As with any career, your job hunt starts long before you apply for a position. This is especially true when you aspire to be an FBI Agent. Here are some things you can do now while you are still in school to prepare yourself for an FBI job.
Education
You must have a four-year degree from an accredited college or university. There are a number of degrees that will help you get an interview with the FBI. Criminal Justice, Computer Forensics and Law are three of the most relevant. To be a Special Agent, your degree must be in Accounting, Computer Science, Information Technology, Language, or Law.
Qualifications
You must be a U.S. citizen between 23 and 27 years old to apply for an FBI Special Agent position. If you are a military veteran, that age requirement may be waived. You need a valid driver’s license. And, you must be able to move anywhere you are assigned, at any time.
In addition, the FBI has special physical requirements you must meet. You will also have to pass an FBI Background Investigation. That means your record must be clean. The FBI does extensive research into each applicant. The things that will disqualify you include:
– Conviction of a felony
– Record of use of illegal drugs or failure of an FBI-administered urinalysis drug test
– Default of a student loan
– Failure to register with the Selective Service System (for males only)
Experience
You must have worked for at least three years in your profession. This is where serving an internship, or going to school while working will get you a head start on an FBI career. Pursuing an online education while working in a relevant area is a great way to do this. Candidates need to have strong leadership skills. You can demonstrate this by becoming involved in campus activities, volunteer or church work. There are also many internship opportunities available with the FBI itself.
You will want to keep all of this in mind while you are working and going to school, and keep a good record of everything you have done. The FBI requires a resume that is stored on its USAJOBS database. Once you create a resume there, you can use it to apply for any job within the federal government. You can also store up to five resumes, so that you can highlight various aspects of your education and experience depending on what job you might apply for in the future.
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