Special Agent (Start ASAP)

About FBI

Established in 1908, the FBI serves as an intelligence and security service agency to protect the U.S. from terrorist attacks, cyber operations, foreign intelligence, and cybercriminal activity, and to combat public corruption at all levels. FBI’s history is quite long and starts with establishing the National Bureau of Criminal Identification in 1896. 

Your role

The SA position requires significant commitment and dedication.  SA's must:

• Adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially in maintaining honesty and integrity.
• Work a minimum of 50 hours per week, which may include irregular hours, and be on-call 24/7, including holidays and weekends.
• Maintain a level of fitness necessary to effectively respond to life-threatening situations on the job.
• Carry a firearm and be willing to use deadly force, if necessary.
• Be willing and able to participate in arrests, execution of search warrants, and other dangerous assignments.

Training, development & rotations

As an incoming FBI agent, complete new agent training is needed as part of the bureau’s basic field training course including field training that features four major concentrations: academics, case exercises, firearms training, and operational skills. The operations skills concentration encompasses the hands-on work of the FBI, including surveillance, operations planning, and tactical driving. Firearms training is another major component of an agent’s education building knowledge in the fundamentals of marksmanship.

Training is essential for the FBI to achieve its strategic goals. It is the basis for the success of each employee, from Special Agents to analysts, and for the FBI as a whole. New agents complete a 17-week training program at the FBI Academy. In addition, the FBI provides training to state, local, and international law enforcement officials at the National Academy and hosts numerous training conferences.

Salary & benefits

People estimated the salary range of this position to be between US$85,000 - US$109,445. Apart from the salaries and other perks, the FBI offers several benefits to its employees such as:

• Paid Time Off 
• Work-Life Balance
• Transportation 
• Education Programs 
• Training 
• Health & Life Insurance options
• Pension Plan

Work-Life Balance

All FBI agents work full-time with a regular schedule of 40 hours per week. However, the job is very demanding and usually extends beyond the regular working hours and overtime is common as the public must be protected at all times. The work schedule is highly variable depending on the chosen career paths an agent follows. Because those investigating cyber criminals may spend most of their time in an office working on a computer, while others may have to spend more time in the field. They should also be flexible regarding traveling to other places on short notice and relocating several during the course of their career.

Culture & Vibe

Managing an organization as large as the FBI is quite a challenging task and that’s why the employees can expect a bit of discipline in every department. Also, diversity is something extremely prevalent in the organization as it needs to address all types of people coming from different cultural backgrounds. The work environment at the FBI is quite supportive and motivating as the agency needs to encourage its employees at every phase. It works on a core strategy of respect, leadership, accountability, compassion, transparency, integrity, and obedience to the Constitution. 

Career Progression

FBI agents begin their careers as GL-10 employees. One must gain some experience in superintending, keeping an eye on online activities, gathering proof and evidence, and conducting arrests of criminals. After that, he can be promoted to the GS-13 level which does not include supervision and inspection. Next, the individual becomes eligible for promotion to the FBI Senior Executive Service level and other positions that involve supervision and management. These positions fall under the GS-14 and GS-15 levels.

About you

• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Be between 23 and 36 years of age
• Have a bachelor's degree or master’s degree from a U.S.-accredited college or university. You should not apply if you have not received your bachelor’s degree.
• Have at least two years of full-time professional work experience or one year if you have an advanced degree (master’s degree, doctorate).
• Possess a valid driver’s license and have six months of driving experience.
• Meet all FBI employment eligibility requirements.
• Be able to obtain a Top Secret Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) Clearance.
• If you are currently on active duty in the military, you must be within 15 months of completing your service before submitting your application.

How to apply

To apply for this position, simply click the "Apply on employer site" button on this page.

• Application Submission: Candidates look for their preferred jobs and apply for a position. 
• Eligibility and Qualification Review: An HR specialist reviews the applications and checks for eligibility.
• Interview and Testing: After eligibility criteria are met, it is time for an interview and additional assessments. 
• Conditional Job Offer: The candidate gets a conditional job offer after cleating the interviews and tests. 
• Background Investigation (BI): It is time to check the background of the applicant and it is required to receive an FBI Top Secret Security Clearance. 
• Final Job Offer: After successfully clearing other stages, it is time to give a final offer letter to the applicant. 
• Entrance on Duty (EOD): The candidate is scheduled for the first day at the FBI and attend orientation in the first week.

Source

The following sources were used in researching this page:

• bestaccreditedcolleges.org / FBI – Career progression
• Wikipedia / FBI - about
• glassdoor / FBI - Salary
• onlinedegree.com / FBI - work-life balance
• criminaljusticedegreeschools.com / FBI - training, development & rotations