Intelligence and security – more than just James Bond

Who doesn’t love watching a great secret agent movie with great characters such as James Bond , Ethan Hunt or Jason Bourne?

But the reality is that whilst very entertaining these show an extreme version of a very important area of work that is diverse and nuanced, which draws on a broad range of skills and talents to enable us to lead safer lives and this is reflected in the range of organisations and roles that you could be working in.

In a nutshell MI5 gather intelligence from within the UK, MI6 (SIS) gathers intelligence from overseas and GCHQ brings intelligence and technology together. All working together to protect the UK from a range of threats, whether that be terrorism, organised crime, cyber crime or James Bonds favourite – espionage

As for the roles you will probably think of things such as an Intelligence Officer or Intelligence Analyst, But it goes beyond this with roles related to Maths and Cryptography and Cyber Operations. There is even a Language Talent Programme. Don’t fancy the Intelligence and security side of things but what to help the whole operation run smoothly? A corporate role as a business enabler may suit you.

Eligibility and Vetting

As you would imagine due to the sensitive nature of the work they do they have to be careful with who they recruit, so if you are interested then do check their eligibility criteria (MI5 Eligibility, MI6 Eligibility ,GCHQ Eligibility). You will have to complete some background information when applying, They will ask for a bit more information than you might be used to, like details about travel history, parents and nationality – after all, we have all seen the problems that compromised or double agents can cause from the movies (Vetting Video)

Early Careers Network

With the ‘Early Careers Network’, you can find out about all the latest roles in one place, with access to careers information across all the UK Intelligence Agencies to help you decide if or what career may be right for you. Whether it’s for an apprenticeship, internship, graduate role or programme, you can be notified about the various opportunities as they become available.

Register to the Early Careers Network

Remember not to tell anyone though, you never know who’s listening ?