Posted on Aug 5, 2015
I will complete MI BOLC by next summer. What intelligence community jobs are out there other than FBI and CIA?
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I am going to MI BOLC FEB 2016 and will not be done until June 2016. My question is what other intelligence jobs out there will be great to land other FBI/CIA, NSA ect.
Transition
Military Intelligence Basic Officer Leader Course (MIBOLC)
Jobs
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 24
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You are a 2LT with no experience. Perhaps going to a tactical unit so you can learn something first might be a good idea. How about becoming an Intel professional first.
Your branch manager is the best person to answer your questions about opportunities.
Your branch manager is the best person to answer your questions about opportunities.
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LT, I admire your ambition but you will be hard pressed to find a position right out of MI BOLC. I have to echo MAJ Mike Dinesman's comment that you don't have any experience....yet. The other LTs that commented on this thread that they were able to get hired right out of BOLC are the exception and not the rule.
I just left government service for the private sector a few months ago. I was a Agent with the Secret Service and even with my training and experience it was damn near impossible for me to find another position. Granted, an Agent is not necessarily the position you are looking for, but the trend is the same. You are competing with guys with years of experience for these positions.
Your search should start on USAjobs and clearedjobs. I'd also take a look at the contracting organizations as previously mentioned and work your way up from there. You could also consider mobilizing with a unit to get some real world experience.
I wish you the best of luck.
I just left government service for the private sector a few months ago. I was a Agent with the Secret Service and even with my training and experience it was damn near impossible for me to find another position. Granted, an Agent is not necessarily the position you are looking for, but the trend is the same. You are competing with guys with years of experience for these positions.
Your search should start on USAjobs and clearedjobs. I'd also take a look at the contracting organizations as previously mentioned and work your way up from there. You could also consider mobilizing with a unit to get some real world experience.
I wish you the best of luck.
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CPT (Join to see)
LT Griffin, I wanted to follow up on my post from yesterday. As you know there is no way to really convey sentiment in text. I want to make sure that you don't get from this post that all is lost. I can't say that I've been in your shoes because after I graduated from school and commissioned on active duty, my path was laid out and Uncle Sam told me what to do for the next 5 years. It is important that we as senior captains and field grades on these forums mentor and develop our successors. With that said, send me a pm if you'd like to chat and I can share with you what I know about navigating the federal and now private sector.
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MAJ Michel Dinesman
I have time to write more than a few lines now. I started out my military career as an 18E as a SF Baby. Those were not fun times. I was a great commo guy, had a code speed of 25/22, but that did not mean I had the maturity or experience to contribute on a regular basis. I knew what to do a lot of the time, but that didn't mean I understood how it all fit together. I needed time to grow into my boots.
Take your time and learn your trade. Learn your craft. Only you can answer these questions honestly: what's the difference between movement and maneuver?; whats the difference between infiltration and penetration?; what's the difference between clandestine and covert?; what's the difference between a critical vulnerability and a single point of failure?; what's the difference between a fact and an assumption?; what's the difference between speed and tempo?; what's the tolerance for TOT for a light infantry unit compared to a mech unit?; what's the difference between the Army's and the Air Force's definition of the word "destroy"?; what makes intelligence "actionable"?; what's the difference between encoding and encrypting?
I'm not writing these to get you to look up answers. I think you should consider that the places you want to go have a certain level of expectation when they get people. Your university degree will be valuable for about 30 seconds. After that, you demonstrate professionalism to earn your way via knowledge, skills, and abilities. You have yet to discover what yours are. Don't go somewhere like CIA ill prepared for the journey. Real harm can be done.
I think the first three things you should do are: read; read; and read. If you need a reading list, I'm sure the mentors on here will provide options. Ask questions and learn as much as you can. If you become a professional, everyone will notice. Doors will open on their own.
Take your time and learn your trade. Learn your craft. Only you can answer these questions honestly: what's the difference between movement and maneuver?; whats the difference between infiltration and penetration?; what's the difference between clandestine and covert?; what's the difference between a critical vulnerability and a single point of failure?; what's the difference between a fact and an assumption?; what's the difference between speed and tempo?; what's the tolerance for TOT for a light infantry unit compared to a mech unit?; what's the difference between the Army's and the Air Force's definition of the word "destroy"?; what makes intelligence "actionable"?; what's the difference between encoding and encrypting?
I'm not writing these to get you to look up answers. I think you should consider that the places you want to go have a certain level of expectation when they get people. Your university degree will be valuable for about 30 seconds. After that, you demonstrate professionalism to earn your way via knowledge, skills, and abilities. You have yet to discover what yours are. Don't go somewhere like CIA ill prepared for the journey. Real harm can be done.
I think the first three things you should do are: read; read; and read. If you need a reading list, I'm sure the mentors on here will provide options. Ask questions and learn as much as you can. If you become a professional, everyone will notice. Doors will open on their own.
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2LT Griffin, I hope you will accept my comment as a point of professional development, thought it will seem critical at first. Here is what one Military Intelligence professional hears when reading your question:
1) You are ineffective as a communicator. Your question headline is redundant (you mention 'agency' and CIA), and your question itself is poorly formed (MI BOLC of FEB of 2016... will be great to land other FBI/CIA, NSA). In a community where reports, communication, and efficiency are key, you could talk yourself out of a job just based on that. I am not commenting on your intelligence or your qualifications, merely your preparation.
2) If you are about to begin MI BOLC and already looking for outside work, that is a concern to every subordinate and peer that will work with you. Instead look to career broadening assignments, how you can gain the most experience to achieve the Army mission, and how you can best take care of the Soldiers assigned to your care.
I don't know you sir, and I don't presume to speak to your character, but I hope you will take the words of an E7 and consider the points above.
1) You are ineffective as a communicator. Your question headline is redundant (you mention 'agency' and CIA), and your question itself is poorly formed (MI BOLC of FEB of 2016... will be great to land other FBI/CIA, NSA). In a community where reports, communication, and efficiency are key, you could talk yourself out of a job just based on that. I am not commenting on your intelligence or your qualifications, merely your preparation.
2) If you are about to begin MI BOLC and already looking for outside work, that is a concern to every subordinate and peer that will work with you. Instead look to career broadening assignments, how you can gain the most experience to achieve the Army mission, and how you can best take care of the Soldiers assigned to your care.
I don't know you sir, and I don't presume to speak to your character, but I hope you will take the words of an E7 and consider the points above.
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1LT (Join to see)
Thank you Sergeant First Class Burroughs for your comment. No hard feelings at all
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SFC (Join to see)
1LT Guessford, I understand your perspective and from a personal standpoint, there is nothing wrong with exploring options for civilian work and career progression. Here is where I see the complication (and again, this is one opinion and I speak for no one but myself).
As a force in transition, new officers (2LT Griffin is listed on his profile as pre-ROTC) are grouped in two categories- those who took care of their own educational desires while the rest of us fought the war (over and over again), and those who are too young to remember the last 15 years of conflict that the enlisted and mid-grade officer corps experienced (because senior officers were already "off the battlefield" as Majors and above by the time the war broke out). Fair or not, the people who will be responsible for that officers' success have a significant bias built in based on the period in which that officer chooses to don the uniform. The onus is on incoming officers to demonstrate their commitment to the Army, their willingness to learn from those with the requisite experience to help them be successful, and ultimately to spent the time and effort rejuvenating a force drained from a decade and a half of putting everyone else ahead of our own best interests.
When I see a pre-BOLC officer seeking outside opportunities, I am forced to question their motivations. This is the point I was making to 2LT Griffin, and I think he took it in the best way possible. As a former analyst and current CI Agent, I understand the value of interagency networking and cooperation as well as anyone. With that said, I felt it was also important to help 2LT Griffin understand how his question might be perceived by a percentage of the community. Hopefully armed with that knowledge, he can either modify his approach or properly brace himself for such reactions as they surface in the future.
As a force in transition, new officers (2LT Griffin is listed on his profile as pre-ROTC) are grouped in two categories- those who took care of their own educational desires while the rest of us fought the war (over and over again), and those who are too young to remember the last 15 years of conflict that the enlisted and mid-grade officer corps experienced (because senior officers were already "off the battlefield" as Majors and above by the time the war broke out). Fair or not, the people who will be responsible for that officers' success have a significant bias built in based on the period in which that officer chooses to don the uniform. The onus is on incoming officers to demonstrate their commitment to the Army, their willingness to learn from those with the requisite experience to help them be successful, and ultimately to spent the time and effort rejuvenating a force drained from a decade and a half of putting everyone else ahead of our own best interests.
When I see a pre-BOLC officer seeking outside opportunities, I am forced to question their motivations. This is the point I was making to 2LT Griffin, and I think he took it in the best way possible. As a former analyst and current CI Agent, I understand the value of interagency networking and cooperation as well as anyone. With that said, I felt it was also important to help 2LT Griffin understand how his question might be perceived by a percentage of the community. Hopefully armed with that knowledge, he can either modify his approach or properly brace himself for such reactions as they surface in the future.
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CPT Christopher F.
SFC Luke Burroughs, I disagree with your characterization of new officers. The statement that you made implies that a newly commissioned officer has either taken the route of education to hide from the conflict or has no real sense of the Army-at-war concept. I think both characterizations are damaging to the team building that our Army depends upon. While it is understood that almost all newly commissioned officer have a steep learning curve once they reach their first duty assignment, there shouldn't be a demand placed upon them to, "demonstrate their commitment to the Army".
A new Soldier, officer or enlisted, owes you nothing for your previous service (wartime or not). You chose to serve at the time and place in which a Soldier deploys. Your statement that the, 'onus is on incoming officers.... to spend the time and effort to rejuvenate a force.." places the burden on a new Soldier to somehow pay you back for something that he had nothing to do with. This mindset can create an environment where sides are chosen based on experiences, and can lead to barriers in communication.
Everyone who dons a uniform contributes to the team. And the actions or experience of one servicemember shouldn't diminish the contributions of another. We are entering a time in which more and more Soldiers will not have right-sleeve patches or the experiences that come with it, and the onus will be on the seasoned leaders to demonstrate our commitment to our Soldiers, not the other way around.
On a side note, you questioned 2LT Alex Griffin's communication abilities, while touting yourself as a former analyst and current CI Agent. This further widens the experiential gap between yourself and a new Soldier. However, it seems as if you didn't apply any of you analytic skills to the situation. Alex is a National Guard Soldier, as you saw when you check his profile. As such, he does not have the same experiential opportunities as you or I. And having been in the Guard yourself, you should be able to sympathize.
And you may reply to this with a, "well that's just my opinion". But as a Sergeant First Class, you are a leader. And as a leader, you represent the Army. I recommend that you read the article that I posted with this response, and reflect on how a mindset like this may be affecting your leadership style.
http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/the-combat-patch-binary-indicator-or-something-more
A new Soldier, officer or enlisted, owes you nothing for your previous service (wartime or not). You chose to serve at the time and place in which a Soldier deploys. Your statement that the, 'onus is on incoming officers.... to spend the time and effort to rejuvenate a force.." places the burden on a new Soldier to somehow pay you back for something that he had nothing to do with. This mindset can create an environment where sides are chosen based on experiences, and can lead to barriers in communication.
Everyone who dons a uniform contributes to the team. And the actions or experience of one servicemember shouldn't diminish the contributions of another. We are entering a time in which more and more Soldiers will not have right-sleeve patches or the experiences that come with it, and the onus will be on the seasoned leaders to demonstrate our commitment to our Soldiers, not the other way around.
On a side note, you questioned 2LT Alex Griffin's communication abilities, while touting yourself as a former analyst and current CI Agent. This further widens the experiential gap between yourself and a new Soldier. However, it seems as if you didn't apply any of you analytic skills to the situation. Alex is a National Guard Soldier, as you saw when you check his profile. As such, he does not have the same experiential opportunities as you or I. And having been in the Guard yourself, you should be able to sympathize.
And you may reply to this with a, "well that's just my opinion". But as a Sergeant First Class, you are a leader. And as a leader, you represent the Army. I recommend that you read the article that I posted with this response, and reflect on how a mindset like this may be affecting your leadership style.
http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/the-combat-patch-binary-indicator-or-something-more
The Combat Patch: Binary Indicator or Something More? | Small Wars Journal
Saw two senior NCOs this morning wearing ACUs with “slick sleeves.” Not sure how this can be, given that we have been at war for over a decade.
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SFC (Join to see)
1LT Farnsworth, I appreciate your articulate comments on the perspective I shared with 2LT Griffin for his consideration. I make a point of not engaging in online back-and-forth so will be brief, but I will certainly not insult you with a, "that's just my opinion," response. Here are my remarks:
First, I do not generally deal in implications. New officers did make a choice- just as every enlisted Soldier, private contractor, and civilian did. Those choices are neither right or wrong, but they have consequences in the form of biases in certain subsets society (to include those in the service who prosecuted the war on our nation's behalf for the entire duration).
I have no response to your comment that, "there shouldn't be a demand placed upon them to 'demonstrate their commitment to the Army'," except to say that I wholly disagree.
The remainder of your comment consists of a logical whereby you attempt to pick apart my experience and leadership style rather than address the subject at hand to imply my position is merely the product of a flaw in either, rather than having any valid points worthy of refuting.
As an aside, I have read the article you posted and frequently absorb similar think-tank papers in pursuit of better perspective on the conflicts, leadership, and strategic issues. Thank you for the link- I hope others read it as well. Here is one for you, to better ground your positions both online and in any decision brief in the military: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/03/
Thank you again.
First, I do not generally deal in implications. New officers did make a choice- just as every enlisted Soldier, private contractor, and civilian did. Those choices are neither right or wrong, but they have consequences in the form of biases in certain subsets society (to include those in the service who prosecuted the war on our nation's behalf for the entire duration).
I have no response to your comment that, "there shouldn't be a demand placed upon them to 'demonstrate their commitment to the Army'," except to say that I wholly disagree.
The remainder of your comment consists of a logical whereby you attempt to pick apart my experience and leadership style rather than address the subject at hand to imply my position is merely the product of a flaw in either, rather than having any valid points worthy of refuting.
As an aside, I have read the article you posted and frequently absorb similar think-tank papers in pursuit of better perspective on the conflicts, leadership, and strategic issues. Thank you for the link- I hope others read it as well. Here is one for you, to better ground your positions both online and in any decision brief in the military: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/03/
Thank you again.
Purdue OWL: Logic in Argumentative Writing
This resource covers using logic within writing—logical vocabulary, logical fallacies, and other types of logos-based reasoning.
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