Are any agencies going to be hiring any time soon?

[SLH122]

I feel pretty down about the job market recently. It seems like almost no one is accepting applications! I feel like I would have a good chance as a candidate, but there is no where to even submit an application to. I am not interested in working for Border Patrol or ICE. Is anyone going to be hiring soon? I am primarily interested in NCIS, DEA, FBI?

Thanks.

[Hokie13]

I feel pretty down about the job market recently. It seems like almost no one is accepting applications! I feel like I would have a good chance as a candidate, but there is no where to even submit an application to. I am not interested in working for Border Patrol or ICE. Is anyone going to be hiring soon? I am primarily interested in NCIS, DEA, FBI?

Thanks.

Tough job market, just gotta deal with it. Just a heads up hope you have an amazing background because you'll need it to get into one of those agencies.

[signalfreq]

Not to be-little you or anything, but the facts are that of all those 3 letter agencies you have limited yourelf to, most of the employees probably came from another agency such as Border Patrol or ICE. If you limit yourself to only those 3 agencies, then you could be in for a long!!!!!!! Wait for employment.

[SLH122]

Haha, right? Damn tv.

The primary reason I wanted to work for NCIS is because my husband is in the Marine Corps and the increased likelihood that we can live in the same place.

I'm aware of how competitive those agencies are. I feel like the main thing that sets me apart is my Chinese language ability/foreign living experience (China)/masters degree. Even if I don't get hired, I'd at least like a CHANCE to submit my application! Even if I don't have a chance in hell of moving onto the next step in the process.

But yeah I don't want to work for either of those agencies I mentioned before. Maybe I should look into State instead, with my background.

BTW about two years ago a friend of mine was hired by the DEA as a special agent, and her background was 1/2 a masters in criminology completed, and 2 years experience working as a 911 dispatcher. No foreign language skill or actual law enforcement officer experience. Not that amazing, huh? And still at a time when the market was tough.

And I am not necessarily limiting myself to those only - I'd love almost any good job in the meantime, just not as a border patrol agent. I was just curious if I would have the chance anytime soon to at least submit my application for consideration, no matter what my chances actually are.

[TheKansan]

So if an entry level ICE HSI 1811 Criminal Investigator position opened up tomorrow, you would ignore it? You do realize that ICE does more than just investigate illegals right?

[manstown]

The three most pumped up by TV... Good luck with that.

Next to USMS......

[Hokie13]

Haha, right? Damn tv.

The primary reason I wanted to work for NCIS is because my husband is in the Marine Corps and the increased likelihood that we can live in the same place.

And that's a valid reason for wanting to work for them, but even before the current hiring freeze, they hadn't been accepting applications for more than a year due to the backlog of applications that they already had on file. Try finding a job where ever you can get one, that's your best bet right now.

[leetaluna]

You should apply with Secret Service also as an Agent. They keep opening vacancies every few months. i don't think limiting yourself to those agencies is a bad thing and I'm not sure why others are giving you a hard time for not wanting to apply with those agencies. However, I understand their point...if you want to get into a special Agent position you should not limit yourself. Most people apply with many agencies to get in before the age cutoff...put in some time and then transfer or apply to the Agency of their choice. You seem to have a good educationl background and hopefully you are in shape too and can handle the physical aspects of the job. ALSO, you do not have to have an AMAZING background to get into any of the agencies you listed. FBI, YES, they are pretty strict on having a Masters (which you have), but these agencies look at a lot of things and they will train you to be the agent they want you to be. Good luck.

Haha, right? Damn tv.

The primary reason I wanted to work for NCIS is because my husband is in the Marine Corps and the increased likelihood that we can live in the same place.

I'm aware of how competitive those agencies are. I feel like the main thing that sets me apart is my Chinese language ability/foreign living experience (China)/masters degree. Even if I don't get hired, I'd at least like a CHANCE to submit my application! Even if I don't have a chance in hell of moving onto the next step in the process.

But yeah I don't want to work for either of those agencies I mentioned before. Maybe I should look into State instead, with my background.

BTW about two years ago a friend of mine was hired by the DEA as a special agent, and her background was 1/2 a masters in criminology completed, and 2 years experience working as a 911 dispatcher. No foreign language skill or actual law enforcement officer experience. Not that amazing, huh? And still at a time when the market was tough.

And I am not necessarily limiting myself to those only - I'd love almost any good job in the meantime, just not as a border patrol agent. I was just curious if I would have the chance anytime soon to at least submit my application for consideration, no matter what my chances actually are.

[FedLaw]

The FBI is always hiring. You just probably don't meet the requirements. I'm not sure what you are looking for, a free pass? Though, if you have Chinese you should qualify for the FBI critical skill area of language. Unless it's the wrong dialect.

With regards to ICE - They are now Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) because they are far more broad than just illegals.

[FedLaw]

Right, but the OP was lamenting that nobody is hiring, but the FBI IS hiring, she just may not have made the cut.

[manstown]

Depends on how you look at it. They have people in the process that are waiting to be hired, but they aren't accepting applications now for new hires.

[o2force]

As far as I know, even the FBI isn't hiring. Their Website has this message, "LTHOUGH THE FBI IS ACCEPTING PROFESSIONAL STAFF APPLICATIONS, WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING SPECIAL AGENT APPLICATIONS AT THIS TIME."

The only big agency that is hiring is the secret service, and they've stated they are swamped with applications at the moment.

[SLH122]

And that's a valid reason for wanting to work for them, but even before the current hiring freeze, they hadn't been accepting applications for more than a year due to the backlog of applications that they already had on file. Try finding a job where ever you can get one, that's your best bet right now.

Actually, NCIS accepted applications last year around March/April timeframe, just before I moved to China, but I stupidly did not submit my application because I was moving to China and didn't want anything to interfere with my time here. Stupid. Because they move so slow anyway and I knew that.

I don't know why everyone is so testy - I don't expect a free pass and I don't know why anyone would think that from anything I wrote (???). I think actually what I said is that I want a *chance to submit an application* even if I don't have a chance in hell of moving onto the next step. How that is so inflammatory I seriously have no idea. When I interned with NCIS the special agent in charge told me if I want to work for them I need to get a masters degree and learn a foreign language other than Spanish. I learned Mandarin Chinese (and I am proficient as I went to the Defense Language Institute and test on the Defense Language Proficiency Test - actually I graduated first out of my entire class of military students, though I am a civilian), got my masters, and have about 3 years of work experience with a law enforcement agency, though not as an officer. I've successfully done everything he suggested, plus I have lived abroad (do live abroad) in China. It's not something I woke up one day and just randomly decided I want to do and feel entitled to it. I've worked hard for a long time with the explicit goal of working for NCIS in mind. Prior to knowing about NCIS, which I learned about from my Marine Corps husband, not any tv show - I had wanted to work for the DEA for as long as I can remember.

By the way, I have never applied for the FBI because this entire time my primary goal was to wait for NCIS to start to hire - due to my husband being a Marine and me actually wanting to live close to him - but according to their site I definitely meet at least the minimum requirements. Yes, I know you need more than min requirements to be hired. The only agency I've actually ever applied with is the DEA for an analyst position that was located in the city we will be living (ah and yes I know about mobility agreements) - and I haven't heard back, but I only submitted my application in September.

And I know a language isn't a guarantee but it is something that sets you apart from other people.

I'm also waiting & hoping local investigative jobs, such as DA Investigator positions & Public Defender Investigator positions (they have entry level positions) will open. I'm not just sitting around waiting for ONE job to open up - I'm still exploring others in the mean time.

[SLH122]

Right, but the OP was lamenting that nobody is hiring, but the FBI IS hiring, she just may not have made the cut.

I've never applied to the FBI and maybe I should have said "will any agencies be accepting new applications anytime soon" instead of hiring.

[wingmanW]

DEA diversion

DEA had an announcement open for diversion investigators last week; did you apply to that one?