perspective on what people tend to romanticize about an overseas intelligence career versus the realities that come with doing the job.
We also discuss how opportunities for women in intelligence evolved throughout her career, what leadership looks like in an environment where employees often can’t publicly share their biggest accomplishments, and the skills the Intelligence Community should be recruiting for as national security threats continue to evolve.
Finally, we tackle a career challenge unique to the cleared workforce: **How do you explain what you’ve accomplished when you can’t actually talk about much of it?**
For intelligence professionals preparing to leave government service, Miller offers advice for translating classified experience into a résumé and communicating the value of decades spent supporting national security.
Whether you’re considering an intelligence career, already working in the cleared community, or figuring out what comes next, Miller’s career offers plenty of lessons about building a life in—and eventually beyond—the classified world.
