Is it weird that my dream job is like to work for mi5 or mi6 (preferably mi6 as I'd prefer to work abroad). Is this too far fetched? Do you think I only really want to because it's always really glamourised in the media? I know it's nothing like James Bond. I would really want to be like an intelligence officer or some undercover operative, it just seems so exciting, I understand that there's obviously paperwork and other boring stuff but it still seems exciting... Do you think I have a chance? What do you think I'd have to study at uni? I feel silly admitting that this is a dream of mine, it seems stupid. I'm just really attracted to working like undercover for the government and stuff.....
I looked into it (very quickly) a while back and it seems to be mostly office work, sometimes going under a false name if working abroad, processing information and spying on other spies... and manipulating the media, though to what extent I don't know. You get small arms training it seems, but the theme is that it's "closer to bonds [that is, accounting] than Bond". If you get a First at degree level and study something like power relations, etc., then I'd say you're more likely to get in. It's up to you, naturally. I don't know anything about spying at all! (Even the books written by operatives can't be trusted!)
I'd say the most important thing is, your record. To work in intelligence, you have to understand that a background check is going to be far beyond a typical 9-to-5. And the further up you go, the more intense the background checks tend to, with everything from online history to publicly available information, such as library books checked out and so forth. They want your record as spotless as possible. Everything else kind of depends on what you'd like to do. Being able to speak more than one language, though, is always something intelligence agencies look for, and is a great way to get your foot in the door. My cousin's wife is in the navy, and she wanted to be on the intelligence side of things. At first they didn't want her in that position, didn't think she was the right fit, until she demonstrated she could speak/understand Chinese, and all of a sudden a door opened up. Now, along with Chinese, she is learning certain dialects of Arabic, making her even more valuable.
I'd like to think that if I wasn't so critical, so anti-military and pro-civil disobedience, I'd make a great spy.
If you ask me, yeah, it might be a little silly, but then again, aren't most dreams people have silly? My dream is to become a well-known author by writing about anthro characters in college and doing college-y stuff. Kind of silly for me to want that as well. My life philosophy is to follow your dreams no matter where they lead you, and that philosophy hasn't done me any harm yet. Go forth towards your dreams and you will find true happiness. (*hug*) :icon_bigg
Not silly; how do you think those agencies are still around? The thing is, you have to be *deadly* serious about it, starting right now if you haven't already. They will only take the most dedicated and capable. I'm assuming that it is similar to the US' CIA, so for that you'll probably need at least a bachelor's degree in a related major and ideally some law enforcement or military experience to be a field agent. High-level government jobs aren't something you just jump into. They're the reward for having a successful career up until that point. Keep your grades up, keep in top physical shape, and never stop searching for ways to improve and ways to get connected. If you can do all that, you'll be exactly the kind of girl they want when the time comes.
