<p>The FBI requires you to pass multiple hiring stages and demonstrate that you meet a critical skill, being from a military background is not one of them. </p>
<p>Negative. The FBI explicitly states on their website that military experience IS a Critical Skill.</p>
<h2>Federal Bureau of Investigation ~ Polo</h2>
<p>I meant to say military family background, pertaining to the poster who said her friend got “recruited” because she came from a military background.</p>
<h2>I disagree completely. What makes you think that if you want to be an 1811 you have to be willing to become a cop? Granted, having patrol LE experience is great, but are you saying that all those who are applying for a 1811 must also apply somewhere as PO? ~ Polo</h2>
<p>First, do you work in LE?</p>
<p>Secondly, that attitude is the PRECISE reason why the FBI is looked down upon in LE. It’s full of accountants, not law enforcement officers.</p>
<p>The FBI suffers a very bad reputation because of it, and aren’t well respected amongst their fellow LE bretheren. Of course, this is case by case - but generally speaking, they aren’t thought much of.</p>
<p>The general school of thought is that they are a bunch of accountants/attorneys who are too scared to get their hands dirty, clog up the process with endless red tape, and generally screw up everything they get involved with.</p>
<p>Also, local/state LE is much more than patrol. After a couple years you get involved in speical units, investigations and all sorts of different work. </p>
<p>Also, concerning HRT, it’s a great pathway into the FBI, but to become qualified for that program you have to go through some very difficult life choices and sacrifices. It’s not a pathway that someone should try to take, just to get into the FBI if they are starting out. To meet the requirements, you need to be of a special breed.</p>
<p>“Provided you possess the critical skills the CIA needs, that’s not particularly true. CIA has spent FAR more money on “recruiting ads” than the FBI has as of lately.”</p>
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<p>And do you have any idea how many people apply to the CIA? I was at a federal job fair last month in DC. Guess which booth (by far) had the longest line…</p>
<p>Recruiting ads and booth lines are both irrelevant indicators of potential hiring.</p>
<p>The CIA’s hiring statistics are kept confidential, so assuming anything would be stupid.</p>
<p>The FBI has a more defined pathway to gain employment, that’s about as much that could really be said.</p>
<p>The CIA’s hiring statistics are not confidential:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/17/washington/17cia.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/17/washington/17cia.html</a></p>
<p>From the article:</p>
<h2>“Information concerning the sharp increase in case officers and overseas stations, which has not been previously disclosed, was provided in response to questions about the state of the agency’s rebuilding effort. Current and former intelligence officials interviewed for this article were granted anonymity to speak about hiring trends and foreign operations, the details of which are classified. They would not discuss precise numbers of case officers or overseas stations, however.”</h2>
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<p>I’m an Infantry PL in the NG and we have enough Guardsmen that are LE in their civilian life for me to know what LE is about moreso than others on this forum who are not LE.</p>
<p>Secondly, I really doubt the FBI cares that much about what you think about them. Their purpose is very specific and it is the Federal Bureau of Investigations. They are first and foremost - investigators. Want to deal with drugs? DEA. Interested in Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms - ATF. Want to protect America’s borders? BP. Want to get your hands “dirty” and catch fugitives? US Marshals. Want to protect key political figures? Secret Service.</p>
<p>Personally, I’d rather work for a large organization like the NYPD where upward movement through the ranks is more possible than at a small town PD as much as the crap you do hear about them. But I will not fault or hold it against anyone that pursues a Fed 1811 gig and not a state/municipal LE career. If that’s their choice, then so be it.</p>
<h2>Secondly, I really doubt the FBI cares that much about what you think about them. Their purpose is very specific and it is the Federal Bureau of Investigations. They are first and foremost - investigators. Want to deal with drugs? DEA. Interested in Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms - ATF. Want to protect America’s borders? BP. Want to get your hands “dirty” and catch fugitives? US Marshals. Want to protect key political figures? Secret Service. ~ Polo8816</h2>
<p>The FBI may not care about my personal opinion, but they certainly care about their reptutation amongst their fellow LEO’s, and no doubt do they care about their reputation when compared to other federal agencies. And, no matter how you cut it - they have a very poor reputation. Speak to anyone in fed. LE and they will tell you the same thing. </p>
<p>Also, I’m not sure what you are saying about their “specific mission” of investigations. Every federal LE agencies is tasked with investigations, including every agency you spouted off in your posted. Any they all have much better reputations and generally are much better liked and well received then their FBI counterparts.</p>
<p>Every 1811 is a Criminal Investigator, regardless of the agency. The difference is that most other federal agencies hire people that actually know how to conduct investigations, have experience conducting investigations, and have experience with crime in real life situations.</p>
<p>The only reason college kids want the FBI is because it’s on TV the most, and it’s all they really know about it. If they really knew what the work was like, they’d probably want to look at a different agency.</p>