General | Special Agent | National
Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime |
FD-140 Form
General
What
types of jobs are there in the FBI?
In
addition to the Special Agent position, other positions are listed under
the professional, administrative, technical, and clerical categories,
which include Attorney, Intelligence Research Specialist and Secretary.
How
can I obtain an application for FBI employment?
You can apply for jobs at the FBI, including Special
Agent, online at FBIJOBS.COM. If an individual does not have access
to the Internet, please contact the Applicant Coordinator or Special
Agent Recruiter of the FBI field office nearest his/her residence.
What
are the qualifications for Professional Support Personnel positions?
Qualifications for Professional Support Personnel
positions depend on the specific job. Specific knowledge, skills, and
abilities are defined for each position and assessed during the selection
process. All applicants must be U.S. citizens. A high school diploma
(or its equivalent) is the minimum educational requirement. Examples
of Professional Support Personnel positions are Financial Analyst, Program
Analyst, Computer Specialist, Nurse, Auditor, Language Specialist, and
Photographer.
What
about a background investigation?
Applicants are thoroughly investigated for FBI employment. The background
investigation takes from one to four months and encompasses contacting
former and current employers, references, social acquaintances, and
neighbors, as well as reviewing school, credit, arrest, medical and
military records. The complete background investigation is assessed
before a final decision on employment is rendered.
Is
the FBI considered a career service?
The FBI offers challenging and rewarding opportunities with a variety
of career paths that could lead to management positions. Promotional
opportunities are consistent with an individual's overall qualifications
and proficiency. The FBI is firmly committed to developing fair and
valid selection systems for all FBI positions. All applicants are given
an equal opportunity, consistent with established rules and procedures
to compete for vacancies. The overall attrition rate for FBI employees,
including retirements, is approximately five percent.
What
protections are provided by the FBI's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity
Affairs?
The
role of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Affairs is to provide
equal opportunity in employment for all persons; to prohibit discrimination
in employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin,
age, or handicap; and to promote the full realization of equal employment
opportunity through a continuing affirmative action program.
How
often are Special Agents or Professional Support Personnel rotated in
their assignments?
Upon
completion of four years in his/her first office of assignment, and
until reaching ten years in the same office, a Special Agent can be
considered for a nonvoluntary rotational transfer to a second field
office depending on the staffing needs of the FBI. Special Agents who
remain in their first office of assignment for over ten years generally
will not be considered for a nonvoluntary rotational transfer. A few
Professional Support Positions (e.g., Language Specialist and Investigative
Specialist) do require incumbents to be available both for transfer
and/or temporary duty assignments wherever the needs of the FBI dictate.
However, the majority of Professional Support Employees are in positions
which do not have this requirement.
I'm
not a native English speaker. How do I know if my language ability
is good enough? I'm worried that my English won't be good enough?
As part of the application process, prospective linguists go
through a battery of tests, including a translation test, a listening
comprehension test, and a speaking test, both in English and in
the foreign language. You will be able to use dictionaries and
other reference tools during the translation test, but will be
on your own for the others.
What
type of college course should I be enrolled in to provide a solid educational
foundation in forensics?
A major in the sciences such as biology, chemistry, molecular biology,
and anthropology would provide a good basic foundation. A master's degree
or Ph.D. would provide more opportunities.
Special
Agent
What
are the qualifications for the Special Agent position?
To qualify for training as a Special Agent,
an individual must be a US citizen, or a citizen of the Northern Mariana
Islands, and have reached his/her 23rd but not 37th birthday. All candidates
must possess a valid driver's license and must pass a polygraph examination,
a drug test, and a color vision test. Other requirements include uncorrected
vision not worse than 20/200 (Snellen) and corrected 20/20 in one eye
and not worse than 20/40 in the other eye. Applicants must possess a
four-year degree from a college or university accredited by one of the
regional or national institutional associations recognized by the United
States Secretary of Education.
What
is the application process for Special Agent?
If you have previously applied for the Special
Agent position via mail, you need not apply on-line. Your application
is being processed within your local field office.
For those candidates
who have not submitted an FBI Special Agent application please apply
on-line at FBIJOBS.COM.
What
kind of training do FBI Special Agents receive?
Newly
appointed Special Agents are given 16 weeks of intensive instruction
at the FBI Academy, Quantico, Virginia. The program consists of 708
instructional hours in the categories of Academics, Firearms, Physical
Training/Defensive Tactics, and Practical Exercises. After graduating
from the FBI Academy, Special Agents have a two-year probationary period
and periodically attend in-service seminars to enhance their knowledge,
skills, and abilities.
Do
certain degrees provide a more desirable educational background for
the Special Agent position?
The
FBI does not recommend particular courses or schools. Any degrees that
develop research and analytical skills are desirable educational backgrounds.
For example, a law degree is a desirable asset because Special Agents
are charged with the duty of investigating violations of federal laws
of the United States. An accounting degree is also desirable because
Special Agents trace financial transactions and review/analyze complex
accounting records in criminal investigations. Special Agent Accountants
often testify in such cases as expert witnesses.
What
is a typical day like for a Special Agent of the FBI?
A Special Agent does not have a typical day. As a Special Agent,
your day varies depending on the nature of your work assignment. You
could be assigned to a squad where your day starts with an early morning
raid, an interview, or a surveillance. There are so many variances in
a Special Agent's job which make this work so unique and special. Although
the work is challenging and exciting, a Special Agent still has the
opportunity to spend quality time with their families.
Part
of the physical requirements for a Special Agent comprises of a shuttle
run for all candidates, and a modified pull up for women. Can you provide
details regarding the modified pull up and the shuttle run?
At the beginning of the shuttle run, the candidate lies flat on their
back with their head towards the first cone; a whistle is blown; then
the candidate jumps up and runs as fast as they can in a zig-zag direction
through cones spaced evenly for 60 yards. Without stopping, the candidate
comes back through the cones to finish where they started, for a total
of 120 yards. A modified pull up is for women only because a man's upper
body strength is, for the most part, more muscular. The protocol for
a modified pull up for women consists of a bar that is about 3 feet
above the floor; you lie under it with your heels on the ground. While
your legs and body are completely straight, you grip the bar with both
hands, then pull up until your chin is over the bar. Further details
regarding the modified pull up can be obtained from an FBI Recruiter.
Will
having laser surgery or uncorrected vision disqualify me from applying
for the Special Agent position?
An applicant
must wait one year from the date of surgery and then have the results
of the procedure and the recovery of the eye tissue certified.
Is
there a waiver regarding the maximum age limit of 37?
The only position in the agency that has an age restriction is the Special
Agent position. The maximum entrance age is mandated by Public Law 93-350,
enacted July 12, 1974, which allowed the heads of agencies to establish
a maximum age for original entry on duty in federal law enforcement
positions. Under this authority, the Attorney General, with the concurrence
of the Office of Personnel Management, set the date immediately preceding
one's thirty-seventh birthday as the last date for original entry on
duty as a law enforcement officer in the Department of Justice.
Is
there waiver of the four year degree if an applicant has military service?
No. All applicant's must have a four year degree when applying for the
Special Agent position.
National
Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime
I
just want to be an FBI "Profiler," where do I begin the application
process?
You first need to realize the FBI does not have a job called "Profiler."
The tasks commonly associated with "profiling" are performed
by Supervisory Special Agents assigned to the National Center for the
Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) at Quantico, Virginia. These FBI Special
Agents don't get vibes or experience psychic flashes while walking around
fresh crime scenes. It is an exciting world of investigation and researcha
world of inductive and deductive reasoning; crime-solving experience;
and knowledge of criminal behavior, facts, and statistical probabilities.
In addition
to constructing "profiles" (descriptions of the traits and
characteristics of unknown offenders in specific cases), the NCAVC staff
provides many services to law enforcement agencies around the world.
These services include major case management advice; threat assessment;
and strategies for investigation, interviewing, or prosecution.
What
is an average day like for an NCAVC Special Agent?
One of the attractions of the position, and indeed most FBI jobs, is
that there is no "average" day. Many days might be spent in
a normal office setting, working about 10 hours per day. The Special
Agents might review crime scene photos and case materials to prepare
an analysis for the requesting agency. Perhaps investigators or prosecutors
meet with a group of Special Agents to discuss their cases. On any given
day, emergency calls from FBI offices, local police, prosecutors, etc.,
interrupt a Special Agent's plans. When an emergency call comes in,
a group of Special Agents familiar with the type of case involved might
gather for a telephone conference with the requesting agency.
NCAVC
Special Agents and Professional Support staff also share results of
research and general information about the unit and services through
presentations to such audiences as professional conferences or law enforcement
training programs. Staff members publish articles in professional journals
regarding research and practices of the NCAVC.
What
basic requirements do I need to join the NCAVC?
You do not complete training (at Quantico, Virginia), and instantly
get assigned to the NCAVC. One of the basic requirements is that you
must have served as an FBI Special Agent for 3 years, but because the
positions are so competitive, individuals selected usually possess 8
to 10 years of experience as a Special Agent. The NCAVC employs Special
Agents with a variety of backgrounds; however, the most important qualifications
include overall experience as an investigator specializing in violent
crimes, particularly homicides, rapes, child abductions, and threats.
What
type of degree is preferred for NCAVC Special Agent positions?
The jobs within the NCAVC typically require experience and demonstrated
abilities as a Special Agent rather than specific degree majors. There
are usually no set degree criteria, although job advertisements typically
list an advanced degree in a Behavioral or Forensic Science as a "preferred
qualification." Applicants interested in eventual employment with
the FBI's NCAVC should pursue a degree in the discipline that most interests
them. Remember, becoming a Special Agent does not guarantee eventual
assignment to the NCAVC.
What
type of training is available or required for NCAVC staff once they
are selected?
Staff members are strongly encouraged to take classes and attend training
that will enhance their work products. Periodically, a structured training
program of more than 500 hours is run for newly assigned personnel.
Special Agents and Professional Support staff join professional associations
and actively participate in annual conferences. Through a monthly "staff
development program," prominent speakers are brought in for a day
of discussion on topics of interest.
I
do not want to be a Special Agent, but I do want to work in the Unit.
What Professional Support positions are available?
One of the missions of the NCAVC is to conduct research into violent
crime from a law enforcement perspective. Of primary interest to researchers
is how the offenders in the study committed their crimes and how they
avoided detection, identification, apprehension, and conviction.
Professional
Support staff are integral members of the research teams within the
NCAVC. These positions include Intelligence Research Specialists, Violent
Crime Resource Specialists, and Crime Analysts. Qualifications for the
Professional Support positions will vary with the specific job, but
most require a solid foundation in research and analysis.
The NCAVC also
hires Major Case Specialists. These GS-14 jobs require a background
in investigations and are generally held by retired police officers
with experience in interpersonal crimes, particularly homicide.
FD-140
Form
When
do I need to complete the FD-140 form?
If
you meet entry-level criteria and are competitive with other candidates
applying for the position, you will be considered for further processing.
The FD-140 should only be completed when
requested to do so by an official FBI representative. If you have difficulty
navigating the Final Application for Employment in Adobe Actobat Reader,
you can use the individual page links.
If you meet
entry-level criteria and are competitive with other candidates applying
for the position, you will be considered for further processing, including
applicant testing. You may be competitive for testing purposes if you
possess a special skill needed by the FBI, an advanced degree, professional
certifications or licenses, supervisory experience, and/or complex work
experience.
The below-listed form should be completed
when requested to do so by an official FBI representative. If you have
difficulty navigating the Final Application for Employment in Adobe
Actobat Reader, you can use the individual page links below.
UNSOLICITED FD-140
APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED
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Federal Bureau of Investigation
Room PA1301-200
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20535
(202) 278-2408
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Competitive
candidates will be required to complete a battery of written tests and,
in some cases, specialized testing in their field of expertise. If you
pass these tests, you may be eligible for an interview based upon your
overall qualifications, your competitiveness with other candidates,
and the needs of the FBI.
Successful completion
of the written test and an interview will be followed by a thorough
background investigation that will include: credit and arrest checks;
interviews of associates; contacts with personal and business references,
past employers and neighbors; and verification of educational achievements.
Certain factors
will disqualify a candidate from selection as a Special Agent. These
factors include: conviction of a felony or major misdemeanor; use of
illegal drugs; or failure to pass a drug-screening test. All candidates
will be given a polygraph examination to determine the veracity of information
provided in their application for employment, to include the extent
of any illegal drug usage and issues surrounding security concerns.
A medical examination
must be passed to determine physical suitability for the Special Agent
position. You are expected to be physically fit to participate in the
demanding physical training conducted at the FBI Academy, and upon graduation,
to execute the duties of a law enforcement officer.
All candidates
must meet a standardized weight to height ratio and/or body fat requirement
to be qualified for appointment.
More information
about the Special Agent hiring process can be found on FBIJOBS.COM
or the Special Agent Selection Process Application Booklet either in
HTM or PDF.