Education · 1 of 5

The path

A degree, then a hiring process that is longer than most people expect.

1. 1

   High school diploma

   Grade 12

   Strong writing, history and languages. Keep your record and your online life clean starting now, because both get examined later.

2. 2

   University degree

   4 years

   Political science, criminology, international relations, computer science, economics or languages all work. What matters is analysis and writing.

3. 3

   Apply and interview

   Months

   Online application, pre-screening questionnaire, then a competency-based interview where you answer with specific examples from your own life.

4. 4

   Assessment and clearance

   6 to 12 months

   A psychological assessment, a second language evaluation if the role needs it, then an enhanced top secret security clearance: background documents, fingerprints, a security interview and a polygraph.

5. 5

   In-house training

   Months to years

   Agencies train their own officers. The specifics are not public, and you learn the job on the inside.