Recruitment for MI5/MI6 - AIBU to think that they find you, you can't apply?

[DoTheHop]

Does anyone know how this happens?
They appear to have an application process, but I'm not sure what they're looking for.
An ex of mine was contacted by them after his degree, in Computers and Maths I think, but according to him (not sure if true or bullshit) he'd have had to meet them in a field and never bothered.
I've a ds who is interested in this field. It's not really something you see discussed. I'm not sure what area of it he is interested in - he just finds it fascinating really.
Do they really take applications or is it a case of them hunting you down lol?

I used to recruit for them. It was an ordinary graduate application process with a form to fill in. You could tick mi5 on the form along with other civil service areas. Where I worked we would get contacted with a list of candidates for separate interviews. (That would include targeted MI6 candidates but I never knew which they were as I was a lowly dogs body who did the whole application process except the exciting bit 🙄

The main GCHQ process was a separate application round.

They advertise on civil service jobs.

@PegasusReturns

They hadn't noticed!!

Or maybe they didn't want to be sued for breaking equality law. I can just imagine the fuss it would cause if someone came on here and said I went for an interview and they told me to go away because I'm pregnant.

It’s a normal application process. During uni recruitment events they can sometimes fast track the initial application process (or waive grades) for people they think would be a good fit - for example I know a girl who was fluent in Arabic, Russian, Urdu, and Marathi (studying comparative literature) who had a job offer with the UN. GCHQ recruiters snapped her up by endorsing her application so she was automatically put through the second stage - she would never have risked her confirmed job offer otherwise.

In terms of unsolicited approaches - this used to happen a lot for people who spoke certain ‘rare’ languages eg Pushtu, Farsi, Kurdish etc. But with immigration from these regions increasing since the late 90s there isn’t as much of a shortage of these languages any more.

Wouldn't it be fun if you had to follow clues to find the interviewers?
But its actually a part of the Civil Service . Check out jobs here!

www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/jobs-application

No you don’t meet in a field or behind a tree. FFS.

You can have social media, just set your account settings to private and don’t talk about work.

Your height only matters if you are a mobile surveillance officer. www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/18/mi5-security-service-advert-mobile-surveillance-officer

“Any distinguishing features such as tattoos on your face, neck or forearms would make you more recognisable to someone who is under surveillance and would therefore make you unsuitable for this role.” And they don’t want any tall poppies: female spies must be five foot eight or under and men no taller than six foot one. You need to be reasonably fit too to tail suspects on foot.“

Honestly. 🤦🏻‍♀️

My DF was in MI5, retired last year. He was originally a police officer, then a defective, then he got scouted my MI5 for counter terrorism. So the police could be a good way in.

@Yesididnamechange

A defective? ;-)

My brother worked for a secret security company in IT. At the interview he was asked “How often do you think your mother gets up in the night to go to the loo” so so weird.

Yes there’s a multi-stage recruitment process and is mostly for graduates. No meeting in fields though! GCHQ would be great for a computer geek and you do just apply on the website - they don’t always come find you!
You usually just say you’re a “civil servant” and that’s it except to immediate family

The services are looking to recruit "ordinary" people as opposed to the usual Oxbridge candidates.

DH was in an elite security service. You haven't to be of a stand outish appearance. And no brown jackets/ suits - too memorable.

They do advertise but state that, as discretion is a large part of the job, then you shouldn't discuss your application with anyone else.
So I guess you'd never really know if anyone had applied and was successful. Only those who failed the process ...

@violinrosa haha sorry about that definitely meant detective. My poor DF

I once did a personality test that was advertised on Facebook, about recognising facial expressions. It said I did very well (woop) and "click to find out more about your results".

I clicked and it was only the bloody SIS hiring page - saying I'd be a good candidate to apply. Hahahaha! Little do they know I'm the biggest gossip EVER! At uni they used to say, if you want everyone to turn up to your party, tell me about it and say it's a secret.

I went through the mi5 app process after graduating three years ago as a mature student with a first in criminology. I couldn’t attend the last part of the process (final interview in London), as my eldest daughter broke her toe that morning. . Instead I joined the intelligence units in the police working in anti corruption. When the kids are older I would definitely think about doing it again..

Although I am really, really good at online stalking.

My friend met some bloke on a bus and all she knew was his first name and that he was a doctor. I searched names by "sounds like" on the GMC, found the 4 possible guys on FB, and hey presto he was one of them. She was shocked, but obviously not that shocked because she'd outsourced all her stalking to me.

I have applied and got through a few stages.

@SheOfManyNames

Witchend, you can ask them
Thanks, I think he'd have been more MI6 (SIS) than MI5, and I think more on the passing information level than actually doing any, but I might try that.

I applied and met all the criteria. Plus gave all the info they wanted. They rejected me.

www.gchq-careers.co.uk/index.html

Are you new to MN? They used to advertise here.

Worked in a secondary school a couple of years ago and the class was giving a talk by 2 people who worked for the government. It was a very bizarre and vague talk, they wanted to recruit young adults who had personal experience in computers. They spoke about hackers etc and said stuff like no degree can teach us what Wee need to know in regards to how your generation is about 5 years ahead of us in terms of computer security.
The thing was this class was all non attainers so was most definitely a target group. I could be getting carried away but always had the thought it was something relating to this line, was a very strange recruitment drive it still puzzles me to this day 🤔

Also how can "no-one can know, you can't tell anyone" work alongside "they interview all your friends, family and employers about you" - surely then everyone would know?

If 2 blokes from the Civil Service spent 2 hours asking me detailed questions about a mate, I would almost certainly know he was applying for a spy-type job! Or nuclear weapons.

There are other jobs in the MoD, Home Office, FCO etc that require DV. They use another government department as cover which is fun when you meet someone from that department and they start asking which floor you work on at Main Building!

Most of these jobs are admin roles. They still require Developed Vetting because the person will have regular, uncontrolled access to Top Secret material. Most of which is really boring.

It’s not like you come across information about the Queen being a lizard.