Amy's Robot

CIA Seeks Recruits With Good Crossword-Solving Skills?

I woke up this morning to see the Central Intelligence Ag*ncy advertising on NYTimes.com, with a slightly flippant ad that says "If you can read this" and then is followed by some Arabic script, which I'm guessing says "your country needs you" or something similar. (Ideas?) Clicking on the ad takes you to a page at cia.gov that lists available positions in their language department, but a nav bar on the left indicates they also need people for "clandestine services". It's not easy being a spy:

To qualify you must have first-rate qualifications: a bachelor's degree with an excellent academic record, strong interpersonal skills, the ability to write clearly and accurately, and a burning interest in international affairs. A graduate degree, foreign travel, foreign language proficiency, previous residency abroad, and military experience are pluses. We are particularly interested in candidates with backgrounds in Central Eurasian, East Asian, and Middle Eastern languages, and those with degrees and experience in international economics and international business as well as in the physical sciences. Entrance salaries range from $43,500 to $60,400, depending on credentials. [emph. added]

"A burning interest!" Wow, who was the enthusiastic copy writer at the Agency who came up with that one? Also, it looks like first-year spooks make only a little more than first-year teachers in NYC. I wonder which job is harder.

Cut and paste this into your browser: http://www.cia.gov/employment/language.html (Don't want good ole amysrobot.com showing up in the C*A's referral logs, do we? They'll see what we're up to over here...criticizing J. Lo and all could get us into some hot water.)

ps. It looks like they've advertised on NYT.com before, but I couldn't find too many references to it, so.

categories: Media
posted by adm at 1:13 PM | #