A brief 🧵 on getting into the field of #intelligenceanalysis
It's common for folks to immediately think of the three-letter agencies when thinking about intelligence but there are a LOT of other options.
That being said, U.S. citizenship is one criteria that makes getting into the field easiest. Being a citizen of a Five Eyes country is probably second best.
The further away from there, the harder to break in (but its not impossible).
University degree: You'll almost certainly need one. Degree inflation is also a real thing so you may find more options with a Masters Degree. Many positions require a degree in some related field of study (language, area studies, etc.).
FWIW, I don't like that as for me intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, writing/briefing skills are the most important skills of a new analyst (vs a specific area of study) but nobody asked me.
So, where to look for intel gigs? The key here is to *think broadly* about the sorts of organizations that may have an intel component.
Law enforcement & regulatory agencies frequently have intelligence components (there are 18,000 LE agencies in the U.S.), larger companies usually have intelligence positions, & a few private companies sell intelligence as a service. Also some non-profits have investigative/intelligence components.
One problem is there's NO standard in terms of job titles or responsibilities. In the team I ran, the official title for intel analysts was "Administrative Analysts" 🤢
Some free job boards out there:
- Assn of Intl Risk Intelligence Professionals https://jobs.airip.org/
- Intl Assn of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts https://mms.ialeia.org/members/classifieds3.php?org_id=IALE
- I also hear USAJobs is getting better with intel roles https://www.usajobs.gov/
It's not uncommon for new analysts to spend a year after graduation looking for that first position.
For every job there are likely to a ton of candidates. So, think about how you differentiate yourself. Maybe that's volunteering to do some OSINT work or doing your own research and writing.
If you're asked for a writing sample, try to do something original and not an extract from a college paper. Don't throw away the opportunity to impress!
Dean Baratta بطبطبط