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Some
Agents receive specialized training to become part
of the elite Hostage Rescue Team.
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FBI
SPECIAL AGENTS AND EMPLOYEES:
What it takes to work for the FBI
As of June
30, 2003, the FBI employed 11,633 Special Agents and 15,904
Professional Support people. The FBI hires its
own employees through recruitment efforts by the field
offices and a centralized hiring system at Headquarters.
Due to the FBI's responsibilities in criminal law enforcement
and in the Intelligence Community, all FBI employees, whether
they are Special Agents or Professional Support, must qualify
for a top-secret security clearance before they can begin
their service. This qualification includes an extensive
background investigation. The FBI does not make a final
decision to hire an individual until all the information
gathered during the background investigation is assessed.
Once hired, all FBI employees must maintain their eligibility
for a top-secret security clearance, undergo a limited
background check every five years, and submit to random
drug tests throughout their careers.
Some positions within the FBI also require a medical examination,
and some require employees to sign an agreement stating
their willingness to be assigned anywhere in the world.
FBI
Employee Statistics (as of 6/30/2003)*
|
SPECIAL AGENTS
|
|
Number
of Men
|
Percent
of Total
|
Number
of Women
|
Percent
of Total
|
Total
Group
|
Percent
of Total
|
American
Indian |
37
|
.3
|
11
|
.1
|
48
|
.4
|
Asian |
311
|
2.7
|
59
|
.5
|
370
|
3.2
|
Black |
518
|
4.5
|
125
|
1.1
|
643
|
5.5
|
Hispanic |
709
|
6.1
|
150
|
1.3
|
859
|
7.4
|
White |
7949
|
68.3
|
1764
|
15.2
|
9713
|
83.5
|
Total |
9524
|
81.9%
|
2109
|
18.1%
|
11633
|
100%
|
All
Minorities |
1575
|
13.5%
|
345
|
3.0%
|
1920
|
16.5%
|
|
|
SUPPORT PERSONNEL
|
|
Number
of Men
|
Percent
of Total
|
Number
of Women
|
Percent
of Total
|
Total
Group
|
Percent
of Total
|
American
Indian |
32
|
.2
|
55
|
.3
|
87
|
.5
|
Asian |
183
|
1.2
|
226
|
1.4
|
408
|
2.6
|
Black |
631
|
4.0
|
2827
|
17.8
|
3458
|
21.7
|
Hispanic |
272
|
1.7
|
605
|
3.8
|
877
|
5.5
|
White |
4144
|
26.1
|
6930
|
43.6
|
11074
|
69.6
|
Total |
5262
|
33.1%
|
10642
|
66.9%
|
15904
|
100%
|
All
Minorities |
1118
|
7.0%
|
3712
|
23.3%
|
4830
|
30.4%
|
*Due to rounding, percentages may not total to 100 percent.
|
|
|
FBI
Employees with Disabilities (as of 6/30/2003)
|
FBI
EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES
|
|
Field
|
FBIHQ
|
Bureau
|
Special
Agent |
100
|
7
|
107
|
Support
Personnel |
420
|
440
|
860
|
Totals |
520
|
447
|
967
|
|
Special Agents
FBI Special Agents are specially
trained personnel, chosen from an extensive pool of applicants
because they possess specific areas of expertise. To
be an FBI Special Agent, an individual must:
. be a United States citizen;
. be at least 23 and not yet have reached his or her 37th birthday on appointment;
. have at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited, four-year resident program
at a college or university;
. pass a written examination;
. complete several in-person interviews; and
. pass a comprehensive medical examination, including vision and hearing tests.
Applicants with these qualifications will be chosen if
they have specific experience or expertise needed by the
FBI. The criteria changes over time according to
the FBI's current priorities. Traditionally, the FBI seeks applicants with
backgrounds in law enforcement, law, or accounting. Today, the FBI not only
seeks applicants with these backgrounds, but also with expertise in languages,
computers, and the sciences. For information on what specific skills the FBI
is looking for today, check http://www.fbi.gov.
Once chosen, applicants must complete an intensive, seventeen-week
training program at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
This training program teaches
new Special Agents the basic skills they will need to conduct effective investigations
in all the FBI's investigative programs, such as:
. Counterterrorism
. Ethics, with practical law enforcement
applications
. Computer intrusions and fraud
. Communications
and interviewing
. Informant development
. Evidence collection
and handling
. Equal opportunity employment
and cultural sensitivity
. Counterintelligence
. Computer search and seizure
. Human behavior
. Communications and interviewing
. Constitutional criminal procedure
. Physical fitness and defensive tactics
. Firearms
. Practical problems |
|
What does the FBI
look
for during a background
investigation?
Character:
a person's general attitude, trustworthiness, reliability, and discretion
Associates: types of people,
groups,
and organizations the person has been associated with, focusing in
particular on whether those associates are disreputable or known to
be disloyal
Reputation: a person's general
standing in the community
Loyalty: the person's attitude
and allegiance to the United States
Ability: the person's capacity
or competence to perform well in an occupation
Bias/Prejudice:
an irrational attitude directed against any class of citizen or any
religious, racial, gender, or ethnic group
Financial Responsibility: whether
lifestyle or spending habits are consistent
with the person's means
Alcohol Abuse:
excessive use of alcohol that impacts on
a person's behavior
Illegal Drug Use/
Prescription Drug Abuse: any use of illegal drugs or abuse
of prescription medication |
Trainees who complete the program are sworn in as Special
Agents of the FBI. The new Agents then begin a two-year
probationary period in which they must demonstrate the
basic skills they learned at Quantico and learn advanced
investigative techniques on the job from more experienced
Special Agents. After the probationary period, Agents are
required to keep their skills up to date through ongoing
training. Agents may also choose to obtain special certification
as a Special Agent Bomb Technician, a Technically Trained
Agent, or a member of the elite Hostage Rescue Team.
The FBI's current staffing needs and investigative priorities determine to
which office a new Agent will be assigned. During their careers, Special Agents
are required to relocate to other offices in order to meet the FBI's needs.
Federal law requires that Special Agents retire by age 57. In rare circumstances,
the FBI Director may grant one-year extensions, up to age 60, for a particular
Special Agent.
Professional Support Employees
The majority of the FBI's workforce is made up of
Professional Support employees, who work alongside and
in support of Special Agents. Some Professional Support
positions require only that an applicant be 16 years old
and possess a high school diploma or GED; many others require
college degrees, or even advanced degrees, and specific
work experience. All Professional Support employees must
complete the same application and go through the same background
investigation process as Special Agents, but are not generally
required to pass a written entrance exam or have a medical
examination. There is no mandatory retirement age for most
Professional Support employees.
The FBI offers some unique career opportunities for Professional
Support Employees:
. The FBI Laboratory is staffed by experienced scientists and engineers from
all applied science disciplines and supported by field office evidence technicians
and photographers.
. FBI Headquarters divisions and field offices rely on the expertise of legal
advisors, intelligence analysts, victim specialists, foreign language translators,
fingerprint examiners, electronics technicians, surveillance experts, writers,
and accountants to complete investigative tasks.
. Computer specialists, policy and management analysts, and other subject-matter
experts handle the technical, administrative, and program-oversight responsibilities
critical to FBI operations.
. Intelligence and surveillance experts help track criminals and terrorists,
often using sophisticated equipment.
. Firearms experts work with guns and help train Special Agents.
. The FBI Security Division is staffed by experienced security specialists and
technical experts from all security disciplines, including personnel, physical,
and training, as well as information assurance and information systems security.
. The FBI has its own specially trained police force.
. The FBI also has a staff of well-qualified clerical workers and experienced
craft, trade, and maintenance personnel.
For more information on FBI employment, including a list of current vacancies
and employment applications, go to http://www.fbijobs.com.
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