Wanna Be A Spy?

Here’s your chance to become Jimmy Bond. MI6 is recruiting.

The SIS Fast Stream (IB) recruits high calibre graduates with
exceptional interpersonal skills and intellectual capabilities, who are
interested in working in an international environment, with periods
spent living overseas. Curiosity about political affairs is important,
as is the resourcefulness, drive and creativity to produce solutions to
difficult problems under testing circumstances.

The role of an SIS Fast Stream Officer is primarily to mount and run
intelligence operations to promote and protect British interests and
security overseas. SIS does not recruit specialist intelligence
analysts – this work takes place under the auspices of the Joint
Intelligence Committee in the Cabinet Office.

Successful candidates are likely to have a strong academic record
coupled with evidence of interest in foreign peoples and cultures,
positions of influence in extra-curricular activities and a commitment
to public service. Applications are welcome from candidates with public
and private sector backgrounds, those considering a career change, and
university students. Age should not be a major factor, but most
recruits will be under 35. Undergraduates should not apply until their
final year.

Lots of other jobs, linguists, technical types (Q anyone?) and even those who did not progress that far in their education:

Grade 10 (A1 equivalent). A typical job at this level would involve
data inputting, retrieval of information, organising meetings and
handling enquiries. Minimum qualifications are 4 GCSEs and Grade C and
above (including English) or relevant experience.

But most important of all:


Because of the nature of the work, potential candidates should not
divulge to others their application to SIS. Failure to observe the
confidentiality of an application may affect eligibility for employment.

So if you do send in your CV to P.O. Box 1300, London, SE1 1BD, just don’t blog about it.

 
 
 
 

In

5 responses

  1. Hey everyone, Im gonna be a spy,

    Via Tim Worstall, I see that MI6 is recruiting. Ive put in my application already. Im looking forward to blogging about my exciting Spooks-style adventures. Youll be able to read about my ingenious attempts to infliltrate North Ko…

  2. Chris White Avatar
    Chris White

    They’ve been recruiting for years, but they’d been doing it from the main Civil Service website until now.

  3. MI-6 Recruiting

    Via Tim Worstall comes this interesting job ad. Operational officers are recruited for their interpersonal and intellectual strengths. Some bring specialist linguistic or technical skills on entry. There are various routes into operational work. All wi…

  4. dearieme Avatar
    dearieme

    They, or one of their sister organisations, had a recruiting notice up in the Maths Reading Room of my University back in the late 60s. It was rather cleverly worded so that if you didn’t see what it meant, they wouldn’t have wanted you anyway. Now that education has been hopelessly dumbed down…..

  5. Hmmm, Russian speaking engineer with Middle East experience? Whatdya reckon?

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