Intelligence analyst/officer : Entry requirements

This area of work is open to graduates of any degree discipline. Degree classification requirements can vary between the agencies. Candidates with language and/or technology skills may be at an advantage but all three agencies do recruit linguist and technology specialists separately.

Candidates must be British citizens and at least one parent must also be a British citizen, or be able to demonstrate considerable ties. Further nationality rules apply.

The agencies may consider candidates who have significant work experience perhaps in an intelligence environment, such as the armed forces, in lieu of a degree qualification. In addition, the agencies may consider candidates requesting a transfer from another civil service department who are at executive officer level or higher.

The agencies look for individuals with personal integrity, honesty, discretion and reliability as well as many of the following skills, abilities and competences:

• good aptitude for analysis, a naturally enquiring mind and excellent problem-solving skills;
• good report drafting skills, with consistent attention to detail as reports will be written for readers in the highest levels of government;
• good organisational skills;
• willingness to learn and work with a range of IT applications, including some specialised data collection, analysis and presentation tools;
• good communication skills including the ability to work well as part of a team;
• motivation, drive, focus, initiative and innovation;
• responsive to changing requirements and priorities and ability to adapt to unpredictable circumstances;
• cultural sensitivity, empathy and strength of character to build relationships with people and be persuasive, especially in human intelligence work;
• ability to work effectively under pressure, demonstrating resilience and perseverance.

The agencies look for talented candidates who have an interest in national and international current affairs and who have a good understanding of information and communications technologies, combined with a willingness to keep up to date with related developments.

The selection process is likely to be lengthy; it can include a number of competency tests, telephone interviews and attendance of an assessment centre. See the employer’s website for details of the process.

The agencies do not reveal details of the numbers of applications they receive or precise details of the number of vacancies available. However, they are looking for high-calibre people and competition for places is strong.

Candidates are advised not to discuss their application with anyone, and if successful at the recruitment and selection stages they then need to pass ‘developed vetting security clearance’ in order to be granted access to secret intelligence. This background checking process can be intrusive and candidates must be prepared to answer questions about their personal life (such as relationships and finances) as well as undertake a drugs test. The check can take between three to six months to complete and the time lag between initial application submission and starting employment may be up to nine months.

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