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Headline Archives

 
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES
To Be an FBI Special Agent?
 
02/21/08  

FBI employees in front of computers

It’s a good time to find out: we’re hiring nearly 1,000 new agents this year. 

Being an FBI agent is a tough, demanding job—but plenty rewarding, too. You’ll experience: 

… The challenge of fighting crime and terrorism—and saving lives by preventing attacks from ever happening;
… The stimulation of thinking, analyzing, and solving;
… The comfort of belonging to a small, family-like government agency, with excellent benefits; and
… The very real satisfactions of public service—just ask anyone here. 

So, let’s see how ready you are to become a special agent of the FBI. Can you answer “yes” to ALL of the following questions?

  • I’m a U.S. citizen or a citizen of the Northern Mariana Islands.
  • I’m at least 23 years old but no older than 36. 
  • I’ve never been convicted of a felony.
  • I have a valid driver’s license.
  • I have a four-year degree from an accredited college or university.
  • I have at least three years of professional work experience.
  • I can pass a drug test and haven’t violated the FBI drug policy
  • I’ve never defaulted on a student loan insured by the U.S. government.
  • I can qualify in one of five entry areas: accounting; computer science/information technology; language; law; or diversified. 
  • I’m in good health and in good shape—see our physical requirements webpage for details—and check out the video! 
  • I’m available to work anywhere in the world. 

Female FBI employee next to a computer

Still with us?
Then please go to the FBI Jobs website and apply straightaway!  Remember, you’ll be competing with thousands of other candidates, so put your best foot forward. 

If selected, there are two more hurdles you’ll need to cross: 

  • First, because of the sensitive nature of our work, you’ll need to earn a top secret clearance from the FBI. That requires passing a full background investigation, which includes a polygraph exam, a drug urinalysis test, credit and record checks, and extensive interviews with family, friends, colleagues, etc.
  • Second, once you pass the background, you must make it through 22 weeks of intensive training that tests both your physical and mental mettle. Simply put: if you don’t graduate from this training, you can’t become an agent!

Are there other job opportunities in the FBI besides being an agent? Absolutely. In fact, we plan to bring on board more than 2,000 support professionals this year, including 500 intelligence analysts. We’re also looking for specialized skills in information technology, management, engineering, accounting, electronics, human resources, administration, public affairs, and international relations, to name a few.

We’re hiring not just at our headquarters in Washington, D.C., but across the nation, including at our Criminal Justice Information Services Division in West Virginia. And once you’re in the Bureau, there are many opportunities to move up (many jobs have career ladders) and to move around (from job to job and from city to city). 

Please visit our FBI Jobs website often for much more information about working for the Bureau—including opportunities for students. 

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