Federal Agents: A Career As A Federal Agent

It’s a very demanding job. The usual day in the life of a DEA agent can be very crazy. DEA agents end up doing a lot of paperwork, but they also do lots of things in the field. To name a few, they run surveillance, bust up labs, cut down illegal plants, arrest dealers, cooks, and/or anyone associated with the use or distribution of illegal drugs. A DEA agent’s day could be arresting drug dealers to talking to kids about the dangers of drugs. (Oldenburg)

I chose the Federal Bureau of Investigation for my career choice. According to the Mission and Priorities page on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s website, the purpose of the Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI is to, “Protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States (“Mission & Priorities”, n.d.). The FBI ensures this specific purpose by completing the following: “protect civil rights, combat transnational/national criminal organizations and enterprises, combat major white-collar crime, and combat significant violent crime” (“Mission & Priorities”, n.d.). As of right now, “the FBI has around 35,000 employs which includes special agents and support professionals” (“Mission & Priorities”, n.d.).

The different career types of law enforcement career options may have similarities or be quite different depending on whether the work involves federal, state, or local agency. The differences at local state and federal levels includes: benefits, jurisdictions, pay structure, job responsibilities, travel requirements, and career advancement opportunities among others. The similarities include power to make arrests without warrant for some crimes; they all carry firearms and are trained in similar law enforcement skills. Most of them have the same form of military structure. They also all risk their lives to ensure the law is enforced. According to Scheb&Scheb (2011), “there are different roles played by legislatures, courts, and federal enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels of government”.

In the United States, there are three levels of law enforcement; the lowest level is local law enforcement agencies that include local police as well as sheriff departments. The next echelon in the chain is the State agencies that include state or highway patrol, the top tier is the Federal Agencies that not only include the FBI, but also the Secret Service as well. Each one of these agencies consequently has a unique extensive past.

A career as a special agent right after college graduation investigating arson, explosives, firearms alcohol and tobacco, may sound far-fetched, but a presentation to students on Sept. 27 from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, ATF for short, was there to prove otherwise.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has the reputation as the world’s premier law enforcement agency with a vision to stay ahead of the threat through leadership, agility, and integration. (FBI's Strategy, 2017). As an intelligence-driven and threat-focused national security organization, the mission of the FBI is to protect the American people by upholding the Constitution of the United States, defend the US against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats; uphold and enforce the criminal laws of the US; and provide leadership and guidance of criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, international agencies and partners. (Today's FBI Facts & Figures, 2014).

Well their job description is all over the place considering the different branches and fields there are. For example there is the regular FBI agent then there’s the fact that you can be in fa special agency. Plus three are a lot of different agencies. Some of the things they do in these agencies include, “finger printing, lab services, public affairs, or manage”(FBI.gov). All of these different jobs are completely different considering that one day you would have to talk to a lot of people, and tell people what to do, and in the other you would have to sit behind a desk and never come in contact with anyone. This means that you would have to be flexible, and be lenient as to what you do on a daily bases. Another thing the fbi does is “detect and disrupt terrorist sleeper calls” (work.chron.com). This is another example of the diversity in the job. This also shows how important you are to the u.s , and how you will be put under pressure in your job. So if you don’t like being put in tough situations and being put under pressure, then this is probably not a suitable job for you. Another thing the FBI does is “work with lots of cyber-crime” (fbi.gov) This means that you’re going to need to be able to work , and properly work a computer . You would also need to have a liking to them considering they will be used all the time in the agency. Again if this is a problem then this job probably isn’t for

Do you have what it takes to become a secret service agents? What are the requirements to become a secret service agent? What are different types of agencies that an agent could work for? Well a secret service is an agent that protects and carry executive orders from their commanders to carry on their missions. The U.S Secret Service has two major areas they are required to do. They are to prevent financial crimes and protection who harms or threat our homeland which is the United States of America. They have missions that take place all over the world. Agents have different agencies they could work for like the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration). The DEA which is the (Drug Enforcement Administration) was created by Richard Nixon through an Executive order in 1978. When the DEA was first created it had about 1,740 secret agents and a budget less than $75 million. Now in present time the agency now has about 5,000 agents and a budget that had increase to $2 million.

The selection process is intimidating. Real-life FBI work is much different than the things that may be seen on television. This job requires the ability to stay focused, a high intelligence level, as well as education. Law enforcement is one of the leading careers resulting in death and/or injury, whether it be from physical altercations or car accidents. Two deaths have also occurred during the training process as trainees attempted to “fast-rope” out of a helicopter. The hours are highly unpredictable as well. When considering this career, one should think realistically. One could imagine that a career such as this is nothing like what I shown on TV where the team is constantly flying out to catch” bad guys.” Although staking out overnight and remaining undercover for years are two likely possibilities, it is also very likely for agents to not leave the office at all. Long hours behind a desk with all different types of paperwork are hardly ever portrayed on television shows. Agents often have long days with long hours with a lot of undercover assignments. All agents are constantly on call. As the FBI says on its website, “This is definitely not a nine-to-five

Federal Agents have many duties and can specialize in a vast array of different areas. “As an FBI Special Agent you may work on issues the encompass terrorism, foreign

Federal crimes can relate to anything from wire fraud to child pornography to drugs and firearms charges. If you are charged in Federal Court, are the target of, or are being investigated by, a Federal Agency (i.e., DEA, FBI, ICE, IRS or the ATF), it is imperative that you hire an experienced Federal Criminal Defense Attorney to represent you.

They are tasked with investigating crimes that are across jurisdictions, federal crimes, and counter terrorisms. Rarely photographed in an effort to hide their identity and protect their lives and the lives of their families, many would be surprised to know that FBI agents work all across the globe. The public has no idea what role the FBI plays on the international al stage particularly as it relates to investigations.

If I do become apart of the FBI my duties are to gather information, interview people, search records to unlock a new clue, and more. It is possible for me to go undercover to reveal more clues. Most of my work is done on computer so I will definitely need technology background. I watch people's schedule. I watch them when they ar home or leave to go somewhere. I do need to know the law well though because I have to follow the

Financially this career isn’t at the top of the “Highest Paid Jobs in America”. The lowest paying department you could start at if you want to have opportunities in advancement would be a police officer that clears at least about fifty to fifty five thousand dollars a year. “Many agencies provide officers with an allowance for uniforms, as well as extensive benefits and the option to retire at an age that is younger than typical retirement age” (Police). A recent college graduate would probably be going into the Federal level branch of law enforcement. “Most will require a four year bachelor degree, but some also will not” (CareerShip). Your financial security will be depended on the department and or branch of law enforcement you are interested in. In Oklahoma, our state officers aren’t paid as well in comparison to other states in the United States. “The need for law enforcement officers in Oklahoma was currently at 11% in 2012, which leaves sixty job openings in our state” (America's). After seeing these facts, I thought long and hard about my future I wanted in law enforcement and here in Durant isn’t somewhere I can get where I’d like to be, career wise and Financially in the career.

This article explains the steps and requirements to become a special agent. It also explains the training you will receive once you choose to become a special agent. For example, in order to qualify for training you must be a citizen of the United States, at least 21 years old, and meet the required physical standards. This article details the training side of the career and necessary standards to be an agent. I chose this source because the information was clearly stated and will be helpful to anyone interested in this career because it will tell you the requirements you must meet in order to qualify for training. This source is an informational source that tells the reader how much dedication it takes to become a special agent and the qualifications.