Don’t Quit Your Day Job
Perhaps the most frustrating part of applying for positions in the intelligence community is the lack of information provided to candidates and the length of time that it takes to secure entry and actually start your job. In some cases, the process can take up to 2 years from the date of application.
Once you apply, you will typically not hear anything back for 4-8 weeks (sometimes longer), at which point it could be a thin envelope or email simply stating you will not be considered. For others, you will receive requests for additional information and/or the first of many interviews. Regardless of the process at each organization, the time in between steps is typically long and lacking in communication. Know that in the intelligence community we have a saying, “no news is good news.” The Human Resources departments and recruiting divisions are inundated with applicants and newsflash, the government is not the most efficient beast in the world.
