by Stephanie Shu

Created on: April 03, 2009

The Central Intelligence agency is a division on the United States government responsible for collecting, analyzing, and predicting the actions of foreign countries. They were founded on July 26, 1947 during WWII and have been thriving ever since. Their current work force, though classified, is estimated to range around 20,000. Landing a job at the CIA is certainly something to be proud of because of the number of applicants competing for just one position. There are a few categories the CIA divides themselves into analytical, clandestine, language, scientists, engineers and technology, and support services.

Analysts are made up of a huge array of different positions, ranging from counterintelligence all the way to economics. The job of an analyst is to evaluate information received from other countries. They attempt to predict what will happen in the near future and submit reports on it which are short and to the point. The most important news is delivered to the president in a meeting held every morning with his cabinet.

Clandestine work is the core of the CIA's intelligence operation. Highly talented individuals are deployed to another country with the objective of collecting intelligence without being caught. To do this, espionage agents must make many friends within that nation and, after gaining their trust, convince them or blackmail them into working for you. The best way to reach potential targets is to travel under the cover of diplomatic immunity, meaning if your operation is uncovered, you cannot be arrested, only banned and labeled "no longer welcome". Even though the CIA's undercover agents are not the ones actually performing most of the spying, they still are one of the most important components of the CIA.

Those working under the language division of the CIA are responsible for keeping an eye on foreign media. It would be a fatal flaw to ignore information right in front of our eyes. They also instruct others within the agency to speak/write a foreign language proficiently, a skill needed especially for undercover agents.

Scientists and engineers at the CIA develop cutting-edge technology technology so advanced, it is considered to be classified. They once designed a remote control dragonfly camera, but due to the lack of control in winds, it was discontinued. Anything those undercover agents might require for their missions, the scientists and engineers design them. Along with making, people employed under this field scrutinize the technology of other countries, making sure that their own inventions bypass theirs.

The support services in the CIA include just about every other position out there, including lawyers, medical doctors, ad psychologists. A full list of positions can be found here. With all of these amazing opportunities at the CIA, you might not be sure which one to choose, but whatever you decide to try for at the end, will for sure benefit our country's national security.

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