Who didn’t want to be an FBI agent when they were growing up? On television, they would flash their badges while wearing their finely pressed suits. They would perform their investigation and ultimately cuff the bad guys and take them away.
Well, in reality, this could be a viable career choice when a person reaches adulthood. But what isn’t well known is what it truly takes to earn that most desired position as a special agent of the United States government. Here, we’ll take you through the steps and areas needed to advance through the process. It’s not easy by any means, but for those who dig deep, those coveted three letters stamped on the back of your jacket will be yours!
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The Process To Become an FBI Agent
First and foremost, you must understand that the process to become an FBI agent is not the same as applying to a fast food restaurant or becoming a cashier at a supermarket. The selective process (called the Special Agent Selection System) could take up to a year or longer to complete.
This is the case because numerous assessments must be administered to the applicant across various categories. Their mental capabilities are tested. Physical expectations must be met. Ethical questioning is given, and a candidate’s overall dedication to upholding the Constitution must be evaluated.
The Application Process
The process starts with a detailed application and screening. This first step determines if a candidate meets the minimum requirements to becoming an FBI agent. If you don’t, your journey ends here, and it’s time for you to look elsewhere or correct what issues prevented you from advancing and reapply in the future. Basic information, such as citizenship status, having a valid driver’s license, and your criminal record (if any), is recorded at this stage.
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Test Time!
Suppose you make it past the application process. Great job! However, it’s now time for testing. You’ll be in a room with others, on a computer, and under the eyes of a proctor. This test will cover such areas as logic-based reasoning, decision-making under various scenarios, personality assessments, and figural reasoning. This test will tell if you have what it takes, at least based upon your answers, to “make it” in the FBI world that requires psychological readiness and high cognitive skills on a daily basis.
The Field Office
Next up, if you’re still on track, will be to meet members of the FBI in one of their local offices. Here’s where they will match a face with the name and numbers of the various applications and tests that you already completed. Your paperwork will be reviewed, and if any areas are in question, here is where you will clarify, elaborate, or explain any ambiguous information. Here is where you put on your best professional persona because you only get one chance to make a great first impression.
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Getting Physical
FBI work is not only scanning a computer screen or going through detailed reports. It sometimes gets physical, and you need to be in shape as a member of the United States’ official Law Enforcement group. As such, the Official Physical Fitness Test (PFT) must be taken. If you were smart, you should have started training for this months ago. This way, you wouldn’t be surprised by its necessary requirements and would get through it without fail. The test includes running in the form of sprints and longer distances, sit-up, pull-up, and other calisthenics. You must meet the minimum score or better to pass, and to move on to the next stage of your process.
Yes. More testing
Unlike the earlier test you took on a computer, this test is a structured interview with multiple FBI agents assessing your critical thinking skills and your ability to communicate clearly. You are face-to-face with seasoned agents, and here is where you need the confidence to answer all questions with well-thought-out answers. The FBI agents will then write a comprehensive assessment of their findings during the in-person session.
A Potential Offer
Congratulations if you made it this far. If you’re given a Conditional Appointment Offer, then you’re moving along nicely. This offer, however, is contingent upon several factors, including you passing a very detailed background check and full medical exam and evaluation. If either one of these doesn’t meet the minimum requirements, your journey to becoming a G-Man stops here.
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Background and medical
As mentioned, the FBI will dig very deep into your background. This is no simple check, like most people receive in many entry-level jobs. Instead, it’s highly comprehensive. The FBI will investigate your past employers, scan through your criminal record (again, if any), interview friends, acquaintances, and family members, and pull your financial history. You don’t need to be an angel, by any means, but any red flags may hold up your advancement.
Additionally, a Fitness-For-Duty medical exam must be taken. This ensures you are medically fit to perform your duties. Vision tests, hearing tests, and blood tests are all conducted, as well as a comprehensive and detailed medical examination. Finally, if both your background check and medical exam are successful, you will need one more physical fitness evaluation to proceed. This is to ensure you maintain your physical condition in peak form from the beginning of the long process to become an agent.
Basic Field Training Course
You’re almost there, except now you have to enter a twenty-week program at the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA. Here, you’ll have a varied curriculum of courses involving firearm training, critical thinking scenarios, investigative techniques and procedures, as well as “book work” that covers the ins and outs of federal law. You must pass this intense and comprehensive course in order to move to the final stages. Hang in there!
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Placement Opportunities
After completing the grueling twenty-week course, congratulations. You have made it through and are now an official FBI Special Agent. You’ll be assigned one of the fifty-six field offices across the country that fit your particular skillset, and now you’re ready to hit the ground running as a full-fledged law enforcement agent of the United States government.
The Fnish Line
As you may have noticed, applying for and pursuing the position of an FBI agent is not like most other jobs. You have layers upon layers of tests, activities, interviews, and training, in which failing one or more of these areas can virtually end your run to pursue your dream law enforcement job. However, if you are dedicated, self-disciplined, and focused on your ultimate goal, you can receive that coveted FBI badge and begin to help our country stay both safe and secure.
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