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?

The thing that I think is lacking for those working at GCHQ in particular is an adequate cover story. They're left to shuffle their feet and say civil service which just invites interest.

They could easily be given a cover story at ministry of agriculture or something. It makes life awkward.

Some of these stories.
MI5 visited the local pub of someone's nan.

Two mums sat chatting at work about her sons application process.

All the agents I know started off in the marines then SAS. It is a very long gradual process of 15 - 20 years.

Paddy Ashdown was a former SBS. Iirc before he spoke about his spy career he appeared to have a section of his cv working as a librarian in Geneva.

All the agents I know started off in the marines then SAS. It is a very long gradual process of 15 - 20 years.

So, you know a lot of "agents?

Try applying to one of the consulting companies that work with them.

Agents are not employees.

“An agent, or Covert Human Intelligence Source, is someone who works for us to obtain secret intelligence. They're one of our most important sources of intelligence. Agents are not employed by MI5 and there is no formal application process to become an agent.”

www.mi5.gov.uk/faq/how-can-i-become-an-mi5-agent

My close family and friends knew where I worked. I just didn’t talk about work with them - but as a glorified admin I didn’t exactly deal with anything interesting! Honestly, it’s just a civil service office job like any other.

My ex husband used to work for the Foreign Office, he applied on line and the whole application process took a year. ALL family members had to have security checks to the highest possible level. No meeting in fields took place but when he went for a tour everyone was sat at completely empty desks

@PlomBear what you may have been "just a civil service job, like any other" but you surely understand there are people who work there whose roles are a little out the ordinary.

I was not interviewed for a "normal civil service role"

I have a friend who wrote to them while we were at school, all I knew is she was asked to write an essay, then went on to study Russian and politics, lived in Russia then Spain for a while

These AIBUs are getting more full on everyday.

I love how there are so many posters who know someone who was approached or interviewed and rejected or turned it down. As opposed to having been interviewed and taken it up! And now I'm working for MI5/6! And it's brilliant, last week I was told about a potential terrorist attack but it was ok, we sorted it in time.

@PegasusReturns you may not have been interviewed for a normal role, but it was still a civil service role, and, sadly, civil service payscales.

Yes...final stages, but they made me buy my own sandwich for lunch at the assessment centre so I accept my other grad scheme job offer in banking instead as they put us up in nice hotel and made a better impression that we were valued.

Pugsleyaddams

I love how there are so many posters who know someone who was approached or interviewed and rejected or turned it down. As opposed to having been interviewed and taken it up! And now I'm working for MI5/6! And it's brilliant, last week I was told about a potential terrorist attack but it was ok, we sorted it in time.

Because the ones who do take the job won't be saying anything on here obviously 🙄

Yes they do recruit from the army, someone in my close family was recruited from the army, my dad was in the sas aswell started as a normal soldier in the British army (retired and now a hgv driver though) he didn’t stay overly long (6/7 years roughly) as it meant long periods away from family (we his kids where still in primary school so quite young at the time). They recruit in a mixture of ways, from the military, head hunting those who excell in certain fields, applications (you can find them online very easily through google) and they also recruit from people who already work for the MOD if they fit the job spec. Just a thing to remember during the application process no matter how you get in you are told you cannot tell anyone, you aren’t really permitted to talk about your job (my dad still says very little about what he did and he’s left the SAS about 12 years now), you can spent long periods away from family no matter your job, computer technicians can be required to be away aswell. I come from a very big military family.

Meant to add I know sas isn’t the same but he worked with MI5/6

They don’t recruit from the MoD as Mi5/Mi6/GCHQ are not part of the MoD. MoD Civil servants can apply and go through the same recruitment processes as external candidates. There are also some secondment opportunities between Departments.

Whilst some of the roles (I can think of mobile surveillance officers for instance) aren’t your standard office 9-5 roles, most of the roles are. Desk officers, analysts, admin etc. Mi6 operational officers may travel overseas and be more in the field but it’s nothing like James Bond obviously! And their pay starts on £33k.

And you can tell close friends and family where you work just not what you do at work! Obviously you can say you do HR, admin, finance or whatever field you work in. You just don’t share details of what you do all day.

Mi6 staff might have foreign postings just like FCO staff do. Mi5 generally don’t. They really don’t spend time away from family. And they have flexitime.

Yes, you can apply, at least for the sort of role you say your son would be interested in (computer software, etc.). But the interview process is extensive, as they go through your entire background, family, friends, acquaintances, old classmates from primary school, etc.

Sons naive posts at the start. M15 agents are often completely non descript. They want someone who looks like 'mr/miss' normal who is unlikely to arouse suspicion or be picked up on anybodys radar. They're not all high flying superbly intelligent computer whizzes. Depends what field you work in.

Some not sons