The Big Dogs
The most prominent and well known members of the intelligence community are no doubt CIA and NSA. Sure, everyone knows the FBI, but given their law enforcement bent and charter being focused on domestic intelligence gathering, “the agency” (CIA) and NSA often come to mind first.
I cannot tell you how many times I have had students speak to me and be dead set on working for CIA, without giving as much as a second of consideration to the other members of the IC. CIA can be a great organization to work for, but they – like all organizations – come with their problems too.
The main point being, do not limit yourself to applying to CIA and just hope for the best. It is the most difficult of the 17 members to gain entry to and not necessarily the best fit for you.
The same goes for NSA. Entry is difficult, and if you are not a mathematician, linguist or engineer of some sort, they are probably not going to be the best fit. That said, all of the IC members have positions that buck the norm and will align better with your skills. For example, NSA does have positions for regular analysts, background investigators, polygraphers, etc.
