Guide to a Career as an FBI Agent

FBI agents are employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and are responsible for investigating crimes that occur on the federal level. They can be invited into investigations by state police agencies when they require assistance and they can assume the investigations of crimes that occur over state lines.

In order to be accepted into the FBI academy at Quantico, Virginia, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. You must also have at least three years of experience with a different law enforcement agency or the military if you desire a law enforcement position within the FBI. If you’d rather work in a different specialized field, such as white collar crime, then you should have at least three years of experience in accounting or a related financial field.

FBI agent candidates must also be able to pass rigorous physical and medical tests and be between twenty-three and thirty-six years of age.

Entrance into the FBI academy can be competitive, and the FBI looks for the best of the best. If you are interested in a career as an FBI agent, you should consider ways of improving your chances will in advance of your application. The FBI gives special consideration to those who are bi- or multi-lingual, for example. They also prefer candidates who are experts in certain fields, such as physics, accounting, engineering or computers.

Training for a career as an FBI agent takes place at the FBI academy at Quantico, Virginia. Training lasts seventeen weeks and is a physically and mentally exhausting experience. You’ll take classes that will train you in various law enforcement skills as well as aspects of the law; classes are taught by FBI agents who have become experts in their fields.