Up Close and Personal with Analyst Lori Stampley

Considered a Career as an FBI Intelligence Analyst?
Here’s What It’s Like: Up Close and Personal

12/29/05

For Lori Stampley, the lure of joining the FBI two years ago wasn’t the prospect of donning a raid jacket or staking out the bad guys. Fresh from law school, she was drawn to the behind-the-scenes work of analyzing reams of information and looking for patterns and clues. Now she’s an intelligence analyst in our Criminal Investigative Division, where her skills in strategic analysis are shaping how agents go after gangs and other criminal elements. Lori talked to us about her job and why she likes it.

Q. Why did you decide to become an intelligence analyst?

Lori: I had worked for law firms during my summer vacations and decided law enforcement was a better fit for me. I’m drawn to this type of work because it requires great attention to detail and changes constantly. This keeps me engaged and challenged every day. I also have a great deal of creative freedom. My managers encourage me to pursue the trends I choose while also giving me excellent guidance. I have the best of both worlds.

Q. What’s a typical working day like?

Lori: I usually multi-task throughout the day, staying on top of new developments while doing research and analysis. I attend meetings with other investigative agencies and work closely with agents and analysts from other divisions to help their cases or produce intelligence reports for field offices or the larger intelligence community. It’s important to communicate with the operational units we support—it helps us produce a stronger product.

Q. Can you describe an interesting case you’ve worked on?

Lori: Sure. When I first started here I spent a month in Charleston, West Virginia, working alongside agents and local police investigating a series of deadly shootings. I pulled records, analyzed links, and ran database searches based on information gathered by agents. Each time the agents came in they could see how their information fit into the larger picture. The experience gave me an idea of what kind of information is helpful and what isn’t. It was a great opportunity for me to see the nuts and bolts of how the operational side works.

Q. Have you ever traveled overseas on a case?

Lori: I traveled to Suriname with another analyst to teach a two-week course on intelligence to local law enforcement and intelligence groups. It was a very rewarding trip; I was in a part of the world I might not have seen on my own, and students were eager to learn how they could enforce their own laws more effectively.

Q. Do you have any advice for FBI recruits?

Lori: I would say that flexibility is crucial. Candidates who are excited by opportunities to think creatively and travel to new locations where challenges await them are a great fit for the analyst position. I would advise potential recruits to consider using their academic training in a way they may not have considered before. Have an open mind!

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