Joining the FBI is like no other career choice you have explored. It is challenging. It is exciting. It is rewarding, and every day you have a chance to serve your country.

FBI special agents are responsible for conducting sensitive national security investigations and for enforcing more than 300 federal statutes. As an FBI special agent, you may work on matters including terrorism, foreign counterintelligence, cyber crime, organized crime, white-collar crime, public corruption, civil rights violations, financial crime, bribery, bank robbery, extortion, kidnapping, air piracy, interstate criminal activity, fugitive and drug trafficking matters, and other violations of federal statutes.

There is no such thing as a typical day for an FBI special agent. Every day is different. One day you could be testifying in federal court, the next you could be executing a search warrant and gathering evidence, the next you could be meeting with a source to gather intelligence on illegal activities, the next you could be making an arrest, and the next you could be back in the office meeting with your squad and catching up on paperwork.

The FBI is now accepting applications for special agent candidates through August 15, 2014. Those interested can apply at www.fbijobs.gov. Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m., August 15, 2014, according to your time zone of your local FBI field office. Applications received during this period will be considered for the 2015 and 2016 hiring years.

Specific skills and backgrounds being sought include:

• Cyber security
• Intelligence
• Computer engineering
• Computer science
• Computer forensics
• Network administrators
• Information technology
• Lab scientists
• Electrical engineers
• Mechanical engineers
• Certified Public Accountants
• Bar-certified attorneys
• Law enforcement
• Military
• Pilots

To qualify, an applicant must:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be at least 23 years of age but younger than 37 at the time of hiring [exceptions include: federal law enforcement officers (1811s) and veterans’ preference-eligible veterans],
• Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Have lived in the U.S. for three of the last five years unless directly deployed overseas by the U.S. government or military
• Have a valid driver’s license and at least six months of driving experience

Applicants should also have three years of full-time (at least 36 hours per week) professional work experience. Exceptions to this requirement include:

• Applicants with computer science or IT backgrounds
• Foreign language speakers who score 3 or higher on an FBI language test
• Former FBI Honors Interns with at least a 3.0 GPA
• Applicants with a Juris Doctor
• Applicants with a master’s and/or doctoral degree only require two years work experience

For more detailed information on the special agent application process, and to apply, visit www.fbijobs.gov.

The deadline for applying is Friday, August 15, 2014.