CIA Jobs

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You’ve been watching far too many movies. There are no “target schools” for the CIA. There is a misconception that going to a “target school” gives you a leg up on government recruiting for positions that require a TS (top secret) clearance. In most cases, it is quite the opposite. Target schools tend to be expensive. Many students take on substantial debt to attend these schools. Debt is a VERY significant factor on whether you will be granted a TS clearance. Applicants with more debt are susceptible to becoming a security risk. The costs of breaches in security are far too great when weighing it against a “name brand” education. This extends to many other areas of government recruiting such as federal law enforcement (FBI, USSS, DEA, ATF, etc.).
The CIA has “core collectors”. They are not “operators”. They are not Jason Bourne, James Bond, Jack Bauer, etc. Operators refer to individuals serving in combat arms MOSs in units that belong to USSOCOM. These units may, at times, may be OPCON to the CIA for a very limited duration to perform operations that are more military in nature.
The skillset that is required for this line of work is very specific and cannot be taught in a classroom. I doubt you will see very many if any core collectors right out of undergrad unless they have very specialized and relevant work experience prior to undergrad.</p>