NORFOLK, Va. - Do you have what it takes to be the next special agent in the FBI?
Nationwide, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking to hire 900 special agents in the next year. Contrary to popular belief, the agency is not just looking for applicants with military or law enforcement experience. They need a variety of individuals that reflect the communities they work in and with.
Nurses, accountants, reporters, consultants, HR experts; all potential candidates for positions as long as applicants are 37 years old or younger. The FBI special agent in charge, Martin Culbreth, said the focus is on hiring women and minorities, though others are welcome to apply.
The Bureau said the application process is about a year long. Applicants can still work in a full-time capacity with their other jobs during the first few phases of the application. Eventually, if you make it, you have to live at the FBI Academy in Quantico for five months to complete your training.
Before you can officially be considered for the Academy, you have to pass the FBI Physical Fitness Test: a minute of sit ups, a 300 meter sprint, push-ups to failure and a mile-and-a-half run. Each athlete is scored and has to score at least one point in each exercise to pass.
Fitness coordinators in the Bureau said the protocol for each activity and the combination of the four exercises are what make the challenge. In order to help applicants better prepare, the FBI has created an app for people trying to appropriately train.
Our Rachael Cardin went through the test and reports it was no joke. The way the exercises are ordered will have your heart pounding while testing your mental strength to push through, she said.
The FBI is encouraging people who want a new career and those who think they have what it takes to be a special agent to apply.
For more information about the app and how to download it, click here.
The FBI is hosting a recruiting seminar for women on August 22 from 6-8 p.m. at the FBI Field Office in Chesapeake. Click here for more information.
