Posted: 7/11/2007 10:22:01 PM EDT
I'm sure I will take some heat for asking a somewhat overly broad question. However, I am going to do so.  I will be graduating in August with a BA in history and political science. I have a very good resume of achievements (personal...i.e. USMC OCS - voted in by the board twice [i had an injury]). I have an oustanding showing in the community service area from highschool and upwards. I have been in many leadership/mentor positions ranging from youth ages (coach) to peers (seniority in the work sector). I am very interested in pursuing a careers in LE. My goal would be to have the opportunity (or create it for myself) to work at the Federal level (i.e. Secret Service or FBI). How do I go about doing this? Some have told me that unless you know someone that can help you get your foot in the door with those agencies, you must start at the local LE (PD) level and work your way up. What say you? Thanks in advance for the advice and opinions! |
It's not 100 per cent wrong. You will be competing against people who do have military an/or law enforcement experience, but you may bring something to the table that they do not. They only way to know is to apply, and it costs nothing to do so. |
So basically I just need to apply. haha. Nothing to lose I guess. Any federal guys here? |
|
Best bet is to haunt www.usajobs.opm.gov You will find openings in all levels of Federal LEO opportunities. If you are in shape and don't mind the physical nature, then try the Border Patrol. Lots of guys start there and move on to other LEO positions within the Government. Also, look for CBP Officer and apply for the Southern Land Border. If you test well, you can be hired within 6 to 8 months. That was about how long it took for me to get into the BP. I switched to CBP (Customs). Kinda wish I had not most days. The pay is good, but be prepared for high heat and humidity. Good luck. Ken |
Just for future reference..could you go a little more in depth here? Thanks. |
|
Quoted: What Ken said. Prior LE is NOT necessarily Local PD. We had a BOP Counselor go to FBI last year. He was an ex-marine and had learned Farsi. They WANTED him. Lotta paths to get to the agencies you mentioned. Do NOT lock yourself in or allow others to. Stay safe Just for future reference..could you go a little more in depth here? This guy had been active USMC. At least one tour in Desert Storm. His family had some Arabic branch(?), and while over there, he used some language training that he had done on his own to become the unofficial go-to guy for translations. After returning stateside, he continued studying Farsi and got pretty damn good. Miami area (international gateway) family, and working in a large Fed. Prison gave him more practice. Plus, he was willing to start in Puerto Rico (he also knew espanol) so between him & the FBI ... it seemed like a match made in heaven. Gotta say, one of the nicest, most professional guys I ever worked with. Low key but ambitious & intelligent. Would that I were more like that.  click on www.usajobs.gov and look on the right side of the home page ... what is in demand. Or, just do a search. Stay safe |
I'm a city cop, but my current wife is a ICE agent. She applied and two years later they called her for the rest of the process. After that, it went pretty quick. She EOD'd on Monday and is off to FLETC in two weeks. She has a masters in CJ and virtually no experience, let alone LE experience. It can be done. Start applying. Don't limit yourself to 1811 positions. Her IEA position is a GL-1801. She is going into the academy as a GS-7 and after she finishes probation and they re-band the payscale like they say their gonna, she should be a GS-11 or so making around 76k with AUO and locality pay. |
|
Gordo, I retired from DOJ last March after 11 years. I had 6 years Navy as an Airdale. 5 years as a State LEO on a Task Force I have a BS in Computer Information Systems and a minor in Spanish. I got in because I was on a HIDTA Task Force and worked with them everyday. Well and because I had a good background and can pass the tests, Academy, etc... I was selected on foreign language and recommendations. The best advice given to you is apply. You can begin the processes on any of the agency websites. Treasury, DOJ, Homeland Security, DoD, Energy. Many people forget the Secret Service or look at it as out of reach. Nothing is out of reach if you meet the qualifications. But you have to try and be patient. |
|
There are COUNTLESS LEO positions within the federal government. The ones which most of the public thinks of when they hear the word 'federal agent' are Criminal Investigator positions (also referred to as Special Agents). Their job series is 1811 (every job within the fed falls under a certain job series). As I said, not everyboduy is a Special Agent, and some positions are easier to get than others. 1811/Special Agent slots are generally the hardest and most competitive to get. Others with high turnover and/or low pay are easier. In ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) for example, here are a few of the LE jobs available: Special Agent (Criminal Investigator) - Handles wide range of investigations involving customs issues - drugs, illegal imports, money laundering, etc. Of course they also do immigration work, but alot of the administrative arrest type cases (yes they do have administrative arrests in the government) are being passed down to Immigration Enforcement Agents, or IEA's. Training includes basic criminal investigatro training at FLETC (CITP) and the ICE Special Agent add-on training (ICESAT). It can be difficult and competive to hired on as a Special Agent, whether it is with ICE, USSS, DEA, OIG, etc... Immigration Enforcement Agent (IEA) - Handle immigration issues/investigations, however complex cases are handled by Special Agents. This is an entry level job and not to difficult to get hired on as long as you pass the tests. The same difficulty level to get on as a CBP Officer or Border Patrol Agent. Can be a good stepping stone to be hired as a Special Agent. Deporatation Officer - Locate and arrest overstays, fugitive aliens, and others. This is done in jails and through fugitive teams which are in most major cities throughout the U.S. These are the teams that usually arrrest illegal aliens who are gang members and convicted sex offenders. Basically the stuff you see in the news when ICE makes a bunch of arrests of convicted illegal aliens. Jail duty is not fun (gotta put detainers on the illegal aliens in jail for otther stuff), but the fugitive teams have one of the BEST jobs in ICE. Sorry, but this is NOT an entry level job. You must be a current ICE employee or be a Border Patrol Agent or fomer INS Immigration Inspector (current CBP Offcier with IOBTC training). Basically they want people with extensive immigration enforcement experience and the basic immigration officer training (IOBTC) from FLETC under their belt. There are some other LE folks within ICE, such as Federal Protective Service (FPS) Police, however the agency is greatly trying to reduce their numbers. With the exception of the 1811's in FPS, the police officers there do NOT receive LE retirement (known as 6c). Your traditional 'uniformed' border/immigration folks are part of CBP, which is Customs and Border Protection. They include the former INS Immigration and U.S. Customs Inspectors, who make contact with people at Ports of Entry (international borders) and when you fly back to the U.S. The U.S. Border Patrol is also under CBP. Also all of the air assets from the former U.S. Customs Service (i.e. Blackhawk helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, etc.) are now under CBP. If your're looking for a federal LEO job, go to www.usajobs.opm.gov You can do a keyword search, but here are a few hints: 1) For Special Agent positions, under series type "1811" (except if you want to become an ICE Special Agent call your local ICE office). Under usajobs, most other Fed LE agencies post their 1811 openings. Some are for current 1811's, while others are entry level. You would be surprised how many federal agencies have full fledged 1811 Special Agents.. 2) Most federal 'police officer' jobs are under "0083" series. Most of the well known uniformed police positions such as US Park Police, Capitol Police, and Secret Service Uniformed Division have LE retirement, but most of the lesser known ones like "DoD" type, Veterans Affairs, etc. get the same retirement as an office secretary. Also many of those lesser known police officer positions are VERY security oriented, with some of them having the title police officer, yet doing little actual police work. The best all around uniformed "police officer" position in the fed is U.S. Park Police. 3) The Border Partrol is always hiring and is well respected within the federal LE community. There are countless former BP agents who are now Special Agents in litererally every federal agency throughout the U.S. 4) CBP Officer (formerly known as Customs Inspectors and Immigration Inspectors) hiring occurs frequently too. Good job with no age lmiit, unlike most other LE jobs in federal government which require you be hired before you turn 37. Unfortunately there is no LE retirement (known as 6c) for regular CBP Officers, but the rumor is that they may get it - however this has been a rumor for the past 20 years with bills 'almost' being passed in congress and such. 5) Be ready to hurry up and wait. Sure some folks can get hired in six mnoths, but it is not uncommon for it to take two or more years from the time you first apply until you head off to FLETC (Federal Law Enofrcement Training Center). PS - As for the person whose wife is going to FLETC to become an ICE IEA, she will EVENTUALLY become an GS-11 grade, but only after time in grade. Hopefully no one made empty promises to her. It will take her two years to go from GS-7 to GS-11 (jump from GS-7 to GS-9 in one year and then up to GS-11 in another year). |
Whoever told you that was not entirely correct. I am living proof of that. Also, for what it's worth, my degree field was the same as yours. Some good advice in the posts above. Just be prepared to submit a lot of applications and be patient. The likelihood of having a job available at the time of graduation is small. Plan on having some kind of employment to sustain you for a minimum of several months. The Federal law enforcement hiring process works in slow, mysterious and often maddening ways. |
Thanks so much for the heads up! I'm very interested in Special Agent work. I am also looking into the Bureau of Narcotics for my state. I have run across a great deal of guys that have worked there for a while and decided to jump to FBI or Secret Service. Looks like it would give me alot of options...either staying on board for a career or assisting me in creating opportunities. |
|
If you're in Mississppi, you should go fed right off the bat. The reason I say that is because a GS-13 Special Agent (regardless of federal agency) earns almost $100,000 per year. Yes that is not a typo and that is with less than five years on the job. My friend is in LE down in MS. and said even state jobs don't compare salary wise with FEDERAL SPECIAL AGENT jobs. Another person on here posted how their wife just got hired to become a Immigration Enforcement Agent (which is not the same as Special Agent). With IEA's, they top out at GS-9. However a Special Agent tops out at GS-13, which is a HUGE difference in pay. Go to www.usajobs.opm.gov and do a job search in series. Type in 1811 and you will see the jobs that pop up. Most of the jobs under GS 5,7, and 9 are entry level. Remember that if you are hired as a GS-7, in less than five years you will be a GS-13 making $$$$$. However with all of the information I posted above, having actual police experience WILL strengthen your chances of getting picked up as a Special Agent (1811 series). Other positions, such as CBP Officer, Immigration Enofrcement Agent, Border Patrol Agent, and various federal police officer positions, are more geared for those with no prior LE experience. I know people without LE experience do get picked up as Special Agents, but having that local LE experience will better your chances of getting picked up (and credibility to locals you interact with once you are out working). When people tell you they are a "fed" find out exactly what they do. As you can see there are countless LE positions out there and not everybody is a Special Agent... |
Very few of the SAs at our office have prior LE experience. It seems they want people with just a college degree. |
| That sucks, especially if you have all of the experience from USBP agents close at hand. The best ICE SA's down on the SW border are former BP Agents and Customs Inspectors who have seen how things are first hand. But as we all know sometimes they pick up people who were interns who zero prior LE before some 'outsider' with extensive street experience... |
Life in DS is interesting, it will definitely make you drop to your knees and thank God you live in the U.S. They usually post vacancy announcements in the fall. Like most Fed agencies they are looking for folks with language skills. |
IEA's currently go up to a GL-9, unless of course, the rumors have come true and they all got upgraded and no one said anything. IEA also do detainers in jails and can go with the Fug teams. It all depends on office location. |
Whoops my foul. I know some of the IEA can go out with fugtive ops terams, but I have met very few that do on a routine basis. Everybody know what Special Agents are, but DO's on the fugitive teams have the BEST hidden gig in ICE. Most folks outside of ICE have never heard of them... |
The only complaints I have heard from FUG DO's is lack of OT due to no travel. Otherwise so true about the hidden gem! |