Could you see yourself working for MI5?

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When we hear the secret service or organisations like MI5 and MI6, dramatic scenes from James Bond Spring to mind.

However, in reality the work is much different. Studying the security and defence area of politics and international relations can make you a prime candidate to work as an intelligence analyst for these organisations.

However, the work of the UK security services has recently expanded to manage the forever growing cyber threat that the UK faces. Terrorists and foreign states are increasingly seeking to undermine the UK’s security through online methods including encrypted communication and social media. The security service has recently introduced new roles to counter this.

Now Britain’s secret service is offering roles and graduate schemes in a range of different areas including business analyst and software developer under the technology graduate development programme , Intelligence officer development programme and intelligence and data analyst programme.

These roles encompass a whole range of different subject areas and personal skills including : interpersonal skills , communicational skills , data analytics and collaborative working.

Due to the nature of the work , the application process is lengthy and has six main stages attached below is the process for Intelligence officer :

  • Application stage : ensuring you are eligible to apply
  • Situational judgement test : Online test that asks you to make decisions regarding a number of work specific scenarios
  • Online investigative assessment : A 90 minute online assessment that will test your ability to make a proportionate assessment in relation to fictitious investigation
  • Telephone interview : The telephone interview will test your motivation and include some competency questions
  • Assessment centre : The assessment centre will consist of a competency interview, two role plays and a written assessment
  • Final Selection Board : Following the assessment centre, you may be invited to attend a final selection board

All roles follow a similar process but the tests vary across each scheme. The links below explain each scheme and the application process.

The video gallery below gives an insight into some of the work of the organisation :
Videos | MI5 - The Security Service

Internships ?

The MI5 internship scheme is an incredibly strong internship scheme as dependent on performance you can be offered a position to become an intelligence officer or a position on the intelligence officer development programme.(You will still have to go through the competitive selection process)

For 11 weeks across the summer you will receive £5,701 in London and £4,165 in Cheltenham for 10 weeks , five days annual leave and accommodation will be offered.

To be eligible you will have to meet the criteria which can be found in the link below with more details.

Internships | MI5 - The Security Service

The work of MI5 is incredibly secretive , so you will have to ensure that you don’t share the details of your application nor the fact that you have applied. However, the work in any role in this organisation is crucial to the UKs national security and therefore it is both rewarding and impactful

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This is so interesting and absolutely eye-opening!

I had no idea that internships were possible in the security services. I also heard that they’re keen to broaden the intake of people away from the public-school & Oxbridge educated intake of years ago. So if you think that you’re not the type of person that they’re looking for, you actually could be.

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